Rear wing bead

I am looking for advice on how to repair rust adjacent to the rear wing beads on my 66 roadster. I have some pockets of corrosion blowing through the panels in this area but it appears to be quite localised and the wing seems to be in quite good condition otherwise. I plan to open the holes out, dress out any remaining rust and then either weld them up or weld in small patch repairs. Problem is they are right next to the beads. How are the beads held in and can they be easily removed? Also what are people’s comments about the repair approach? Any advice will be much appreciated!!

I think the beads are part of the wing. I am not sure what the best repair would be, but if the holes are small enough, you should be able to weld them closed. I know of places on my car that I just don't know what to do with either!

peace, Kyle

There is no easy way to remove and replace the beading, it's sandwiched between the two adjacent panels and is welded in. The beading might actually be the cause of your rust spots, as it tends to trap water. Just be sure that's not your problem or else any repair will be temporary at best. When I painted my roadster I pried the beading up a little bit and tried to sandblast under it, and then tapped it back down with a rubber mallet. I think I already can the see the beginning of more rust in a tiny area. So on my gt I ground out the beading and welded up the seam.

Soome rust converter sprayed in, and on, the seem and then rust encapsulator, prime and paint. This is probably not a permanant fix, but should get you a few more years down the road. Depends on how much time, effort, and money you want to sink in to the project......

Hi Ryan. Thanks for the advice. After a real close look at the problem and after taking advice from some of my panel beating freinds I have cut the whole wing off along with the top joins and intend to weld the seam up completely (perhaps by spot seam welds to avoid warpage) and then glue a bead on top after the undercoat is applied. This will look original but will also ensure that no there is no area for the rust to start between the outer wing, the verticale part of the bead and inner wing structure. I will keep you posted on progress.