Got an update from a car forum contact... the car does not have a 'frame' per se, it's Unibody, with 'frame' elements integral to the body itself. This makes sense based on what I was seeing under the car as well as my complete inability to find a '1974 satellite frame' in any salvage yards or anything. Also, the pictures of one of the guys' 1968 project car (road runner) on a rotisserie looked VERY much like the shackle mount setup on the back of my car, and the other shots of that car made it pretty clear that there's no 'frame'.
So... there won't be any 'rolling chassis' for me to work with... time for a plan D, I guess... Ideally, I'd dip/tank the whole body and major body parts (hood, trunk, fenders, etc) and dip prime them to kill all of the rust and protect against it, then cut out the rusted sections and replace with new metal. From what I've found looking around, I'm probably looking at 3-5 grand to have that dipping work done... and no place local, the closest I've found is over by Chicago. So... add a few hundred bucks in trailer rental and gas if that's where I have to go. This would mean I won't be doing any welding this winter, probably... unless I just start practicing on little pieces.
Also, Sarah expressed interest in having a media blasting cabinet... then of course I'd need an air compressor... and probably need to get a 220v line run to the garage... so... for now, I'll keep pulling parts and scrubbing.
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