North American Turbocoupe Organization



Rust Issues
Timmay Offline
Senior Member
#1
I just bought a 88 5 speed turbo coupe. It has some nasty rust in the rockers and right in fornt of the rocker where the fender bolts on. I was just wondering if they make any repair panels for these cars or am i gunna be hittin up the local salvage yard and just cutting out the parts i need?
1988 Turbocoupe- RIP in a place without rust!
1978 Mercury Bobcat super clean-2.3T, t5 trans, 8.8 rear 3.73 gears 31 spline axles,255 walboro in-line,MBC,3 inch exhaust,4 wheel disc brakes,5 lug
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Dan S Offline
Administrator
#2
Unfortunately, there isn't much out there for panel repair. Best bet is to find a donor at the local JY and cut what you need. Any t-bird or cougar (87/88) will work. I used rocker panels from an '88 Cougar to mend the rockers on mine. A donor '87 LX gave up it's right rear quarter.

While you're doing body work, get in the inner fender wells, front and rear. There are black plastic bags in there filled with foam (used for sound deadener). The bags break and the foam fills with moisture.....that's what is causing the rust problems.
Dan S
Custom 88 TC, Mandarin Copper Pearl Metallic
http://natomessageboard.com/ubbthreads.p...5#comments
1972 Ford F-100 SWB Styleside
2015 Lincoln MKC 2.3 EcoBoost AWD
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Pete D Offline
Administrator
#3
Be sure to check the front strut towers and the frame rails at the towers
Pete Dunham


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Timmay Offline
Senior Member
#4
sure did car seems fine just has cosmetic rust rockers a lil in the quarters but not enough it cant be fixed.
1988 Turbocoupe- RIP in a place without rust!
1978 Mercury Bobcat super clean-2.3T, t5 trans, 8.8 rear 3.73 gears 31 spline axles,255 walboro in-line,MBC,3 inch exhaust,4 wheel disc brakes,5 lug
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Shannun Offline
Junior Member
#5
I too have a rust issue on my 87 Tbird, but on the strut towers by the frame how would i go about fixing that?
and if i have to replace the towers would mustang towers work? because these cars are VERY hard to come by in my area.
i think in the past 5 years i have only seen 4 and thats counting mine Sad
Yes... Infact i would like a cookie.
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junkedturbo Offline
Senior Member
#6
I don't know if Mustang towers would work, are the front, back or both towers rusting :confused:

Really the only way to fix rust is to as Dan S said by finding a donor car and cutting out what you need, rust is like cancer as you have to cut out the infected part or it'll keep coming back.

Other thing that couses rust is the quality and type of the welding job, if its done poorly expect to see rust come back were it started. New cars now are glued together thanks to NASA so they don't have this kind of problem anymore.

If its sufice rust though that a whole diffrent story, just put some elbow gresse into it Big Grin
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Timmay Offline
Senior Member
#7
humm i got a fox body ltd in my driveway atm that doesnt have a motor or tranny in it (waiting for me to get unlazy and build motor mounts for its new power plant I6-5.8/c6 swap) and it has the same strut towers as a foxbody mustang ill have to look and see if they are the same as my turbocoupe. But depending on how bad off the towers are u might be able to just getting away with cutting the bad out and buying just plain metal and welding it in to repair the rust. Oh and also if u just mean the turbocoupes are hard to come by the strut towers in the v8 and v6 models t-birds are the same as our cars.
1988 Turbocoupe- RIP in a place without rust!
1978 Mercury Bobcat super clean-2.3T, t5 trans, 8.8 rear 3.73 gears 31 spline axles,255 walboro in-line,MBC,3 inch exhaust,4 wheel disc brakes,5 lug
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Shannun Offline
Junior Member
#8
i got to looking at the towers lastnight and both front have a hole all the way through and 2 more spots that are almost a hole, Sad so looks like they cant just be patched up.
but if the mustang towers are the same that will make things alot less challanging to find. (crosses fingers)
Yes... Infact i would like a cookie.
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Timmay Offline
Senior Member
#9
well after i got done feeding/water all the farm animals i parked my Tc by my fox ltd/aka 4 door mustang and visually the towers look identical i didnt physical measure them but just from looking they seem the same.
1988 Turbocoupe- RIP in a place without rust!
1978 Mercury Bobcat super clean-2.3T, t5 trans, 8.8 rear 3.73 gears 31 spline axles,255 walboro in-line,MBC,3 inch exhaust,4 wheel disc brakes,5 lug
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Shannun Offline
Junior Member
#10
i figured they would be close if not a perfect match i know most of the parts are the same just not totaly sure on what parts.
i think thats enough info to hit the local junkyard to take a closer look for myself.
thanks alot for the help Smile
Yes... Infact i would like a cookie.
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