I'm going to apologize in advance for this post, as I know this is a very common topic, and I've reviewed a lot of previous posts, but I've never done this before, and I'm a little hesitant about carving up the car - so please bear with me. From other posts I've seen, my damage may not be too catastrophic.

I'm hoping this isn't something that I can't do myself. I've welded in the past, but not for a long time. I need to get a MIG and practice. Like I used to say when I worked in a lab - "If I knew what I was doing, it wouldn't be an experiment". (Or an adventure, for that matter).

First off, here's my slice of hell:

Click to view attachment

Another:Click to view attachment

And one more a little closer:

Click to view attachment

Here, I've numbered the areas that need to be replaced.

Click to view attachment

Obviously #1, the engine shelf (but I don't think I need to replace all of it, do I?)

#2 is the top of the long, but the pinholes appear to only extend through the top "layer" of the metal. Do I still make a full-thickness cut and just section this out?

#3 The pin-holed wheelhouse sheet metal has to go, right?

#4 This little section at the bottom of the firewall - Replace it?

One more photo:

Click to view attachment

I would welcome any input at all regarding the details as to the steps in this process. I don't know the best tool/method for cutting the metal out, and I'm assuming I would use 20 ga. metal on the wheelhouse and 18 ga. on the top of the long. I know replacement panels are available, but I don't know if the places I have to fix would warrant getting the part if I'm only going to use a section of it.

Do I want to preserve as much of the "flange" material (where the different sections meet), or does it matter?

Again, any input would be great.

4 might be OK, looks like you cleaned it up. 2 will be key. You will get to see what the acid did when it dripped inside. You probably will be going under the long too. Have you poked with a pick from underneath. Maybe right under and behind the jack tube?
3 will be pretty straight forward too, easy to form that one yourself.

When I did mine I just formed a piece for the engine shelf. I was deleting AC and needed to have the inner edge that accepts the engine seal. Yours looks like you could live with a homemade curved patch. They make that whole piece tho.

good luck

How'd you cut the pieces out?

1- most say you really want to sand blast pitted metal

2- I believe 18 gauge (<<edited) is the metal thickness most suggest

nice pics

jim

You also want to chech the inner suspension console. Get very aggressive with a pick or screwdriver. If there is a problem, nows the time to deal with it.

Car is 19 gauge, but you can't buy that in the states, so either 18 gauge or 20 , but I use 18.

For cutting, it's a cut off wheel on a grinder, on a die grinder, on a Dremel..
Also a sawzall, a jig saw, an air saw...

It's every tool you have, and some new ones you need to buy.

No one tool fits in there, you can't easily cut any of it..it's well, a hell of a job.

That is why the name has stuck, it's the hell hole.

You will understand once you start painting it.

Rich

#2 would be 2-ply 18G.

Many thanks for the help. I've done a little more reading, and now know about the corrugated "stiffener" that's inside this section of the OE long. I'm going to try to "skin" this portion a bit - i.e. cut through the top portion of the sheet metal while preserving the inner stiffener. I'd like to be able to weld the patch so it ties into the stiffener. If not, well, I tried.

I've checked the bottom of the long in this location (the curvy part right behind the jack tube), and it's rock solid. Except for about 4 or 5 hours of fair-weather driving, the car has been essentially stored in a garage without a battery for the last 20 or so years. I'm hoping that even with the pinholes in the top of the long, there really hasn't been anything to "leak into" the long itself. In fact, I think I actually created most of the pinholes with some pretty aggressive grinding/sanding/wire-brushing. Here's what the bottom of the long looks like on the passenger side:


Click to view attachment


I haven't done much body-work before, so I'm still a bit hesitant, but I'm going for it, and you've all bolstered my confidence a bit. Thanks also for confirming the following:

1. It's "normal" to have every tool in the garage strewn under the car, and still not be able to adequately clean/cut in this area;

2. Unless I grow another elbow, there's no one tool that's going to enable me to do so;

3. I'm probably not the only one who is contemplating having his mail forwarded to the parking lot at Harbor Freight.

Thanks again.

Your car looks better than most, but as others have said, can't put much weight in that until you at least cut out #2 in your pic. That and a flashlight will tell you how much work you have to do on the bottom or sides of the long.

Of the tools you have or can acquire without too much $$, I suggest a dremel with an abrasive cut-off wheel. Even better, a dremel with an flex extension and a cut-off wheel. I've got pretty much every tool you could want for cutting away the Hell Hole, including a fancy plasma cutter, but find the dremel with flexible extension is easiest in the tight spots.

I have a roller that has very little rust. a 1974 that might help you if you have more issues

My 2 cents...if the rust really only extends to where you've marked then you're in good shape and shouldn't need to buy panels. But you won't really know for sure until you start cutting out all the crap metal and delving around; as others have said. I've just tackled the job myself...check out my blog to see more detail if you're interested...sorry to lead you away from 'the world'.

Rest assured the folks here really know their stuff..I've had nothing but great advice!

Good luck, Ollie.