Replacing Floor Pans, ...here we go! Options

[CptTripps]

Ok, so I've decided to just replace the entire floor, and KNOW that it's done right. I have a couple of questions. I couldn't find a thread that specificly addressed this. Tried a few searches, and got an IIS error. (I'd be happy to park the site on one of my Unix servers for free.) Anywho...

#1 - Anyone done this and had success? I've read the article on the Bird site, but I need pictures. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)

#2 - Should I get the Front-Back or Left-Right type? I plan on doing the whole thing, but I don't have a rotisserie, and need to keep the car on the jack-stands. (I may have to take it higher to get under it.)

#3 - How much 'lip' did you leave to spot to? Or, should I put it in from the top, or from the bottom?

You guys in Cali get all the breaks...you have tons of people close by that can come 'help' AND you get to drive these year-round.

Any advise/help is ALWAYS appreciated!

[spare time toys]

Bump inquireing minds need to know (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/cool_shades.gif)

[CptTripps]

I ordered the left/right pans because I think that may be a little cleaner on my end.

So I guess I'm trudging along on my own here. (...the road to happy destiny?) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wink.gif)

[McMark]

The floor pan pieces I've seen (left & right) were a factory replacement. Which means you can drill all the spot welds out from underneath the car (that's FUN (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/rolleyes.gif) ) to release the old panels. There are about 1,000,000. Lots of fun on your back. But that's the right way to do it. Things get a little trickier up along the front edge where the pedal cluster is and the passenger footwell. The floor pans on the car go up aways, so you have to make your own cuts there. Nothing in the center tunnel is welded to the floor, so you can just drill out all those spot welds and it'll drop away. Does that help?

[SirAndy]

QUOTE (McMark @ Jan 26 2005, 01:21 PM)

Which means you can drill all the spot welds out from underneath the car (that's FUN (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/rolleyes.gif) ) to release the old panels.

time to get a rotisserie ...

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smash.gif) Andy

[vortrex]

don't you wish you would have shipped a car from CA as many advised instead of buying the first rusty one you saw? (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)

[CptTripps]

QUOTE (vortrex @ Jan 26 2005, 04:38 PM)

don't you wish you would have shipped a car from CA as many advised instead of buying the first rusty one you saw? (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)

Not really. This IS what I was looking for.

I wanted a car that I could spend the winter playing with. This is what I'm doing. There were 2-3 cars that were 'better' by everyone elses standards, but this one had what *I* was looking for.

If every time I ask for help I have to defend my car purchasing decision, this is going to get real old...real quick.

Back to my question...

Do these need to be drilled from under the car, or above? Is there anything wrong with doing the entire floor at once while it's on jacks? Should I try to brace it first, or put the doors back on?

Thanks for the help gang.

[Gint]

Underneath the tub.

You don't have to brace it as long as the longs are solid. It would be easier with the tub on a rotisserie. You'll probably want to place the jackstands somewhere besides the donuts to remove the pans.

[CptTripps]

QUOTE (Gint @ Jan 26 2005, 09:58 PM)

Underneath the tub. You don't have to brace it as long as the longs are solid. It would be easier with the tub on a rotisserie. You'll probably want to place the jackstands somewhere besides the donuts to remove the pans.

That's what I was thinking. I'm going to go over the diagram that someone posted a while ago. I'm going to have to jack it up a bit first.

If I read Kyle Ehler's Article correctly, there are just spot welds around the outside...right? are the center longs just attached with paint? I think this is the way I'm going to go at it.

This is the last step before I can get the rest of the interior fitted, and start working on the bodywork. My wife is on call all weekend, so I've got 50 'wife-free' hours to work on this. =)

[Gint]

Use the search feature of the site. There is a lot of good info from past threads. Check this thread out below. It's not specific to floor pans, but it might help ya out.

Spot weld cutter thread

[CptTripps]

QUOTE (Gint @ Jan 26 2005, 10:21 PM)

Use the search feature of the site. There is a lot of good info from past threads. Check this thread out below. It's not specific to floor pans, but it might help ya out. Spot weld cutter thread

I always try to search the archives first. I run several forums for other hobbies (as well as owning a couple of ISPs) and am ALWAYS annoyed when someone just blindly posts a question that was answered a few days before. I manage a few that I have the user check a box that says "Have You Searched" before they can post. (Handy feature actually.)

That was a great thread and I read it this morning. Did you ever get a smaller (1/4") spot cutter?

My garage heater has been broken so I haven't had a chance to get under there and look, but I'll have it back tomorrow and will get a chance to get under there and take a look at all of this.

Thanks again for all the help.

