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

[rick 918-S]

Keep posting! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/clap.gif) it's a great motovator! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smash.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/sawzall-smiley.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/welder.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/welder.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/welder.gif) I'm watching buddy! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wavey.gif)

[Allan]

I'm reading it. This is great stuff. I will be doing the rear floor eventually so I can use all the info available. Hey, how about replacing the rear trunk floor next. I'm going to do that as well. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)

[rick 918-S]

QUOTE (Headrage @ Feb 27 2005, 08:06 AM)

I'm reading it. This is great stuff. I will be doing the rear floor eventually so I can use all the info available. Hey, how about replacing the rear trunk floor next. I'm going to do that as well. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)

Ya, even iff'n you don't need ta.... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/happy11.gif) Weldin is fun! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/welder.gif) o-o-o ouch! oooch! someone got some burn cream... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/dry.gif)

[CptTripps]

QUOTE (Headrage @ Feb 27 2005, 11:06 AM)

I'm reading it. This is great stuff. I will be doing the rear floor eventually so I can use all the info available. Hey, how about replacing the rear trunk floor next. I'm going to do that as well. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)

Sorry...the trunks are actually good in this particular car. (imagine that!)

Just realized that I havn't put the seat ounts in yet. THAT would have been REAL bad after the bed-liner!

Just got the rest of the stuff I need...back to the garage I go! I'd like to have this all finished up so it has a week to dry before I go on vacation tomorrow...pics to follow later today!

(Thanks for letting me know people are reading this!)

[JoeSharp]

Thanks Dood, I'm about to do that to one of my cars. And I'm also going to spray the bedliner on my track car next week. I am looking forward to incerasing my welding abilitys.
Joe

[736conver]

Man this is a nice inspiring thread.
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smilie_pokal.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smilie_pokal.gif)
I think I will go out and work on my car.

[sgomes]

Reading???? Good lord I'm taking notes! Keep up the great work and keep posting. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smilie_pokal.gif)

[CptTripps]

I ALMOST forgot the seat mounts! That would have been REAL bad if I'd put the bedliner in first!

Here's how I mounted the seats.

First you need to bolt the mounts to the seats. Make sure you use the driver and passenger seat for their sides. Just to be sure you don't mess anything up! (No turning back!)

I mounted them 3/4 way to the back of the slotted mounts. This way, you can move the seat forward later if you need to.

(IMG:http://www.hardman.org/pix/914_progress/914_progress-Images/68.jpg)

[CptTripps]

The I put the seat in the car. Make sure you get the front locked into the 'comb' and you are centered on it.

(IMG:http://www.hardman.org/pix/914_progress/914_progress-Images/64.jpg)

[CptTripps]

DO NOT WELD THIS HALF! I screwed up here. You want to tack the OUTSIDES and NOT THE CENTER!

I had to cut the weld and grind down the pieces...and start all over!

(IMG:http://www.hardman.org/pix/914_progress/914_progress-Images/65.jpg)

(IMG:http://www.hardman.org/pix/914_progress/914_progress-Images/66.jpg)

[CptTripps]

The 4 corners are sufficiant. I put in 6 good tacks per mount and it's solid.

(IMG:http://www.hardman.org/pix/914_progress/914_progress-Images/67.jpg)

[CptTripps]

Now were REALLY ready to move on!

(IMG:http://www.hardman.org/pix/914_progress/914_progress-Images/70.jpg)

[CptTripps]

Then I startedd sealing everything up. I used a 3M seam-sealer. to do the rear, and ran out, so I used a paintable Silicone for the front half. Honestly, they both had the EXACT same consistancy.

(IMG:http://www.hardman.org/pix/914_progress/914_progress-Images/72.jpg)

(IMG:http://www.hardman.org/pix/914_progress/914_progress-Images/75.jpg)

[CptTripps]

Now were into what may be a 'controversial' move. Looking at what I had to go through to clean out the rust from some of the 'pockets', I decided to fill them with "Great Stuff".

This did 2 things...

#1 - completely filled the chamber with a dense foam.

#2 - Showed me where I needed to re-seal/weld. (I'll do that tomorrow after it dries.)

