To fill in the hole in the front trunk floor left by an A/C unit, I need to have a new floor pan welded in. I have the floor pan. How much should I expect to pay to have a shop do this job? I really have no idea how much this sort of job will cost.

Thanks for any estimates :-)

If you have any interest in learning to weld, this is an easy hole to close. $35 for the panel, $550 for a Lincoln MIG welder. You will use the skill once you know it. I learned how to weld closing up the same AC hole.

Zach

I charge an hour to an hour and a half, and my labor rate is $120/hr. You need to use someone familiar with welding sheet metal, and you could probably save some money if you trim and fit the piece properly and remove the paint a couple of inches back from the area to be welded. You want a lap joint, NOT a closely fitted butt joint.

The Cap'n

I'd be round at your place this afternoon, if it was closer to Pasadena!

Thanks for the general ballpark.

I'd really sooner leave it to a pro :-)

Hi Cap -
Why a lap joint vs a butt? (boy, that sounds bad...)

Just curious from a restoration stand point where you would not want to see the end repair.

Or, are you referring to when the entire panel is replaced, verses just patching the existing hole.

Just curious.... Thanks!

I'm interested in the answer to this one, too.

Unless this is gonna be a concours quality repair, cutting and fitting the panel for a butt joint is gonna be a PITA, and welding it will be even worse. My money's on the easy option. If you put the joint in the right place, you can hide it pretty well with seam sealer.

The Cap'n

I would just clean up the opening and make a paper template for a butt joint. The A/C holes are usualy in the pass. fender at the bottom and is fairly flat. The main piece for the trunk floor would be the same only a bit larger patch. I have a trunk floor around here somewhere

Photo of the hole. I have the trunk floor already: it is a good 1" or more larger than the hole, all the way around.

Perfect spot for some butt-welding ...

Andy

I hate to in again, but nice looking L80E Julian, as I'd seen the one in your Avatar big somewhere else on the www!

Gads! This is a PORSCHE we're talking about here! We don't 'cover with seam sealer' and leave it to luck that the concours judges won't pick up on it!

Hi Tom,

Thanks very much I do like the L80E white - it looks pretty clean even when it's dirty. I'd really have preferred yellow, given a choice though.

Best,
Julian

I don't think this car's going anywhere near a concourse judge!

but if it does lets make the front trunk pass inspection.

I agree with Andy

Put the panel into place, align it, and cut both the panel and the existing floor with a saw to get matching edges. Stay away from the suspension areas.

Then use the sheet metal clamps that fit into the saw cut to hold the panel into position. Yes, they clamps are back at Harbor Freight and in the welding section.

Then place a chill plate of copper under the area you want to weld, and tack the panel into position with a few tack welds around the perimiter of the panel. The chill plate will prevent the weld from dripping and the arc from burning a hole in the sheet metal.

Don't weld a continuous line across the floor as it will shrink and distort the suspension mounting areas. TWeld a 1 inch section at a time, moving around to different areas to prevent one area from heating up too much and distorting.

You're telling this to a guy who doesn't weld, doesn't own a welder, doesn't have a copper plate, and wants to know what it would cost to have the panel welded in? You forgot to tell him he needs a TIG welder to do it right, 'cause the welds from a MIG welder are too hard and difficult to work. Oh, and classes at a community college, too. That oughta get the job done by sometime the year after next, and at the modest price of only a few grand.

Sorry, but I think he just wants to get the hole plugged up ..............

The Cap'n

Chuckle ... yes, spot on, Cap'n ... and socalandy has kindly offered his facilities.

But I think kwales advice will surely be useful for people wanting to do this job themselves who find this thread in a search, right?

Hey Julian - I'd really have much preferred a Marathon or Alaska Blue Metallic back in the day when I bought mine in 12/75 - still would!

But mine was originally L80E, repainted Sahara Beige, then Gold before I got it in late 75 (2 repaints in 1st 3 years - must've been a first color reject - WTF !!?? ), then I did a Copper Met. repaint 8/76, then a rustoration (few small bubbles) in 5/80 to the current "tarmac camouflage" Anthracite Grey Metallic (at least it had blue pinstripes & bluish undertone to the dark grey metallic!).

After checking loss of value for non-original color restos & talking with George H & lotsa folks here - I went through a serious desensitizing process of looking at pix of really nice L80E's to adjust my head to having it while! Yours was one used in my therapy! .... the wife still hasn't come around yet, but she grasped the end value thing right away!

This is going back to L80E now .....
Click to view attachment

Good Luck with your trunk floor pan Bud!

BTW - let me know if you find a good body shop that really knows 914s to do it around SoCal - as I'm on the hunt & KNOW my limits in that area & want it done right - like yourself!

... and I may just show it at a PCA concours event when it's done - before it gets too dirty!

Tom
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Generally, if they have all that equipment and training, they already know how to do it as he suggested. I've been welding sheet metal for 36 years, but not on a daily basis, and I find it stressful and somewhat difficult (not to mention time consuming) to weld lengthy butt joints. I'd rather use my special crimpers and form a little step all the way around the perimeter and weld a lap seam. Someone who makes a living at this kind of thing is probably gonna view it differently.

The Cap'n

Cap'n,

As we all know, there are differences in the service you receive from different vendors. And some are definitely better than others.

My concern was having someone who doesn't know about welding taking it to a hack, getting a weld job comprising a coupla continuous welds running side to side, and getting suspension mount warpage problems from that.

In that case, providing information to the the person who doesn't know about welding might enable them to ask a few questions of the welder, and let them avoid some pain.

Ken

All this talk about ..."butt welding" and stuff makes me feel like I tuned in to a prison dating website site

BUT think Kapt's right ..Wrong time and place to learn the skill unless time is irrelevant



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