[Gint]

QUOTE (CptTripps Posted on Jan 26 2005 @ 08:46 PM)

That was a great thread and I read it this morning. Did you ever get a smaller (1/4") spot cutter?

Nah. By the time I got to that point, I was pretty much done cutting spot welds. I was only removing small pieces anyway. Nothing as ambitious as what you're planning. I left that work to a professional. There are some fuzzy pics of the floor pan work done on my tub in my rusto thread. Link is in my sig.

[xsboost90]

i was going to use a rotisserie but didnt want to fork out the dough, laying under the car sucks when cutting/welding...you could always do like i did....

[CptTripps]

QUOTE (xsboost90 @ Jan 26 2005, 11:06 PM)

i was going to use a rotisserie but didnt want to fork out the dough, laying under the car sucks when cutting/welding...you could always do like i did....

I was thinking of that, but I'd have to pull the engine then. I don;t have anyone close that can help me, and that is a little more weight than I'm willing to get under with a socket wrench. If I'd done it before, than it'd be a different story, but there are certain things that I'm not willing to 'try' on my own.

I have a friend that used to do a lot of this with me but he had a heart transplant a few months ago so he's A) Not to good with the lifting (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/cool.gif) still in his 'smell the flowers because every day is a gift' phase.

I'm going to spend a good part of tomorrow cleaning out the garage and getting the bumpers/tires off, then digging into the '1,000,000' spot welds I'm going to need to remove. I'm going to take a bunch of pics so I can do a 'how-to' on this.

[McMark]

There are spot welds along the outside as well as along the center tunnel and the brace that is halfway between the front and the back. Lots of spot welds.

We look forward to the pictures. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)

[CptTripps]

I'm planning on taking lots...of lots of pictures to post on the board.

I found my old digital camera...well...a year old. I thought I lost it, then I went to put my new one in the toolbox and...hey...there's my old camera...right where I was going to put this one so I wouldn't loose it!

So now I have a dedicated 'project' camera.

I just finished reading Gint's thread. I was thinking this was going to look noce but MAN....THAT is a restoration.

Maybe I'll attack something similar next year. Or maybe not. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)

[lapuwali]

QUOTE (CptTripps @ Jan 26 2005, 08:13 PM)

I was thinking of that, but I'd have to pull the engine then. I don;t have anyone close that can help me, and that is a little more weight than I'm willing to get under with a socket wrench. If I'd done it before, than it'd be a different story, but there are certain things that I'm not willing to 'try' on my own.

You never have to (and shouldn't) get under the engine with a socket with the aim of removing the engine. The bolts holding the heavy stuff can all be reached without even being under the car (except for the hand holding the wrench). Get an ATV lift, and removing (and replacing!) the entire drivetrain solo is pretty easy and very safe.

[CptTripps]

QUOTE (lapuwali @ Jan 27 2005, 12:35 AM)

You never have to (and shouldn't) get under the engine with a socket with the aim of removing the engine. The bolts holding the heavy stuff can all be reached without even being under the car (except for the hand holding the wrench).

I'm thinking I'll wait till I have a friend close by that can assist. Just one of those things. After I've done it once with someone, I'll feel fine to do it on my own.

QUOTE

Get an ATV lift, and removing (and replacing!) the entire drivetrain solo is pretty easy and very safe.

I was looking at one of those yesterday thinking "That'd probably work real well for a 914 engine." I'll pick one up today when I get my new welder.

Man...I'm running out of space in my garage for anythign but tools, and boxed from our OLD garage before we moved in last summer. (I think we have YET to park a car in the garage.)

[IronHillRestorations]

What we do here is use a roloc scotchbrite disc along the seam to bring out the location of the spot welds, and then we use either a round carbide burr or a cut off wheel and grind the spot welds. If you are saving the piece that's getting cut off, then you need to be more "surgical" about removing it, but if it's getting totally replaced, I think grinding them out is easier. I've done it both ways though, and there's no magic easy way to do it. I'd guess there's probably a minimum of 500 spot welds that you'll have to deal with to replace the pan.

If I didn't have the car on a lift or a rotisserie, and the pan was really solid under the center tunnel, I'd consider doing a seam at the flange between the floor and center tunnel. Not my first choice, but you could still make a very acceptable repair that way, and save some time and trouble.


And, "picking up new welder" = PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE Before you start welding on your car. Since the seats attach to the pan, you want to make sure you've got really good welds with proper penetration. Make sure everything is melting together!

[CptTripps]

Assuming that I get all of the spots out and plan on doing the entire job by using rosette (plug) welds, should I try to match where the old ones were?

I got a pnumatic (sp?) punch/flange tool today so I'll practice those on my back to get good before I go at it on the car. But when I go to put the pans in, should I just do one every 4" around the paremeter or something?