Are you looking for a Rolls Royce or a Firebird? Have no fear, the car will not shake apart, or rattle your teeth, if the shakers are not in place.

My cars have the shakers, and the brackets do add structural bracing to the body. They can be installed if desired, they appear on eBay with great regularity. They are not necessary, I have seen more Firebirds without them than with them due to the likelihood of front end crunches over 40 years time. If you're drag racing, you likely won't be doing it in a convertible.

When our '68 was in for media blasting, it was raised at 45 degrees by the front subframe and the doors still opened and closed properly without shakers, kidney pans, or any of the other bolt-on stiffeners. Look for a car with good rockers and tunnel and you'll be on the right track.

As to cars that have been blasted looking like Swiss cheese...the blasting did not cause it, only exposed it. And it cleaned out the cancer so that proper repairs can be made. If you find a car that has already been blasted and photos taken during/after, or if the car is still in epoxy prime, you will see the good, the bad, and the ugly.