Floor Pans

[smitty]

I am in the process of removing the floor plans of my 69 Impala convt.Should I try to remove the spot welds along the rocker panels and install the new pans as they were when new? What is the best course of action? I did the trunk pans first to have a system that would work.Came away with a lot of knowledge on metal working.This is my first atempt at restoration or whatever it is called.

[CARS]

It depends on how complete your replacement floor pans are.
If you found a set of NOS pans (which i applaude but highly doubt) they probably wont be full lenght or full width even if they advertise them to be so. Once the interior is gutted you can remove the seat brackets if there is any and lay the new pans in place to see what you have to work with.
Typically I sandblast both sides of the floor before I start cutting to see how much I have to replace. I choose to keep as much of the original as possible but others like to replace the whole thing so you will have to decide what works best for you and the vehicle.
There are no rules to restoration, if so I am sure I have broken all of them. Do what you are comfortable with and have fun doing it, that's what it is all about!

[prost56]

hey...prost56 here (bry for short),im doin a 56 belair,i replaced everything with the split (or halfs) from c.a.r.s.from front to rear,and welded in the braces too.send me ur add.and ill send pics if interested,i have been doin this stuff for seams like for ever...u r using a mig welder correct??

[prost56]

It depends on how complete your replacement floor pans are.
If you found a set of NOS pans (which i applaude but highly doubt) they probably wont be full lenght or full width even if they advertise them to be so. Once the interior is gutted you can remove the seat brackets if there is any and lay the new pans in place to see what you have to work with.
Typically I sandblast both sides of the floor before I start cutting to see how much I have to replace. I choose to keep as much of the original as possible but others like to replace the whole thing so you will have to decide what works best for you and the vehicle.
There are no rules to restoration, if so I am sure I have broken all of them. Do what you are comfortable with and have fun doing it, that's what it is all about!AAAAAAAAAAMEN ON THE RULE THING....
:D

[GJM]

(Pasted from another thread)
hi all, im starting to replace the floor in my 53 Pontiac soon and as im in Australia the reproduced pans from the US are too cost prohibitive so i will be forced to fabricate them by hand including the boot (or trunk to you guys), half of the firewall and all around the bottom edge of the tail as well!

Ive since purchased Eastwood's Economy Bead Roller to fabricate the beads and flange edges in the pans and for the cheaper option, its a very good tool. I already have a shrinker/stretcher set and made my own bending brake with box fingers. All these tools are essential if you are tackling this type of job by hand.

I am also thinking of recording the progression of the job in photographs and posting them on here with some notes for anyone out there interested or those who'd just like a good laugh!! :p (seeing that ive just got a new digital camera!!!)

I cant think of anything better to do than cut,fabricate and weld metal over an Aussie summer....even if it will be around 40 degrees Celcius!! :cool:

glen M.