Finally got to do some work on the V8 car I picked up, starting with patching the front floor pan to help air-flow.

Before, you can see the A/C hole under the muffler. Why would air go through the radiator when it could just go out the hole in the floor?




Trimmed up the replacement pan and the floor in the car. The opening was cut with 90 degree corners, so the metal was split about 2 inches up the corners.






Now the pan is tacked in, it's not lined up perfect but this will never be a concourse car. Not too bad for my first time doing any kind of body work. I do need to go back in with my wire wheel and clean stuff up. I keep melting tar and stinking myself out of the garage. Live and let learn I guess.




Dan

I have been working on the opposite end of my car doing much the same. I would suggest cleaning a lot more around the welds on both sides better. It will weld nicer with a lot less smoke. Your fit looks good.

Yea, I agree. I tried to wire wheel it before but the metal is so flexible it wasn't working. I figured once I tac the pan in it should flex a lot less.

It is a much slower and tedious process than I originally expected.

Here's how I replaced the front floor pan, website..

Click to view attachment

-- Rob

Thanks for the link, I need to get some copper. I think that will help me a lot. Also, I have some larger gaps in my panel. What kind of gaps can I weld?

I guessing that you have a big intake hole on the front bumper and the area under that in the body? No pictures in your blog on the front of car. Some people have the fan pulling air. Did I miss something?

Bob

Yes, mine is the typical air through hole in front bumper/body and exit through the wheel wells. And then I had a AC hole in the floor thrown in there as well.

The A/C hole was huge

Bob

I just have to ask...Whats with the muffler up front?

Thinking about it for a minute I guess I could hook it up to my wife when she

starts to bitch that I am driving to fast.

Work looks good.

Guess this means you got the parts.

Glad to seem going to good use.

Now if only I could sell the rest of the car.

Yup, I meant to email you but I forgot. I picked them up the day after you called me. Everything looks great, thanks again!

Dan

It's the fad, engine it the back and the exhaust out front.

That's just where it was when I bought it, they are old pics from when I got the car home.

God, I'm glad someone asked about that muffler. I thought I was the only one that saw it.

This whole deal has made me realize that I suck at welding more than I thought I did, and the cuts I made aren't as tight as I need them to be.

Where there is minimal gap, I can tac/weld just fine. Where there is a slight gap, I can't weld it together worth a shit.

First.. Clean metal welds properly. Dirty metal will pop and splatter. This will make the welding job a PITA.

Second.. I am told you can back up the gap with copper to help bridge the gap. Use a flat copper bar or smash a copper pipe flat. Place this behind the weld. Do small welds. Multiple tacks.

Third..Don't give up. You can do it/

Absolutely... get some copper. I think Eastwood or somebody sells a copper block for this purpose.

and I hope you are mig welding. You need the shielding gas to make nice strong welds to bridge those gaps.

The copper block is a good idea and try to use an angle when welding as well as moving the tip (stitching) a bit. If you shoot the wire straight into the gap...it just blows right on through. This is why you should back it up with copper. Once you practice and get more proficient...you'll be able to fill in substantial gaps. Your fitment looks well within any normal welder's range. In fact it looks pretty damn good. Get a 90 degree angle die grinder and a pile of 80 grit pads and clean up any "ugly welding" by simply grinding away the high spots. If you get real anal, you can sometimes have a hard time telling where you were welding. Keep up the good work and don't give up. You will become as good as you want to be.

Just get a copper pipe and hammer it flat, then you have a heat sink with a handle so you can hold it with your hand further from the welding.

Like this.
Click to view attachment

I did buy a copper pipe yesterday, but I didn't hammer it flat, I'll try that.

Unfortunately I am using flux core right now, but I'm looking into buying the MIG conversion.

I wouldn't use pipe with lead soldier on it. It can do bad things to your health. You want to hammer it flat so it has the greatest possible area touching the work surface.


You can get good welds with flux core, there is just a little more spatter. You really don't need MIG. Your biggest problem is the amount of rust, paint and other crap on the two pieces. Once you take that off it will be cake to weld.

I'm also using a flux core welder right now. Welding with flux core is ugly and hard. I have a welder coming on loan that I had to buy the bottle for. We got a small bottle and it cost 130.00 here, but that doesn't include the regulator. The loaner welder has all that. I need some "EZ grind" wire also. The stuff I'm using now is hard!

Here's a link to some rust I'm repairing on my Turbo Diesel Jetta. Getting some good practice to repair 914's! Propane torch to melt tar, wire wheel and then patch in floorboard.

Jetta rust repair as practice for 914