86 5.0 ho rusted front frame rails... what to do?

There aren't a lot of replacement frame parts for these cars yet but then again there are still quite a few on the road and in the wreckers. My opinion is to look for a whole beater 4 banger car etc. that has a decent front frame for a few C notes, all the structural parts will be the same. By the time you get the parts needed from a wrecker you'll spend that much anyway and you'll get the added benefit of other parts that you may need or sell off some of the parts to get some or all of the money back. These cars are notorious for their radiator bulkheads rotting off too so it may be better to replace the whole thing anyway. HTH StuK

I went through something similar with my '82. I chopped the front frame off another car, and welded it in place. I never, ever want to do anything like that again. It's a major job, takes lots of time, and there is a lot of room for error. It'd be a lot easier to do as StuK says and just get another chassis in good shape and transfer stuff over. It may seem like more work to do the latter, but you'll be removing 90% + of the components to do the welding anyhow.

I considered doing something similar to your proposed U-channel repair. While not an expert, I don't think a frame repaired in that manner would be so safe in a collision. Frame rails are supposed to collapse in a progressive manner. Adding a bunch of steel & welds seems like it could form a ram.

Jim S. '82 Mutant

I wouldn't bother. You'de have to cut some off another car, and reweld them on the old car. Unless you're pretty good with welding, and know how to set up a suspension, it's not worth the effort for that car. The 86 fox body isn't anything special.

strip it, junk it and get another car.

If it is the front rails as you say, then as others have pointed out you are really in for a world of pain with the repair unless the rust just looks bad and actually is pretty superficial. One thing to check for certain, though, since you did say you aren't terribly car savvy is that you are talking about the frame and not the K member, which could very well look like part of the frame to the untrained eye. The K member runs perpendicular to the rails of the frame and cradles underneath the engine. My 1987 has a lot of rust on that part, but that can be replaced (or even just blasted and cleaned, since it's a pretty stout component) without any welding or anything of that sort.

Failing that, what about using it as a donor car for something like a Factory Five Cobra replica kit?

They do say the kits are designed for 1987 to 1993 Mustangs, but the 1986 is pretty close to those years and it sounds like you could always give them a call and find out just what sorts of gotchas might get in the way by using a 1986 for a donor car. I would think you'd at least be ok with the rear end, engine, transmission, and other large components. Be a good way to learn about cars from the ground up, too, even though those kits are a significant investment of time and money.

There are big changes between 86 and 87, surprisingly enough. It wouldn't make a good donor for an FFR.

Nope these are the front rails. Specific areas are bad like where the suspension bolts up. From under the firewall to that point is good, and the very front is good but that mid-to-back section is rusted through. I think his current strategy is either to find another parts car with front end ok, or to take a lot of measurements and have a local metal place fabricate the front rails.

As I said, this isn't my car and I'm just kinda hanging out and holding stuff while my neighbor does the work! It's a learning experience for me.

jacques