Floor pan install

[FrankRam]

I just got a beautiful 57 oval ragtop. New paint, interior. Soft pan in front of the battery area. Would I be crazy to remove seats and carpet and attempt to install new floorboards? No experience and need a How To expert with any and all pratfalls... Thanks Frank

[KantDriveFast]

Give your location...someone here might live near you, and be able to come by and walk you through it.

[FrankRam]

St. Louis, MO

[Towel Rail]

I wouldn't install new pans, just cut out the soft spots, weld in patches, and paint it well.
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1974 Thing -- under the knife
1967 Beetle -- spring/summer/fall driver
1996 Subaru OBW (EJ22, 5-speed, AWD) -- winter car, 3-seasons "don't feel like biking today" car

049 > 070 > 053 > 009

[FrankRam]

Would that de-value the car? And just how much harder is it to go ahead and replace the whole pan, since you've already removed the seats, etc.?

[Major Woody]

The seats slide out in a matter of seconds. There is no carpet on the floors, just rubber mats held in place by little snap lugs.

Replacing entire pan halves is a much more ambitious job in comparison to welding in a patch section or two. I don't think either approach would devalue the car if done correctly.

[FrankRam]

Sounds like patch is the way. Any suggestions on what gauge metal from where?

[thebucket]

[ssx]

welding in new pans is not a small or easy job. Buy the last couple HotVw's mags, they are doing a series on a show pan. Patches are easier and can be done with the body still on, but the value of your car will certainly be a lot more with correctly replaced pans. All depends on what you want. My 57' rag has a rustfree body and all original body parts. It has also never been hit front or back! Problem is the floor pans on both sides have been patched and had some rust through due to a leaky ragtop and water sitting on the pan when the car was stored for a few years, I'm not sure I have the time to pull the body off and replace both pans, therefore I am thinking about selling it, because if I pull the body off it will take me forever to finish it.
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1956 Oval/Ragtop

[FrankRam]

I picked up some sheet metal from Midamerica Motorworks. I will try to take pictures this weekend. That is my fear Bucket, that there will be a seam. Explain the metal finishing and skimming technique if you could.
Much appreciated. (I haven't pushed through yet but I imagine I could make a hole about the size of my fist. Right now its a 2 inch jagged crack.)

[Major Woody]

The pans have pressed ridges for rigidity. Grind back to good shiny steel and mark out the area to be patched. Plan on making a butt seam right across the area between two ridges, in the low area (from above). Make a pattern of this area using heavy paper, like a cereal box. Use this to transfer the shape to your repair piece, and using a cutoff wheel on your angle grinder, cut it down.

Then bring your patch over to the car. If it is what you want, then using a fine tip sharpie, mark the floor around the patch. Cut that out. Go for a gap of a bit less then 1/16" all around. Bend and tweak the patch until it lays nice and flat all round. Then clamp or tack weld it, two welds per side about an inch from the corners. Just little tacks or it will warp. Continue adjusting and tapping as you add more tack welds, so it stays flat. Once you get the tack welds about 3/16" apart, you should be able to finish off the gaps with short stitch welds. Do not rush. Cool the weld immediately upon finishing each one, using compressed air. If you are having trouble seeing because of soot or discolored steel, stop, quickly wirebrush it and then continue. Grind down your welds using a grinding disk on your angle grinder and then look for gaps. Weld them shut and then regrind.
Finally, using a flap wheel and 36 grit on the grinder, finish the welds smooth.

In the depressed stamped areas where you welded, you will probably have a little trouble grinding. That's ok, it will be covered by the mat. Just try to get it down flush.

When you're done, wirebrush it clean again, wipe down with laquer thinner or MEk and apply a thin layer of "metal-2-metal" or equivalent non-absorbent body filler over your weld. Follow the instructions elsewhere in the body/paint forum to finish the repair smooth from this point forward.

We left the high spots facing down so you can tap them flat, fill them and blocksand them smooth, so after you've painted and (if desired) undercoated the repair area, it should not look as though it has been repaired.

[FrankRam]

Major Wood, you are not only an enigma, but an artist and a gentleman.
That info is awesome. Kaopectate for everyone

[aa390392]

Major Woody thank you for a very helpful instructions, taking the time means alot...we seem to be losing this, when a helpful response is all most are asking for..
Thomas
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getting grumpy & less tolerant!


55 ragtop
56 delux sedan
56 Kabriolet

[Major Woody]

Holy 7-year-old-thread, Batman! Thanks for the compliment!