OK, so although I am no body expert, I knew I had to cut out the jackposts and tubes and replace them. I removed the rockers, which maybe have never been off the car, and yes, drivers side post was rotten, and the passenger side was pitted, but I cut them both out and to my surprise, both longs were immaculate. There was a tiny bit of surface rust on the triangles and around the jack plates, but the longs were untouched. Vacuumed out the longs with a tube, and lit and mirrored them to be sure. A wheel will take off the pitting and remaining small metal excess from the plate outer edges, but it is lovely to have no rot.

I am amazingly fortunate. Both posts came out and the remaining rust will be ground out tomorrow. I poked a punch through the passenger side long, which I will have welded closed just to be sure it passed the punch test. Stunning. 107k miles on it, 38 years old in September, which is just one month away.

I have had both valances off, and no rust, and no rust behind the bumpers, so grinding out the last of the surface rust, cutting off the old edges, and having the plates and posts welded in will be all it needs. I have to brush and repaint the trailing arms and dust guards on the rear, then I am done. Outside of any possible motor/tranny rebuilds, I am way down the road for 10 hours work and 80 bucks worth of metal to weld in.

The bullet could have been a howitzer, and I was concerned with the nasty drivers post, but all things considered, I see the light, there is no tunnel and no freight train, and a little metal ready and weldthrough primer before a welder takes it to new metal makes it a dissipated nightmare I can live with.

Not bad for a car that never had the rockers off. And I need new rockers.

Woohoo!

John

Drivers side
Click to view attachment

Passenger side
Click to view attachment

Actually the pictures seem to show a hole in each long in the pitted area to me but maybe not. Also there may be some rust left under the remaining spotwelded pieces that you haven't removed yet. I would not grind good metal down to clean a rust pit out. You can grind the remaining spotwelded pieces off but don't get into the long metal. The rust needs to be sandblasted out that way only the rust pits will be cleaned up and the good metal will still be thick. If you thin all the good metal down to the rusted pits thickness what will be left?

Braggart!

yeah, dont grind off any good metal, sand blast or at least wire wheel.. leave as much steel as possible