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1971 SATELLITE COWL DRAIN REPAIR

mindshark13

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12:23 PM
Joined
Jul 5, 2015
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Location
tampa fla
Anyone tried this without replacing entire cowl? Someone waited too long to clear the side drains and blow the hardened muck out. Putting in new floorpan and this has to be fixed first.

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Yes, I hated to do it, but the only way to get to what I needed to, was to cut the top. The top part was in real good shape and I cut it with a dremel tool (real fine cut) that I welded back in when I was done.
 
Most of my damage was close to the driver side. I know there's several ways to go. I've been warned to stay away from Fiberglas repair. I was told after a while the Fiberglas Mat will begin to seperate. I'm thinking sheet metal bent into a U and use seam sealer to attach above what's left of the bottom of the trough? It's sad that the design has caused the end for many of these cars.
 
When I did mine about 5 or 6 years ago, I replaced the rotted out areas with sheet metal that I shaped and then welded to good metal. There were more areas that were rusted, but not rotted out. After I finished with the repairs, I painted that whole area with por 15. It still looks good. I don't know about attaching with seam sealer. If you're not welding it and its not a structural area, you may be able to clean (remove the rust and rustoleum) it and use a panel bond. The funny thing is, after I went through all the trouble of fabricating the metal in that area, I acquired a parts car that was in better shape than my car in that area. I don't know if they still have it, but the car scrap metal place that I took it to is across SR-60.
 
I've got a 72 Charger parts car but it's a non A/C car and it's got those big vent cans on both sides of the bottom of the trough. It's amazing that most non A/C cars seem to outlast the ones with A/C between 71 and 74.?
U must be local ? When u said hgwy 60 cool. I'm not sure which scrapyard your speaking of ? I like the por 15 u mentioned. I was thinking rhino liner or that rubberized leak stop they keep advertising lately?
 
No, that was my parts car. There was rusty metal on parts of driver side, but shiny paint inside cowl.
 
Oh ok. I know of Brandon auto salvage. And Gillespies at 60 and Turkey creek but the county made them crush all their cars about a year ago.
 
Gilespies was just about picked.

Best thing they had was a 78/79 Magnum and very little left of a 71 and a 74 Charger.

Maybe I remember a 68-70 Wagon.

Everything else was either rusted out or dented up, or missing any good parts.
 
I always thought the jet engine parts scattered everywhere was a nice touch.!! I bought a Demon shell and a 68 Charger skeleton a few years back. That 68 satellite wagon is still there. For some reason they allowed him to keep that back cluster of cars.
 
When I did mine about 5 or 6 years ago, I replaced the rotted out areas with sheet metal that I shaped and then welded to good metal. There were more areas that were rusted, but not rotted out. After I finished with the repairs, I painted that whole area with por 15. It still looks good. I don't know about attaching with seam sealer. If you're not welding it and its not a structural area, you may be able to clean (remove the rust and rustoleum) it and use a panel bond. The funny thing is, after I went through all the trouble of fabricating the metal in that area, I acquired a parts car that was in better shape than my car in that area. I don't know if they still have it, but the car scrap metal place that I took it to is across SR-60.
I second the panel bond as an alternative to welding as a ton of structural parts of cars & vans are done with panel bond from the factory these days as well as being super strong! Just make sure you have some un rotted metal to fuse with.
 
Thanks for input. So u think shaping a piece of metal into a U and cleaning the trough as good as I can then panel bond it to the good areas of trough right? Would u make one long piece from passenger side to driver side or just like one piece starting in the middle over to driver side?
Thanks. Any input is very helpful. That trough would be a great item for some of The aftermarket sheet metal company's to start making.
If we can't stop the water from pouring in to the floor what good is replacing the floor panels?
This has undoubtedly cost many cars to suffer torsion bar crossmembers and frame rail failure.
 
The guy that bought my 73 Charger just cut the whole top of the cowl off in a rectangle, fixed the vent stacks, and welded it back on.

Remember those postal Cushman's or what ever they were at Gilespies?

"39-'47 Dodge school bus?

...and a 340 4 speed Duster with not one single part worth taking.

...and the goats, lots of goats.
 
Yes I remember the duster. I remember the yellow twister duster. I bought the Demon next to it.it was good for the numbers and tags and I think I got a 3 on the tree column and that was about it.
I was out there 1 day under a car and I heard my sockets rattling on the trunk. I said hey Man U can borrow what u need but ask me first. Nobody said anything so I slid out and stood up and there was 2 goats eating my sockets out of my tool box. CRAZY LOL
 
Goats? I was thinking farm trucks.
 
Sorry to turn this into an old JY reunion....

They did have something I eventually wanted to get...

66 Charger with all the power window stuff still in it.

Is that still there?
 
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