The good people of the board have come across with some quick and temporary fixes. As you have stated you have done some of this to some success. Good!! But in the end, the only way to fix for longevity is the old, hard way that others have posted on how to fix this. If you do find a simpler permanent fix, clue is in. Fixing this problem is not a cakewalk. I have one that needs the same repair, but I do have an easier way to do, WILL NOT POST ON HOW TILL I ACTUALLY DO IT. in case I am totally wrong,, in which I have been in times in my life. But for a clue, a guy should be able to just cut off the top of the cowl vents, go in and repair and weld the tops back on. On severely rusted cowls, you might not be able to get into the far reaches, which would render this type repair futile. Dunno yet, still have to try it on my own. Dan
I need to make this same repair on mine but I don't want to cut everything up 'cause my paint is still in pretty good shape. I'm considering going in through the sides, sanding down to bare metal and fiberglassing the whole floor and chimneys. The cowl area doesn't flex so I don't think cracking will be an issue. And that will bring my car one step closer to a Corvette.
Dan, that is how i repaired the cowl on the '71 that mike ( M.A.V.) got from me. it was a "girl dog" to weld back on...frank...
I thought about the fiberglass thing myself, just because fiberglass doesn't rust. It should outlast me if done correctly. I wound up getting a cowl from Chandler. Going in through the side will still require welding for a bracket between the cowl and the fender supports, plus sealing up whatever hole you made in this VERY THIN cowl top. Sheetmetal is thin, the top of the cowl is like a coke can. Reason number 2 I went with a complete cowl. Just tinkering with my old one, if I did anything beyond a slight tack weld it would burn through, wire speed on high, welder on the lowest setting. Ford should be ashamed of the mess they gave us...
