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Tue Aug 11, 2009 10:33 pm

I found a bug that is a Junker but I am going to get it for a good price. The downside is the floor pans are rusted out near the passenger side door. I don't want to take it to a shop for to get new floor pans weilded because its going to cost me to much. Is there any way I can safely fix the floor pans without weilding new ones on?

Tue Aug 11, 2009 10:35 pm

well you can buy the floor pan replacement sections and welded them in??? take a pic and show us what we are working with...

Wed Aug 12, 2009 12:08 am

It's probably not worth your time to try to patch it, especially if you aren't going to weld it. Just buy a high quality replacement floor pan and weld it in, it's not that hard to do.

Wed Aug 12, 2009 3:01 am

I met a guy who was "gluing" his floor pans in.

Most new cars use some amount of adhesive to bond metal segments together. The factories use a two-part adhesive that bonds sheet metal together so well that this guy claimed it would rip the metal before coming apart.

I'm just suggesting it as an alternative to welding.

Here's a site that talks about it:
http://www.lord.com/Home/ProductsServices/Adhesive...fault.aspx

Wed Aug 12, 2009 4:37 am

I bought a bug where the floor sections (yes, sections) were glued in... but he used bathroom caulk. It wasn't pretty.
There are plenty of builder reports on this site, showing each step of replacing floors. If you have the space and the skills, your best bet is probably welding, though the adhesive that ashman40 is recommending might work as well. Is the heater channel (underneath the door) also toast, or just the floor itself? If the channel is also gone, then the car is going to require some significant work before it's roadworthy.

Stray

Wed Aug 12, 2009 5:25 am

ashman40 wrote: I met a guy who was "gluing" his floor pans in.

Most new cars use some amount of adhesive to bond metal segments together. The factories use a two-part adhesive that bonds sheet metal together so well that this guy claimed it would rip the metal before coming apart.

I'm just suggesting it as an alternative to welding.

Here's a site that talks about it:
http://www.lord.com/Home/ProductsServices/Adhesive...fault.aspx

I took an autobody class at the local vo-tech school. The instructor was a professional autobody guy. He helped me glue on a small patch panel in an area on my rabbit that we couldn't weld. It's been 5 years and its holding fine.
It's not structrual though.

If you can post a picture of what you've got.......

Wed Aug 12, 2009 6:51 pm

You can probably find a local welder through craigslist that would do your welding relatively cheap, thats what I did anyway. The hard part is getting the stuff to line up good, the aftermarket pans are kind of hard to line up with aftermarket heater channels. All you really need though is a sawzaw and a grinder.

Fri Aug 14, 2009 9:57 am

epoxy ;)

Fri Aug 14, 2009 9:58 am

I epoxyed and riveted mine in.

Works just fine.

Sat Mar 20, 2010 5:16 pm

chef-al wrote: You can probably find a local welder through craigslist that would do your welding relatively cheap, thats what I did anyway. The hard part is getting the stuff to line up good, the aftermarket pans are kind of hard to line up with aftermarket heater channels. All you really need though is a sawzaw and a grinder.

I am thinking of riveting or bolting mine..
I just had to comment on this.. albeit old post because my cheap ass pans lined up perfect. Cut off the rear support bracket.. and 1/2 inch off the front corner (body on replacement). Done. I expected I'd have to be removing 1/8 inch across most of the edges or something.. but nope.. Perfect out of the box. and its not a fluke. Both sides fit like that. could have done it body off without worrying about lining it up.

Oh yea.. I did break the weld and slip it in style in the back. Easier than even the bugme vids make it look. I had no way of getting the corner cut without borrowing tools. (I just wiggled the front back and forth till it broke off)

Sat Mar 20, 2010 8:34 pm

chef-al wrote: You can probably find a local welder through craigslist that would do your welding relatively cheap, thats what I did anyway.

Huh. That's a really good idea. Thanks for the tip. Better yet, I'll ask around my local church. They're pretty good guys there that do alot of construction and car work.

Sat Mar 20, 2010 8:44 pm

Bug me videos offer a floor pan replacement video. It is not that hard to do once you see the video. I had a Geo tracker that me and some buddies pieced together from three other trackers. Most of the body panel replacement was with body adhissives. I had it for three years and some lady plowed into it back in November totaled it out but the glued in panels held up and did not break at the places where the adhissives where used. i am impressed.

Sat Mar 20, 2010 9:39 pm

If the joints were all simple lap joints I would consider adhesives,
but the joint at the rear of the pan near the torsion tube is a bit more complicated.
So that area needs to be welded, and if you're going to weld there,
than you should weld in the rest of it & do the job correctly.
The adhesives we use at work have a lap shear strength of 2500 PSI,
so bonding with a good adhesive would work, but I wouldn't do it.

Sun Mar 21, 2010 1:24 am

Think the napa paint and body shop sells body adhesive?

Sun Mar 21, 2010 10:51 am

They should or could get it for you. I thinking welding is the best way to go but if you are only replacing a small section and not the whole pan half I would try the glue.

Mon Mar 22, 2010 6:24 pm

i with some of the others you can get one of those cheap craftsmen welders and do it yourself pretty easily. im a crappy welder and mine turned out great.

Mon Mar 22, 2010 6:25 pm

i with some of the others you can get one of those cheap craftsmen welders and do it yourself pretty easily. im a crappy welder and mine turned out great.

Mon Mar 22, 2010 6:25 pm

i with some of the others you can get one of those cheap craftsmen welders and do it yourself pretty easily. im a crappy welder and mine turned out great.

Tue Mar 23, 2010 12:12 am

Joey Chopps 1 wrote: i with some of the others you can get one of those cheap craftsmen welders and do it yourself pretty easily. im a crappy welder and mine turned out great.

i have a cheap crappy welder... it didnt come out great and welding invites rust vs other methods... I was thinking steel rivets AND adhesive Maybe even bolts and fender washers.

Tue Mar 23, 2010 2:57 am

zeroman wrote: Joey Chopps 1 wrote: i with some of the others you can get one of those cheap craftsmen welders and do it yourself pretty easily. im a crappy welder and mine turned out great.

i have a cheap crappy welder... it didnt come out great and welding invites rust vs other methods... I was thinking steel rivets AND adhesive Maybe even bolts and fender washers.

You have to seal the seams either way you do it. That along with paint should prevent any rust. Heck that is the only thing on my floor pans that wasnt rusted was the old spot welds covered by the stock sealant.

I personnaly welded mine with plug/ rosseta welds, then sealer, and paint.