Where did my body mount bolts go?

[Zack1978]

Hi everyone,
I have a quick question about the body mount bolts on my 72 Karmann Ghia coupe. About 20 years ago the rocker panels (inner/outer) were replaced, along with other rust repair work. I never really wondered about the quality of the work...until now perhaps.
What I noticed when the car was in the air on the lift was that the body mounting bolts (the bolts with the small metal plate) that SHOULD run down both sides of the car along the rocker panel are gone. Could it be that when the rocker panels were replaced, they welded the rockers to another piece of metal the removed the bolts? I will try to get pictures when the car is on the lift again.
The lift that I have access to is in an evening auto body class that I take at a local tech high school. Before I was allowed to use the lift my teacher insisted on inspecting the rocker panels to ensure they were strong enough for the lift. He is an old time body, and he deemed them safe. The car does not bow/bend so I assume that everything is strong.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Zack
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1972 Coupe

[Zack1978]

Here are the best pictures that I can get short of the car being on a lift. In the pics you can see where the rocker is, and the absence of the bolts.
As it stands now is my body welded to the pan?

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1972 Coupe

[Zack1978]

The rust is surface rust.....
But can the floor pans be replaced not that they seem to be welded to the rocker?


Thanks,
Zack
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1972 Coupe

[Zack1978]

Bump....any ideas?
I guess when the rockers were replaced they welded the new rockers to the pans? But is my car welded to the pan now?


Zack
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1972 Coupe

[Zack1978]

I have taken some better shots of the pan/rocker showing the lack of body mount bolts. Will new pans restore the bolts?

I need help with this mess.

Thanks,
Zack
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1972 Coupe

[analogmax]

i would find out the factory spacing of the body bolts and start with the ones you can see, measure them and find out what is going on from there. could be filled for some reason but i cant imagine why

[Northof49]

You know the bolts are missing. But what about the holes for them in the floor pan channel, and the captured nuts that are supposed to be in the rocker panel of the body?
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1958 Karmann Ghia owner

[lxu5008]

I got my pan half's from KGPR. I know when I replaced my floor pans, I noticed that they were indents made to were each approximate bolt hole should be located at. Its a bit of pain to replace the half's. Why don't you lift the body from the pan and measure where each hole is from the body and transfer to the pan and drill some holes. Only if your half's are still good.

[c21darrel]

Is there any evidence of the pans being welded to the body? ( a quick and dirty way of attaching)
Pull some carpet from inside, ive seen at least once where the body was welded to the inside rocker/heater channel.
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GhiaBuild
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=481184
1967 DC build
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[swavananda]

Looks like 20 years ago your heater channel's had rusted away like this :

To fix it ,they added angle steel stock as a patch, To give the rocker metal something to attach to. The bolts could be under that patch piece or that section of pan could have been cut out all together???

[Zack1978]

[kman]

Leave it alone unless its causing problems.