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To buy and cut or build pans?
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El Piojo
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 12, 2018 1:02 pm    Post subject: To buy and cut or build pans? Reply with quote

Hello,
This my first post but I have been reading and learning a lot from everyone here. However I have not seen much about my current delima. I am in the process of building a buggy from a 74 beetle. The pans were pretty much gone when I got it so originally I was thinking I would just fabricate my own pans however with my limited fabrication skills I am now considering buying pans and shortening them to work. I still think it might be easier to use what is left of the original pans and just weld in some diamond plate or just sheet metal. Here are some pics of what I'm working with. And thanks in advance.
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veeweeman
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 13, 2018 11:28 am    Post subject: Re: To buy and cut or build pans? Reply with quote

Doesn't look like you have much left to work with or weld to...I think you'll just have to get new pans and shorten them to fit...that's what I would do. ...it's not really that big a job, once you have 2 new pans in front of you, you can do it in a weekend easy. ..you never mentioned that you had any welding skills or not. ..if not, try the local vw clubs near you and someone in that club can lend you a hand.
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Wolfgangdieter
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 13, 2018 2:20 pm    Post subject: Re: To buy and cut or build pans? Reply with quote

Or use the outer perimeter bit left as a pattern and make the perimeter frame out of steel 1x2" square tubing. The remove what's left of the old thin floor pan and cut a new floor pan fron thin polished aluminum diamond plate. Weld the perimeter back to cr and using stainless steel bolts or aluminum rivets reattach the floor pan. You may need to add some stiffeners for seat attachment.
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jeffrey8164 Premium Member
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 13, 2018 3:49 pm    Post subject: Re: To buy and cut or build pans? Reply with quote

Buy and trim is easier. What body are you going with?
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jspbtown
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 13, 2018 4:12 pm    Post subject: Re: To buy and cut or build pans? Reply with quote

Tube perimeter. Cut down the rear lip and install flat aluminum diamond plate for a nice flat floorr with better leg room and lower seat
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El Piojo
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 13, 2018 7:28 pm    Post subject: Re: To buy and cut or build pans? Reply with quote

I have a Clodhopper body for it needs a little work as well. Thanks for all the advise. I like the idea of a flat floor jspbtown I think that's what I will do. Should I use pop rivets for the aluminum? Also on a side note I just finished welding the tunnel back together and even though I checked twice I am still a little crooked how bad is that should I cut it and fix it or run with it?
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Hot Air
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2018 5:30 am    Post subject: Re: To buy and cut or build pans? Reply with quote

That looks pretty crooked, clamp a bar on the frame head and make center it on there. Take a measurement from the end of the bar to the rear body mount on the shock tower. Measure both sides and see what you get. they should be the same.
I would think if you can see it with your eyes then it is to much, the car will be all over the road at higher speeds...
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El Piojo
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2018 6:42 am    Post subject: Re: To buy and cut or build pans? Reply with quote

The passenger side is 1/2 inch longer than the driver side.
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Hot Air
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2018 7:38 am    Post subject: Re: To buy and cut or build pans? Reply with quote

Do a cross measurement. clamp a pipe that is about a foot wider on each side and center it , measure from the passenger side front to the drivers side rear body mount on the shock mount section, repeat this the other way Drivers side front to pass rear. the measurement needs to be the same. if not cut and re-due. You will have all kinds of problems if not.
Is this how you measured ?
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Hot Air
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2018 7:43 am    Post subject: Re: To buy and cut or build pans? Reply with quote

this is how, not sure about these measurements just make yours be the same on both sides. Reference only
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jspbtown
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2018 7:51 am    Post subject: Re: To buy and cut or build pans? Reply with quote

This is what my pan, with the diamond plate, looked on my old Deserter.

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I used rivets to secure it to the lip. I also cut out the rear section of the lip on the center tunnel and added a new lip to keep everything flat. Very easy to mount seats and you get more legroom
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El Piojo
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2018 11:13 am    Post subject: Re: To buy and cut or build pans? Reply with quote

Hot Air I did not measure this way. But I will cut and redo I wasnt very happy with my welds anyway. thank you for the diagram. jspbtown that is exactly what i wanted mine to look like but with black bedliner instead of paint. It looks so good. Is that 1x2" tubing where the body mounts? what does the bottom side look like? Thanks again everyone. I am going to start a new thread First timer buggy build what not to do.
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jspbtown
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2018 11:54 am    Post subject: Re: To buy and cut or build pans? Reply with quote

To be honest I went a little overboard on that pan. I added a lot of steel that I really didn't engineer...it was probably for looks more than anything. Although it really did have a solid feel down the road. I think the added weight helped.

