Sorry about your bad luck Larry. The long way is the best way to fix the cowl rust issue. I suggest you pull the windshield, fenders, and hood and drill out all (many) the spot welds holding the cowl top (with air intake) to the bottom and firewall. Also remove the lower piece that slants down towards the passenger side if rusty. Repair sheet metal is available for the lower and upper cowl drivers side, the rest will need to be fabricated.
When I did mine I finished the entire inside, bottom of the cowl with fiberglass and resin to waterproof the steel, including filling the 2 drains up to the top of the lower opening edge of the holes with resin so they could actually empty (factory design flaw).
This is covered with photos included on "for B bodies only" site.
It is a massive job but, if you are keeping the car it the best way to repair .
Mike