I've been duped!

[terrible one]

My Charger tricked me into thinking the frame was rot free, until I started playing with what looked like a little scale. Here's what it turned into. Just what I needed after finding out that my disc brake swap was fucked up. I then went back and checked everywhere else. The rest of the torsion bar crossmember is fine, other side in the same area is fine, rears are solid as a rock. . . it's just this spot. So what do I need to do? I was contemplating getting a cap from ART and having someone up at the college weld it in. Can I drive the car like this?

[JimShine]

It takes very little time for that to happen. When I bought my 69 4 years ago, that spot had a little crusty spot at the drain hole. I cleaned it out, hit it with WD40, and never looked at it again until a couple weeks ago. In the meantime it clogged up with pine needles, debris and dirt and rotted out maybe even worse than yours. I bought the cap for it and am putting it in maybe next month. I have been removing the rotted area and rust encapsulating the still solid areas that will be left. The t-cap looks great. I will likely post pics of it going in.

It is perhaps the most common spot of the subframes to rot. I believe it is because there are holes at the bottom of the inner fenders leading to the front frame rails. On the drivers side, usually the vacuum can and battery tray sort of block some moisture from getting in. On the passenger side there is only a washer bottle, so moisture can get into those holes easily. It runs down into that spot (a low spot of the subframe) and dirt and debris hold the moisture in and let it rot from the inside out.

[69bronzeT5]

Yes you could drive the car like that but I wouldnt. My car has rot in the exact same place except mine is worse. I'm buying a whole new replacement one from AMD for $399

[JimShine]

I chose not to because my drivers side is rot free and my floor pans are perfect originals. If I was changing my floorpans, I would do the whole deal, but I am not and I don't care if the rails 'look' factory or not.

[terrible one]

JimShine,

It seems that we are in the exact same boat. My floor pans have some pin holes but are great, the rest of the frame is great, etc. I'd love to see your post on the t-cap going in, etc. To me it seems to be the easiest and most cost effective way to solve the problem. The reason I was asking if I could drive the car was 1) I want to be able to drive it to the exhaust shop, etc. 2) I want to be able to fuck around with it some and 3) I want to be able to drive it up to the votech for them to put it in. I guess what I'll do is basically the same thing you did Jim, cut the fucked up areas out, at least enough for me to spray the shit out of it with a rust encapsulator, etc. and prep the whole thing right so that all they have to do is weld it in and I don't have to worry about the overlap rusting out. . .

[JimShine]

I figured these would be of interest as I always wondered exactly what they looked like. Here is the Auto Rust technicians T cap for this repair.

[69bronzeT5]

You guys are lucky

[terrible one]

Man, that is a real nice looking piece. How much is it? Is that the $120 piece? For that price, it certainly seems like the way I need to go.

[68RT4ME]

My '69 is rusted in the same place on the pass. side. Body shop is ordering a new cap from Safe-T-Cap to replace it with. Seems like an all too common spot for rot. The piece in the pic is really nice.

[JimShine]

Yup, that is the $120 T-cap.

[terrible one]

Hm, I guess that's what I'll do then. With this being the only spot and it being so common, I don't guess I'm too worried at all. We'll see!

[racecharger]

Had some rust in my frame to.
Here is what I did,   Just weld in a patch were you need to!

[sdcharger]

I thought I'd just post a couple pics of mine, which I am replacing. I had got one from a parts car for about $200, but a new one from AMD would be pretty nice too.

[terrible one]

Haha man, you guys are making me feel better!

The AMD piece, especially for as nice as it seems to be, is a more than great price, especially for me, just wanting to have a street beater and stuff. The only thing I'm concerned with is making sure that I prep the area absolutely perfect with as much anti-rustness as I can, since it overlaps it. My plan is to cut until I have good metal, since it'll only help to cut the cancer out as well as open it up so I can spray all inside the frame, etc.

racecharger, I'm assuming you fabbed that piece up yourself? VERY nice work!

[racecharger]

Haha man, you guys are making me feel better!

The AMD piece, especially for as nice as it seems to be, is a more than great price, especially for me, just wanting to have a street beater and stuff. The only thing I'm concerned with is making sure that I prep the area absolutely perfect with as much anti-rustness as I can, since it overlaps it. My plan is to cut until I have good metal, since it'll only help to cut the cancer out as well as open it up so I can spray all inside the frame, etc.

racecharger, I'm assuming you fabbed that piece up yourself? VERY nice work!

Thanks! 
Feels good to hear, especially from you "over there" 
Yes its a home made piece!
This car has been in Sweden since -73 so it has seen a lot of salt in the winters!
Some guy made a racecar of it in -83 and it was a real wreck then!!

[Tilar]

Yours is not that bad yet and is definitely still drivable, but if it's a keeper I'd say replace it... I'm a picky old bastard and to me it's like putting vinyl siding on a house with rotted wood. You can cover it up but it's still there.

[hutch]

You can drive that till you fix it, Just dont stomp on it and put any heavy tourqe on your frame.  You still need to address it soon.

[41husk]

What do you use to spary for rust prevention inside the rail after you cut the rot out?

[Death1970Proof]

I had a similar problem with my '70....On the drivers side frame rail I had 2 minor rust holes. I took some steel and welded it into the needed areas making a cap for it. It's every bit as rigid or even more rigid than new. I used eastwood rust encapsulator to slow down and hopefully kill the rusting process.; My right rear frame rail  is different story because it is so rusty the whole rail needs replacing!

[BigBlockSam]

You can drive that till you fix it,

i drove my roadrunner for a while until i fixed it .the rot  looked very similiar to yours. no burnouts, not yet  Rene