rust repair questions

Hey guys, I've been reading some build threads and I think I have a plan here but if I could get some guidance before I start that would be great. I have some rust to repair and it all comes together at one spot. It is the A pillar at the floor, the floor and the side support of the firewall. Just looking at it makes me think I can cut the outter sheetmetal away on the side and get to the inside metal to repair it.

So I'm thinking cut away the outter metal, cut out the inner metal rust, cut out and repair the floor and the A pillar. Then repair the inner metal and then the outer metal. Does the inner and outer panel tie into the floor or the inner rocker normally? I don't have any real metal here to tell.
Would it make sense to put a 90 in the panel so it sat on the floor for extra strenth?
If anyone has a better way or better idea, hit me!! Let me know the best way to attack it so I can get rid of this rust!!
Thanks

 

Can't give you step-by-step method of repair because the minute you cut out some of what you see the scope of the project will change. The best i can do is to offer advice to prepare you for starting the project. The support area is rusted and needs rebuilding but, it has also dropped from the cowl weight and door weight. When you cut into it it will drop some more - so what i'd be doing is taking the door off. Id'be chaining the frame down and then get a hydraulic jack under the floor and start to jack the floor back into place - look for metal alignment around the windows. When you got it back to about where it is supposed to be then i'd be cutting out the rusted areas. Have some 16ga steel handy as well as 18ga. Let other folk use the 20ga.
Good luck and have fun, it is a dirty job but you can enjoy doing it, oj

 

Ok That makes sense, I didn't consider the floor having dropped there. What do you mean by look for the align by the windows? If I have the door off what is my target? The car is solid around the windshield.

 

Make sure the door still fits the opening ,with good gaps before you start cutting anything away...I dont usually have much of a plan when I start messy repairs like yours, it sort of comes together once I get started..hard to explain lol!

 

I agree it is sagged and will sag more.

The floor and lower post looks too soft to jack up...so..

I would repair the bottoms of the A, B, and C pillars to be as long as they once were. Then you can try to put some sort of long rectangular tube or a L-bend heavy piece under all the posts to jack the weight back up. This will act like the main sill that everything else will weld to. Once that's installed, you'd be jacking up the whole side of the car and roof, to get the door gaps fitting perfectly before welding the posts to the new floor part.

You need the doors on to constanly keep checking, but the door posts need to be repaired at the bottoms first,

If you screw up on that first floor piece, it will all get worse, not better.

Once that new floor piece is in, and the post bottoms tacked to it, then floor skins and inner rockers can be installed. Outer rocker is last.

 

Double what OJ said about 18 and 16. My car is made from 18, but I'm using 16 for all of the repairs in the floors and body braces.

And F&J is right about constantly checking stuff. Only tack weld until you have enough rebuilt to make it solid, then check everything one last time before you start finish welding. Then check as you go with that, too.

 

OK the floors are solid at the B and C pillars. With the door on the gaps are pretty good with the exception of the bottom hinge not lining up to the door. I'll put the door back on and jack the floor up so the hinge fits then I'll brace it off from there and start cutting, sound good?

After that I'll just tack and check everything before final welding. Thanks alot guys, I never considered that corner being low.