OK all you Raiders of the Lost Teener, I finally got up the courage to take the passenger side valance off to see what I was going to find and like so many I found this:

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As luck and the good old California climate would have it, the rust seems manageable I hope. The problem is there is some rust at the seems and under the jacking point but I'm not sure how to proceed to get it under control. Here's some close-ups:

Front aft of the wheel well

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Mid span (notice two-tone paint..? )

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Jack point

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Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

John

Looks good. You do know that this is porn for the "east coasters".

It largely appears to be superficial. It does appear however that the jackpost is full of crud, which probably held water and allowed it to rust from the inside out. Scrape and poke at that rusty spot at the bottom of the jackpost and see if it opens up. Looks pretty good though.

What rust?
*grumble grumble lives on east coast grumble*

Really...I'm thinking "sheesh....are you kidding me?"

Looks amazing. That said, I would find a really qualified welder and get that jack post off - clean everything up - and weld on a new one.

This is how it begins. And, that packed in crud is sitting against your long. Couple hundred now. Couple thousand later.

On second thought... it's so clean, maybe just cut along the triangulated edges, clean and rust proof and re-weld what you have there.

Very nice - Again...

I'll see your pile of dirt and raise you one Dr. Pepper can.

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Incredibly dry and clean! I don't think they get much better than that...

I do have a related question....

The factory appears to have supplied one drainage hole.

The photo seems to show that the rust may be greater on the right side, opposite the hole.

Would it make sense to provide an additional drainage hole on the opposite end....or would this invite more dirt, debris, moisture....and be counterproductive...?

I'd do it like the front section. See the previous picture. Two holes down low.

Well after taking a dental pick to the jack point drain hole the story became clear. Lots of rust flakes coming out with the dirt. So getting my courage back I got the left valance off and the two bumpers. Much the same story but some bad rust just in front of the front trunk lid.

Guess it's time to see if Scotty B. has any time available this Spring...

Left jacking point actually seems to have more rust inside the jack than the passenger side.

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Front rust just under the trunk lid, not through and through yet but will be given time

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Rear looks pretty good

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Your car is perfectly fine for its age. Stop screwing around!

Braggart!

RUST??? I have more rust than that in my ears when I finish up working on mine on Saturdays.

I'd cut the bottom off at the lower edge of the tube, check out the inside, if solid treat
the rust and put a new bottom on. Some careful grinding and it can look like nothing ever happened. Then flood the inside with some preventive again.
While your at it repair the top of each tube. They appear damaged from jacking without inserting the jack fully.

Dude, your car has No Rust, quit fuchin around. Nothing there for Scotty to do that you can't do in a 1/2 hour.

Woah, that thing is horrible. You should unload it ASAP. (but let me know first before you do that.)

I agree with Eric, My 72 looked like yours and we opened the bottom of the jack point and cleaned it out and closed it back up. This is my current project and shows what time will do to this area and how it may be worse inside

That is exactly what you do. Get a pro who knows the car to fix you up now. The job will be cheaper and faster now and then you can brag aboot your body man, and if he puts an extra drain hole in there for you then you have custom work done. Sweet.

Jealous!!! You have no idea.....

Mine looked simular to yours, I opened mine up just to see how bad it was inside and was lucky that all it did have was some surface rust. I ended up buying the jack plate cover from restoration design and had Brad Mayuer's shop do the replacing since I am not a welder. Money well spent in my book because I know it is fixed correctly. I also remove my rocker panels twice a year to clean all the crap out from behind them. Simple insurance to make sure the rust demon doesn't return in the jack post area.

Here is how mine looked before the repair ad after I opened it up. Both sides looked almost the same.