Metal Replacement Pt 2 - Passenger floor area
Passenger floor area metal replacement
Well, here we are again for the next exciting installment!
Before I continue, I want to take a step back and mention that if anybody out there has any tips that we missed that have helped them out when doing the same things, don’t hesitate to let me know and I will pass them on during this series.
I would also like to thank Troy from Mister Sandman for the media blasting and Derek for his hard work and effort in removing/replacing metal, as well as performing most of the welding on this car.
Now, on to the previously scheduled article on how to install the passenger area floors.
The floor pieces we used here are of the type that need to be sectioned in. There are floors now available for these cars that are factory-type replacement parts that attach at the factory seams. For those, you just need to drill out the spot welds and replace them using the same procedures as we did for the trunk floor and the edges on these floors. They are more expensive but easier to install and you will not end up with any extra weld joints.
It is a good idea to level the car on jack stands at the suspension points before installing the new floors, especially if using the full floor as described above. At the very least, make sure the car is sitting on a level surface with the same size tires at the same pressures. If you are working on a convertible, special attention must be paid to make sure the car is level.
The first step we did was to lay the new front floors in and mark roughly where to cut. Be sure to leave more than you need of the old floor on the transmission tunnel side, as it is easy to remove too much steel. It is no fun to go back and weld in a piece you have just removed! As before, cut out the old parts in sections and make sure you are not cutting into the frame or supports, etc. Remove the sill side pieces by again drilling out the spot welds, and remove and grind down all of the remaining steel.
In this instance, we are installing these floors leaving an overlap, but you can elect to butt weld the new and existing steel together. We don’t do this, as I believe it is not as strong, but if you do prefer this way, be prepared to spend more time and effort.
A good way to make sure the new floors end up at the same level as the ones you are removing is to take a piece of steel or wood that is straight and lay it over the door sill and transmission tunnel, measuring each side down from it in a few places and keeping track of the measurements. Then, when installing the new parts, you can simply measure down at those places and adjust the height as needed before welding in place. This may take a few attempts, but it allows you to trim the pieces to get a consistent overlap; we like to leave about a half an inch or so. You can also use a flanging tool at this joint to end up with a flush surface, although it is not really necessary as everything will be covered in carpet and you will never be able to tell the difference.
For the forward and rearward seams, you can attach at the factory points or just shy of them. In this case, the metal was solid at the front, so we trimmed it to within an inch of the seam and overlapped it about half an inch. Be sure to mark and drill any needed holes such as seat belt attach points before welding the floor in place.
Use the same procedures to fit and install the rear floor sections.
Once you are satisfied with the fit, prepare the underside areas with rust mort, etc, then weld the parts in place using the same technique as before using sheet metal screws where there were spot welds. As before, make sure to drill the holes out to 5/16-inch or so in the side you are going to be welding. Where the overlap is, you do not need to use as many screws (in some cases none) as long as the two pieces fit nice and tight to each other. Stitch welding is fine here and you do not need to weld the entire length if you are going to do so on the underside; we like to weld an inch or so, leaving small gaps. If you elected to butt weld, then of course you will need to weld them in entirely.
We also weld around any other attach points on the underside; this may be considered overkill but nothing will never come apart if welded properly!
After all of the welding is done, we shoot primer and paint into all of the seams and overlaps, let dry and then seam seal before or after final painting.
Next time, we will go back and finish off the trunk area by installing the side extensions, and put new outer wheelhouses in place. Stay tuned!
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