If your car has structural rust issues, then yes. Braces in the door jambs is necessary. if the car is structuraly sound, then no worries.

 

I second that motion!!

 

She is very sound, thanks you saved me allot of work and worry!

 

By sound, that is the inner and outer rockers. The braces in the door frame are to support the front and back half of the car while the rockers are replaced.

 

Ummm dont want to sound dumb, but the things I know as rockers are in the engine? Can you better describe the part you talking about?

 

The metal that runs below the door.

 

Crap,,,, I guess I had too much fun last night, under the rocker panel moldings!! lol

 

Might also be talking about stiffening the unit-body with sub-frame connectors, export brace, monte carlo bar? Cheap and easy, makes the body much stiffer and the car handle better.

 

Summitt sells a stiffener for Cougar's and Mustang's.

I put a Monte Carlo bar on mine, but I've only seen one other Cougar with one.

 

My sub-frame connectors are Global West but I think several other vendors offer both bolt-on and weld-on.

I like Monte Carlo bars. Surprised more Cougar people don't use 'em. I'm not sure exactly how much they stiffen the engine compartment but, hey, sometimes chrome is an end in itself....

 

Wouldn't subframe connectors be needed if you were to increase the engine HP too?

I don't think rust is the only reason to add support to the frame.

 

I agree. I think you should stiffen ALL unit-body cars, regardless of whether you're specifically building a high-horsepower and/or flat-handling car. Its cheap and it makes the car safer. There's no reason not to do it unless you have a concours show car or something.

'69cugr, I like the curved monte carlo bars because I like the way they look with the oval air cleaners. There are pics on my website of the engine compartments of both my 67 Cougar GT and dearly-departed '69 Mach 1....

 

did you use the straight or curved Monte Carlo? do you have a picture?