Thanks, I don’t know what ECI is?
ECI = East Coast Idiot.
It’s when the man hours for welding exceed the value of the car X 1000 percent.
Link: (Picture) Diary of an ECI (East Coast Idiot) | Mercury Cougar Owners
Guilty- other wise it’d be scrapped, you could never pay someone to do this.
Again, I commend you for saving an important Cougar 
It’s also an honorary title, though it may sound kind of brash.
ECI is far better than:
Most of you will get it…
If there is any advantage to removing the 1/4 it has to be getting to the area’s you normally can’t, I was going to just dust it with the sand blaster and brush on the chassis saver but my mind couldn’t so I blasted it to bare metal except some of the wheel house it’s factory paint was pretty good
Look up ‘weldable primer’ as it will help prevent future issues with oxidation after the new/replacement sheetmetal is welded in. The primer works by flowing away from the weld as it is being done then, as the metal cools, back over the weld sealing it.
Thanks, I hadn’t inquired yet but I will, finally about ready to put it on, so time consuming.
Finally got the 1/4 ready to go on, hopefully this weekend
So far what has been the most challenging part of the build?
I can’t say it’s been challenging just a step at a time but I really underestimated how long it’s taking .
I’m too having the same issue with underestimating time for theory and practice don’t always agree.
Got 1/4 on this weekend, fits good,left over temp paint on bald spots, on to the other side.
The sail panel area is about the same but overall it’s in better shape and hopefully quicker.
Picked the remaining pieces off and put a couple stainless rivets in before I forget to do it so that when the roof goes on it’ll set on them setting the depth, I won’t be able to see it just feel for it
The package tray ends were rusted which welds in on the back side of the internal sail panel so it made more sense to just remove a portion of it to make the repairs
Repairs completed and painted
Not going as quick as I hoped this 1/4 had a lot of bondo and dents