(IMG:http://www.hardman.org/pix/914_progress/914_progress-Images/74.jpg)

[CptTripps]

Here's where I'm testing the Herculiner on a few pieces of scrap metal. One primed, one not.

(IMG:http://www.hardman.org/pix/914_progress/914_progress-Images/76.jpg)

[CptTripps]

Now were getting into the 'controversial' part of my how-to. The bed-liner contingent. Some of you will want to stop here, get your (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/icon8.gif) and (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/barf.gif) ready, or say 'Way To Go!'

I decided to throw caution to the wind and let the chips fall where they may. (Bonus points if you can guess the movie that line is from.)

I'm leaving for vacation in Colorado in a few hours, so I decided now would be the best time to get it on there nice and thick-like and let it cure for 7 days. I'm VERY pleased with the results so far. I'm going to let it sit for another hour or two, then re-apply a final coat before we leave. I won't have time to post pics of that, so you'll have to wait till next week to get the scoop on how it turned out. So-far, I'm REAL glad I did it. I think long-term it'll save me from ever having to worry about rust down there again. I don't buy the weight argument...the can it came in weighed 6-lbs so it can't add more than that to the weight of the car.

BTW: The 1-gal can is enought to do 2-3 interiors...but the small can may not have worked. I'm going to see how this works out and I may do the trunks and engine bay too.

Side Note: I DO plan on priming this and then painting it along with the rest of the car if I can. I'm testing that theory with a couple of sample pieces now.

(IMG:http://www.hardman.org/pix/914_progress/914_progress-Images/80.jpg)

[CptTripps]

Here's another. These were all taken after the first coat, so it's not as thick as you can expect when all is said and done.

the trick is to brush it in the corners, then a quick once-over through the whole car. Wait 15min and then lay into a decent coat. Wait a few hours, and do your 3rd/final application.

I used a paintbrush for the corners, and the roller it came with to do the flat areas.

(IMG:http://www.hardman.org/pix/914_progress/914_progress-Images/81.jpg)

[CptTripps]

After you get your edges done to your satisfaction, remove the masking tape. You don't want to let this dry, then try to pull the tape off. I did this before the final coat because it wasn't that critical for me. I'll hit the edges before I go and then let her sit for a while to cure. The second coat covered up all the weld-marks and imperfections of the metal REAL well. I'm a lot more pleased with it than I thought I would be. Seriously. It also looks better in person, and will be great once it dries and isn't 'shiney' anymore. Also, keep in mind that I'll be putting new carpet in over it. the coombo of one of morphenspectra's plush kits and this should make for a nice, solid feel/sound.

It's not deadening sound as much as I expected it would initially, but I imagine that it'll do better once it dries/hardens and I add the underliner to the OTHER side of the floor-pan.

One more thing...make sure you cover up any screw holes before you do this, The LAST thing you want to do is get one packed with this stuff. I'd also reccomend rubber gloves and a mask. It STINKS and is VERY STICKY!!

Ok...enough for now...I'll check in later before I leave and answer anything I can, but then I'm off to go snowboarding for a week.

(IMG:http://www.hardman.org/pix/914_progress/914_progress-Images/82.jpg)

[aircooledboy]

Boy Doug, I hate to throw this out there now that it is too late, but you probably ought to know. Using silicone to seal the seams is bad idea. Silicone attracts moisture and then traps it. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/ohmy.gif)

It looks like you probably have it so well sealed up that it shouldn't be an issue, but you might want to keep an eye on it. When I was in the auto glass biz back in the 80's, literally every single time we removed a window that had been "sealed" using silicone by a DIY'er, the whole frame had to be cleaned and treated. The areas that were in direct contact with the silicone looked as though they had been in contact with battery acid. After some study, the auto glass industry concluded that silicone should never be used on steel that will have any chance of being exposed to moisture. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/sad.gif)

[CptTripps]

I'd thought of that, and I'm only using seam-sealer on the bottom. The inside was stitch-welded for 90% of it, and the outside is 100% welded. If I were just doing plugs, I'd agree, but I was using the silicone on the front more as a 'stay out of here' than anything. On top of that, the bedliner is also rubber so it probably WON'T be an issue. If anything gets past all that...I'd tip my hat to it, and then set the car on fire and walk away.

But as you said...too late now. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)