I am about to start to install my new floors and longs. If you've done this before, how did you weld it up?
Did you drill out many holes and spot weld each hole to the original material?
Did you buy a spot welder and do the "factory" thing?
Did you just weld up the seams full length?
Did you do a compbination of the above?

I'm not quite sure how I'm going to do it and was wondering if someone has good reason not to do any of the above!!!

The method I used to replace my floor pan and longs was to use a hand metal hole punch (available cheap at Harbor Freight ) and punch holes around the edge about 1" apart, plug weld with mig welder and seamseal the edge. Worked well for me.

If you are a handy guy and like to get really dirty, buy a welder and practice on some scrap metal for a few hours. Yes I drilled out some wholes and also spotted at the seems. You will be very hard pressed to do it like the factory spots but with a grinder and seem sealer. a good job is possible.
I just finished the Edgmans?? Long kit last summer and it was done with a swap meet welder that I got for 200 bucks 5 years ago. Most of the time the work comes out stronger than the factory. IMO

Rear trunk replacement......Holes punched, plug welded in place
Click to view attachment
Click to view attachment

AKA whitney punch.

I do the punch and plug weld, as well as the seam weld process. You can't buy a reasonably priced spot welder that will spot weld anything over 20 gauge, so that's not a realistic option.

Whenever possible I hide the seams. For example on the rear trunk floor, if you don't need to replace metal above the cross brace (dogbone lateral brace), then what we do is draw a line through the center of the spot welds and then seam weld all the way across. I'm doing the same thing on a floorpan replacement right now.

Welding for me is not a problem, I've been doing it for 25 years.
I was just wondering about the strength of the drilled or punched spot weld as opposed to the complete seam weld along an area such as the new inner longs I am about to install.
I think I will do both, alternating between seam weld (1 1/2" long) then a drilled and welded spot weld. (I don't have a punch)

I have a HF spot welder if you want to borrow it. It's the 120v unit. They have a 230v one also. Also larger tongs are available if needed.....

http://da.harborfreight.com/cpisearch/web/...r&Submit=Go

Wow at that price I might go out and buy one myself.
Thanks Bruce

Bruce, can you get it to make a good weld nugget on anything more than 20 gauge? I've got a pretty good spot welder, but more than 20 ga and forget it. I was told it's got to be a heavier unit.

Actually I haven't used it yet..........

"Hi, my name is Bruce and I'm a tool junky"

I only have 120v in the garage or I would have bought the larger unit. I'm planning on upgrading the service, but to do so I have to remove 8' of deck and lift 30' of paving stones and then trench a new line out to the garage. Upgrade the panel in the house and put a subpanel in the garage.

I have used a commercial unit that is 230V with water cooled tongs, but it's for production spot welding and it worked great on all gauges of material. Even stainless.