Hello - I'm working on a 63 Fairlane and rust has eaten through a good amount of the rear frame on both sides. How is this usually fixed? Does anyone have any idea how much a shop will charge for this? any info would help, thanks

Usually taking the rails from a good donor car. How are the rear floor/trunk pans?

well, actually I haven't seen inside the trunk. I got the car without any keys and I've only replaced the ignition cylinder so far. I just got a whole set of locks and keys on ebay but haven't put them in yet. front/rear floor are swiss cheese. So I'm assuming the trunk is the same. I have some buddies that can weld new floor plans but the frame is something they said they couldn't do.

On something like that I would build a new set of frame rails from 2x4 tube and then set the body on that...One some of these if the frame is rotted in one area you can count on the frame being about gone in other areas..

A new chassis from a pro builder will run in the 3000-5000 area depending on a number of factors in the build..

You can roll your own which a lot of guys do here and save a bunch in labor..will its your labor..and do some educated scrounging for pieces to work with..Building a whole new chassis to me is the way to go sometimes as then I can get a better handling car and have all new or rebuilt parts in it..

My thoughts on this one..

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I would rather make it work than make it popular..And if it does not work it will not be popular..

thanks for the tip. way out of my price range right now, I'm going to roll it over to a frame shop in Ballard to get a quote. hopefully it cheaper than $5k. I just spent a grand on it in the last week, so I'm not sure how much more my wife is going to put up with it.

Actually, the rear rails were offered separately for service. I wish I could show you a parts explosion so you could see how the car is assembled.

It may be best to find a donor to cut the rails from, have a set made or if not too badly damaged, have the present rails repaired. Also, unless the car is of some worth, say a HDTP SPORTS COUPE, it may be cheaper to find another body and make one out of the two.

Was it sitting down in the mud or something?

well, it's not the coupe. it's the two-door sedan. So, it's not worth a whole lot as far as the market goes. I've always loved old american cars but didn't grow up with anybody to show me anything, so this is the first car I've ever tried to work on myself and I've already put a lot of work in to it. I've learned soooo much already (but really still don't know anything) When all's said and done I won't be able to sell it for much, I just want to get it on the road and make it mine. I'll take some pics tonight - I think the front frame is ok - well at least not as bad as the rear. I have a frame chart, I got it on ebay just for the heck of it - can it help me somehow?

It does not have a frame but rather a series of boxes and bulkheads which disribute the stress throughout the body structure. The floor is a structural member on the cars and, if I remember correctly the trunk floor is the top surface of the fuel tank as well. Check under the mat and see if the outline of the tank is shown by a series of screw or bolt heads forming a rectangle in the trunk floor.
It is very important that the understructure of these cars be strong and intact other wise bad things can happen.
I wonder if now someone is making the pieces to fix the Fairlane series as they dp for the Falcon/Mustangs. Check some vendors and see what's avaiable. You may be surprised.
By the way, the two-door sedan is probably rarer than the Hardtop and so a much more unusual piece to show up in at a rod run, cruise night or car show.

thanks for the advice, I'll crawl under there and see what I can see. also I'll check out the trunk floor - I have to crawl in through the back - maybe it's time to change that lock...

This car sounds like a prime candidate for a set of tubs.................You have to replace all this stuff anyways, so a back half frame and aluminum tubs may be the best way to go.

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Go out and check the frame rails on a mustang. Several years ago I replaced the rear rails on a 63 Merc. Comet Convertible with repro rails for a mustang. They may not be exact but in my case they were close. We sleved the frames with an inner sleve and and outer sleve and plug welded it and then did a complete weld. Make sure you have it lined up before welding it.
Jan

I really appreciate all the help. One more question though. Seems like the best route to go would be find a donor car to cut the frame out of. but what are tubs?

tubs are the portion over the rear tires incorporated into the body..there are custom tubs used when a fellow uses really wide tires like in a pro-stock car..you have them they are just the part that sticks into the trunk that covers ther rear tires..Best way I know to 'splain" it..

OMT

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I would rather make it work than make it popular..And if it does not work it will not be popular..

This is the best solution. A sedan is a nice looking car with the right stance. A 62/ Fairlane sedan (wagon could most likely be spliced) could give you the rails and pans.

Now this will not be normal everyday bodywork. You need to find a shop that specializes in older cars/restorations and understands fully unibody. If done properly, it will never be known that it was touched.

I understand exactly how it is to fall in love with sheet metal...

Sorry to jump in, but I too have just become the owner of a 1963 Ford Fairlane 2-door sedan. It was stored away for 25 years in a barn before I purchased it at an auction. The floors, along with the frame rails are very solid. Recently I found a 1963 Mercury Meteor 2-door h/t that was stored away for ten years. The body is in good shape, along with the interior. But when I looked underneath, I spotted some "swiss cheese" in the floors and rust on the driver's frame rail. The best way I can explain what the frame rail looked like underneath is:

l / l
l \ l
l / l
l \ l
l / l
l \ l

The "rust line" was about 12-16 inches in length. Could this area be cleaned with a grinder and welded or will the bumper, gas tank, trunk floor and rear suspension have to be removed to repair this area? Click on the following link to view Woody's '66 Fairlane frame rail repair: http://www.woodyg.com/fairlane/finf.../rearframe.html.

Tom - Glass_Packs@yahoo.ca - www.geocities.com/glass_packs/index.html