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When it was finished the 1x1 tube on the bottom was body colored and the underside of the pan and the floors were covered in Herculiner.

The side rails might have been 2x2 if I recall
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drs1023
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2018 8:03 pm    Post subject: Re: To buy and cut or build pans? Reply with quote

Being that my side rails on my '63 donor were pretty much shot (like yours), I removed the entire side rails and pan all the way from the Napoleon's Hat to the torsion tube. Use 1- 1/2" x 3/16" thick angle iron to remake your floor skeleton/perimeter. I added 1-1/4" x 3/16" thick (wall) square tubing at 1/3 and 2/3 back from the Hat to hold up the 1/4" check plate aluminum floor pans. I welded this tubing directly to the center tunnel underneath the car and welded it to the perimeter angle iron. The fabricated perimeter metal was formed as closely as possible to original shape - cut, heat, bend, weld, etc.

I had access to a nice press brake so I extended the sides of the floor pan to cover the angle iron skeleton.
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drs1023
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2018 8:03 pm    Post subject: Re: To buy and cut or build pans? Reply with quote

Being that my side rails on my '63 donor were pretty much shot (like yours), I removed the entire side rails and pan all the way from the Napoleon's Hat to the torsion tube. Use 1- 1/2" x 3/16" thick angle iron to remake your floor skeleton/perimeter. I added 1-1/4" x 3/16" thick (wall) square tubing at 1/3 and 2/3 back from the Hat to hold up the 1/4" check plate aluminum floor pans. I welded this tubing directly to the center tunnel underneath the car and welded it to the perimeter angle iron. The fabricated perimeter metal was formed as closely as possible to original shape - cut, heat, bend, weld, etc.

I had access to a nice press brake so I extended the sides of the floor pan to cover the angle iron skeleton.
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drs1023
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2018 8:03 pm    Post subject: Re: To buy and cut or build pans? Reply with quote

Being that my side rails on my '63 donor were pretty much shot (like yours), I removed the entire side rails and pan all the way from the Napoleon's Hat to the torsion tube. Use 1- 1/2" x 3/16" thick angle iron to remake your floor skeleton/perimeter. I added 1-1/4" x 3/16" thick (wall) square tubing at 1/3 and 2/3 back from the Hat to hold up the 1/4" check plate aluminum floor pans. I welded this tubing directly to the center tunnel underneath the car and welded it to the perimeter angle iron. The fabricated perimeter metal was formed as closely as possible to original shape - cut, heat, bend, weld, etc.

I had access to a nice press brake so I extended the sides of the floor pan to cover the angle iron skeleton.
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Bkhansen93
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 10, 2018 2:51 pm    Post subject: Re: To buy and cut or build pans? Reply with quote

Mine was the same way. I too am making a buggy out of a 74 beetle, but mine started life as a super beetle. I second the 1x2 tubing. I did that and just finished the majority of the work last night.
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El Piojo
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 11, 2018 11:18 am    Post subject: Re: To buy and cut or build pans? Reply with quote

That is what I ended up doing I also decided to make it a flat floor with some 1in square tubing for support in the rear. I am going to use diamond plate for the floor.
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xfactor6
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 12, 2018 9:10 am    Post subject: Re: To buy and cut or build pans? Reply with quote

do you have any more pics, would like to see the underside and where it attaches to the chassis and front where it attaches. Almost up to this point so would like some reference, also what size tube did you use for the sides?
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El Piojo
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 12, 2018 6:05 pm    Post subject: Re: To buy and cut or build pans? Reply with quote

Just a disclaimer I am no professional as you can see from my welds but based on some very helpful people from here I came up with this. The sides are 1x2in 1/8in wall tubing the back is 1in sq tubing and the lip is 3/4in. The hardest part was deleting the original lip on the tunnel where it curves upward. I cut to much off and left a big gap I had to fill. Next time I will only cut about half to 3/4 of the lip and hammer it in till it is concave then weld and use body filler if needed. But I think it turned out ok. Here is what I ended up with.
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