Floor Pan Replacement, Advice and experiences Options

[xperu]

I am about to purchance and install a new rear floor pan, I am looking for some advice and expertise on the best method. Both sides are bad in the centers of the pan, but the spot weld flanges areas are in good shape without rust. I also have the same issues with my front trunk. I want to do the removal part mayself and let a weld shop do the installation. All or Pieces of pan, tools etc. any advice on the removal is welcome.

[tdgray]

Get yourself a spot weld cutter, grinder and putty knife.

Grind or sand all around the perimeter to expose the spot welds. Then use the spot weld cutter to remove the weld. These tools do a nice job of leaving the original holes intact so that the replacement piece can be installed easily.

Just a note of caution though... there are a ton of spot welds in there. Oh and you will have to cut the back pans from the front pan. The part you are getting is a replacement part... not the way they came from the factory.

Good luck.

[McMark]

I hope you like laying on your back. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

It's a PITA job. But it can be done.

[Chris Pincetich]

Almost 2 years ago when I was sitting on a $3k insurance settlement and a rusty, non-running 914 I had my drivers side floor pan replaced. Almost 20 hrs of labor from the shop at $90/hr....good thing I had a previous good relationship with this shop because I didn't actually have to pay all that. My point = it's expensive!

Be VERY aware of the amount of creep the rust has up verticle surfaces. Going to a 3-D repair vs. a simple floor pan only really caused additional time and $$$...remember, the new metal can not be welded to old metal with rust on it, all that should get cut off too.

In the end, I no longer have any of that money, no longer can see the road through my floor, and I am having a blast with my 914!!! Rustoration still in progress (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[jonferns]

moral of the story, get a 914 with no (or very little) rust (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[xperu]

moral of the story, get a 914 with no (or very little) rust (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Your right about the rust, the one I havecame from California and my California plate frame says "OTTOs Venice" the car sometime in it's life had some hell hole repairs and some very good fiberglass covering over the rust on both the passangers and drivers side (2 hell holes) honestly you could not tell; new tray and very nice older re-sray. Nice looking car that turned heads mine included. But I have to work with what I got. The moral of the story "All 914s have/had/or will have rust" (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

[rjames]

Depending on what yours looks like, you might be able to just do what I did:

Use a sawzall to remove the bad part of the pan, and then just butt weld in a new one.
I taught myself to weld just so I could do this job myself. Cost= price of welder and $50 for the new pan + a lot of welding practice!
Here's a couple of before and after pics:

Pan removed:


New pan welded in:

[Grelber]

I'm in the middle of a rear floorpan replacement right now. Since I'm welding challenged, Richard Fisher (of the Monster V8 and ghost flames) is doing the welding. The replacement panel is the rear half from AA.

[burton73]

My car appeared to have no rust anywhere. On scraping the bottom of it we found rust hiding where I believe you say your is. Because I had big problems with a cultch tube that was broken lose and held down with only a U clamp and some one had jacked the car from the center, I decided to go for new floor pans on my expensive restoration of my 914-6 so it would be perfect.

We cleaned the pan and drilled the welds and then cut the pan very close to the longs instead of drilling into the sealed area there. The work was done on the lift. The pan needed to have holes cut to match the factory for the plugs. The pans do not have those cut into them. Make a template. Any surfaces rust was cleaned off with metal prep and Por painted before the bottom was welded back on, seam sealer, . Then German tar and on the bottom lots of cans of Tan Wurth. This is the full pan job.

You may just splice in as shown by rjames. It depends where the damage is. You can just put in any section you need spliced this way. They sell pans in front half, back half, right side, left side, just part. You can splice part. My job was lots of hours of drilling and welding and grinding. My restoration shop charged me $50 per hour.

Bob

[burton73]

more

[xperu]

Thanks guys for your experiences and expertise, I will save it to my folder. This is my 5th 914, but I have never had a reason to replace the pans. Great site cool cars. Thanks alot. Mike (IMG:style_emoticons/default/pray.gif)