rail repair

[drunkenmaster]

Thanks for the input :classic:

[mdbrandy]

Originally posted by hmsports

...2Many was talking about the weld to the floor .... a two sided weld will stay together but the single sided weld can seperate.

I'm a little confused - how would you get a two sided weld of the rail to the floor? The second side from inside the car through the floorboard? I have some repairs like this to get done soon, so I'm interested in how the best way to do it is...

Thanks.

[2ManyZs]

We were referring to the overlapped floor pans, the rails can only be welded 2 ways, either spot welded on like they were originally, or seam welded as his are.

The floor pans can be spot welded as well, by you will still have two seams, that would be free. The only way to get away from this would be to cut the old pans out to fit the new pans in exactly the same hole and butt weld the two back together, which is a lot more work, but would end up being the strongest way. You could then alternate your weld sections, one short section inside, then a gap then an another. Then after you have it spot welded in place with short sections, you could go to the underside and weld the short sections that are not welded on the opposite side of the pan. That way you would end up having one continous bead of weld all the way around the perimeter.

[mdbrandy]

Originally posted by 2ManyZs

We were referring to the overlapped floor pans...

Ahh, how I get it. The lap joint in the floor pan as it goes through the depression near the drain holes. I see how it was welded from the top but not the bottom.

I hope to get things cut as precisely as possible and butt welded. We'll see how things work out. I'm just finishing up getting all the tar mat off inside the car, and next will be working on the undercoating. Then, I can actually think about replacing metal...

One other question - what are opinions on leaving as much of the original floor as possible or not? I have Zedd Findings floor pans and rails sitting in my garage right now, so I could replace the entire floor on both sides if I wanted. However, there are large sections of the original floor that are still in good shape, interspersed with rust holes. Would it be better/cleaner to just remove the entire original floor, or leave the larger areas that are still solid (meaning not even really surface rust on them), and patch in parts of Charlie's floor pans? I'm especially concerned about that nice smooth sheetmetal curve as the transmission tunnel comes down and turns into the floor. Probably 80% of the length of that area is fine on mine.

All opinions welcome...

Thanks.

[kmack]

mdbrandy,

My passenger floor was repaired in sections. Really I only needed the front section replaced (from just forward of the front seat mount).

I would replace only the sections that have rust. If any other section of the floor is rust free and still solid, then leave it alone. No sense in cutting it out to replace with an entire floor pan panel and then risk not getting good penetrating welds. Just leave the good sections there, they are still doing their job structurally. And doing it well.

[mdbrandy]

Originally posted by kmack

I would replace only the sections that have rust. If any other section of the floor is rust free and still solid, then leave it alone. No sense in cutting it out to replace with an entire floor pan panel and then risk not getting good penetrating welds. Just leave the good sections there, they are still doing their job structurally. And doing it well.

That's what I have been thinking, but never having done this before, I was/am looking for backup and/or dissenting opinions. It looks like I can leave the main seat mount in place as well if I patch instead of completely replace, and I like the idea of maintaining that factory geometry.

Thanks!

[datfreak]

I'am very impressed by how clean the metal is in the photos-

what did you use to get all the sound deadner off?????

I'am spraying my floor(inside car) with "cold gal", which paints on a layer of zinc over the bare metal/surface rust(thats previously been treated with rust converter)-then I was going to paint it with sound deadner. Fingers crossed it with keep the rust away!

[drunkenmaster]

wire wheel and angle grinder.

check my website in my signature for more info and pictures

[Murph]

Originally posted by drunkenmaster

wire wheel and angle grinder.

Ahhh....the memories....

[drunkenmaster]

hehehe, hows your saga going anyway?

[Murph]

In the grand scheme of things.....good, as I have the money and the car is having the chassis work done now.

In a more here and now sort of way, everything is still f*ucking up! The car got broken into at the panel shop, nicked my speakers and steering wheel. Add there have been delay after delay at the panel shop too. But what else would you expect from a panel shop? Then my$2.5k mountain bike got nicked last weekend..... :mad:

[drunkenmaster]

Bad luck...

ARe you doing anything fancy with the car like extending and thickening the fram rails or any such thing?

Are the floors going to be custom made or are you going to get a floor pan kit