280ZX floorboard replacement --- anyone got a template?

[Wade Nelson]

Looks like I'm gonna be replacing the floorboards. @#$!@~~~~!!!!

Has anyone already made a template? Jeez, wouldn't THAT be a timesaver!

I went out to the salvage yard, and dang it, the one there, otherwise unscathed, is rusted through in the exact same spot behind the passenger seat right next to where the rear crossmember support brace bolts thru the floorboard.

I'm really not clear as to how water is collecting there on these cars.

[Wade Nelson]

Well, it didn't require complete floorboard replacement. I bent a 90 degree brace to support the rear of the passenger floorboard, and the rear crossmember brace bolted right through it. Welded AND bolted it in. Then I pop-riveted some thin steel over that to cover up the hole in the floor. I had cut / ground out all of the rust. Some primer and put the carpet back down.

(The rear crossmember bracket is essentially the rear jacking point, right in front of the rear wheels)

About 12 hours beginning to end. I'm sure, since they all rust there, I'll be hearing from someone sometime in the future for more specifics. I took pictures.

The 90 degree brace was (before I forget it) 3" wide by 8" long, bent at 2 1/2" mark on the long dimension. If it were doing it again I would add some 2" "wings" to the 2 1/2" portion so you're not trying to put bolts right where they interefere with the crossmember "donut"

I had to slot a lot of the holes because stuff translated during re-assembly. Initially the 90 degree brace was interfering with the crossmember support bracket itself. Took a lot of pounding to make them co-exist.

I figured out where the water comes from, the "box" formed where the floorboard turns up apparently allows water from the outside to get to the inside of the vehicle. And it drains, right in the very corner, onto the floorboard. It should have been "gooped" better at the factory, but in reality, that just would have created a rust-through problem somewhere else. Even a 1/8" hole to let that corner of the floorboard drain, drilled at the factory, would have saved so many owners so much heartache. Lift up the carpet behind YOUR seat and see how bad YOUR problem is...

I seriously considered just selling this one and looking for a car freer of rust, but dang it, this one runs so good, and my investment in it is still minimal. The repair is structurally sound and should be good for another 20 years.

Edited June 18, 2012 by Wade Nelson