new owner

i have recently aquired a '94 ford tempo, that requires a litle t.l.c. and i am in dier need of help with this situation. it has a hole in the backseat passenger floor board, a hole in the gas tank its self, and a hole in the drivers side front panel, also the seat adjustment is a bit touchy, and i was hoping someone would have some advice for me. thank you.

Reply to
trickyvana
Loading thread data ...

Relace the gas tank. Cut the rusted floor pans out and weld in new metal.

Reply to
Andy

The floor panel and the fender you can handle yourself if you want to invest a bit in a small MIG welder and the metal forming tools to cut the patch from raw flat stock.

Alternatively, you can search out 'rust repair panels' for most newer cars - they are like the raw stampings the car body was built from at the factory. Keep cutting out the rusty bits around the hole till you get all the rotten parts out, then cut your patch from the repair panel to fit - leave an inch on all sides as a welding margin weld it in.

If you want to minimize bondo patching before painting on exterior bits on fenders and doors, get a flanging tool to recess the welding margin at the edges. Then the patch sits flush.

Then it's standard (easy but boring handwork) bodywork - grind the welds down flush, rust preventative treatment, prime coat, sand, prime again, sand again, paint coat, sand, paint again, undercoating, sound padding, put the carpet back down.

Do NOT try to patch a gas tank - much misery and potential danger lies down that path. Either order a new tank from the dealer, or find a good one in a wrecking yard in the sun belt - somewhere they don't salt the roads.

Totally unbolt the seat rails, pull it out (or flip it over) and inspect the release system. Either the pull rods for the release are maladjusted and a quick tweak with pliers will fix it, or the latching dogs are messed up and you need to replace the adjuster rails.

-->--

Reply to
Bruce L. Bergman

Take $5 from a haul away wrecker. I'm serious, a rusted out car can become a coffin in an accident.

Reply to
Some O

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.