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Well, I was working towards installing my DSE subframe connector on the passenger side and found a little rust in the rocker. I was already aware of some slight surface rust on the floor board on both sides and this stopped my Spohn SFC install previously. Since the DSE ones have you cut the floor out I figured this was a great way to negate that rust. Further inspection showed that this car had been in an accident in the past. The fender support rail is pushed back maybe 3/8" and a piece of sheet at the windshield is torn. There are also some seams that are separated in that area and have let water into the cowl on the inside of the car. I am guessing this is where my rust in the rocker is from, the rust is around the welded nut that the lower fender is bolted to. I will have to cut all that out, treat inside, and put new metal.
Since i had the interior all apart anyway I started looking around at the drivers side. There is a large rot hole in the area where the starter relay is on the kick panel, much worse than the other side. After I am done with the rust repair and all the SFCs, I am going to paint the entire underside of the car and do a lot more seam sealer, I do not want this to happen again.
It just sucks that a freeze plug in the 3.1 has lead to a complete tear down and finding so many problems. At this point the only thing that will be attached to the body will be the hatch during the tear down. I plan on removing everything in the engine compartment for paint, the interior had to come out for the SFC's and fuel pump access weld/closeup and the dash is out since it would be too difficult to repair the cowl area with the dash in place. I will also do some "upgrades" while it is all apart. I will do some vibration damping and additional sound proofing, probably new carpet, headliner re-covered since my was falling, the dash and interior panels will get foam all inside and between parts so it doesn't rub/squeak. I will also re-wire the back up lights and the starter relay since I am going from an auto to a manual and I like everything to work like factory. I also have an idea to put some LED's under the bottom of the door that illuminate with the dome light, like a newer car, which I also think is a good safety item since i like to park in the street. I also want to do some LED's behind the door handle that will illuminate and hold for a time period, activated from the unlock signal from my car alarm. Another upgrade I plan is a heavy 10 gauge wire and relays to work the windows. I had replaced the motors when I bought the car and they were much faster than any other 3rd gen I had owned, so relay control and heavy power wire should make them amazing, I think I am also going to get and express module so I can have the alarm roll the windows down.
I also bought some new speakers since I was running the factory ones still. I have the TDS greasable hinge replacements and I have to buy some new detent rollers, the drivers one is so bad it makes the door difficult to close sometimes.
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