Originally Posted by
idrivejunk
Actually, no we don't come across this in Arkansas. Rust isn't as bad here. I scrapped a 40th GTP with perfect rockers and towers myself. When rust gets that bad on one, it's unsafe so we junk it. So a proper repair is something I just don't see. Using donor steel is so labor intensive that repair makes no sense compared to replacement. If you use new parts, the price of that kills it. So you can see why half hearted repairs are the usual fix. Because the buyer won't look there either, when you unload the unsafe patched-up rust bucket.
If you have sentimental attachment to the car, ignore rockers and go around town to see if any body shops will fix the towers for you and for how much. The repair affects wheel alignment so good measurement is important. A proper repair involves replacing the entire tower at the factory seams with a new or clean salvage part. Next down the line is to replace just a section of it but with a correctly formed patch of the right thickness. After that comes laying some steel up there and making something that looks like it might hold and hoping the suspension is straight and won't rip off.