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Sun Oct 17, 2004 8:12 pm

How much structual support do the heater channels add to the pan and body. I need to cut out the upper part of the heater channels and weld in something to make it look a little a little nicer cuz I had to smash them in to get my stock seats back in after a 3" body lift a while ago. Now I want to make it look a little nicer but I dont want to mess up the door. Any suggestions?

Sun Oct 17, 2004 8:25 pm

the heater channels do add quite a bit of support to the whole thing. if the seats fit before, i dont see how you had the problems now?

another thought, if you have a roll cage, it would definitely help stiffen the car up and the heater channels then might not be as important, but i would do my best to keep that part stock if i were you

Sun Oct 17, 2004 8:49 pm

After I installed the 3" lift, the body was raised up from the pan 3" so when i went to put the stock seats back in, they hit the heater channels before they would reach the sliders on the pan, At the time it was my transportation to work so I had to smash in the top of the heater channels so the seats would fit back in. I just installed a new PRP seat and mount today and I want to clean it up a bit. I am thinking of just cutting out the top part that I bent up and welding in some flat stock angled from the door sill to the lower part of the heater channel.

Sun Oct 17, 2004 8:52 pm

sorry - i blanked out on where the channels were. i dont know how that happened.

anyhow, how much are repro pieces? maybe look for some cut out used channels at a swap and use pieces from that.

Mon Oct 18, 2004 5:49 am

You didn't raise the seats also?

In my opinion, if the heater channels are solid and intact, I wouldn't touch them. I'd sooner cover the smashed channels with diamond plate or threshold covers if you want them 'nicer looking'.

Mon Oct 18, 2004 7:30 pm

No, not at the time cuz it would have been to much Fab work and I needed it to run the next day. But now I just installed a new suspension seat and raised it about 4 inches and the channels are not in the way. I think maybe I will try to just cover them instead of cutting them out cuz they are intact just dented in, lol. Thanks for the replies guys. :)