VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Body - Sheet Metal, Paint & Wood Suggestions on floor work

Alas, it turns out I have some rust on the floorboards. My tentative plan is to cut out the bad areas and weld in some sheet metal. I'm thinking it's 18 gauge, based on my rough measurements of the thickness. (correct me if I'm wrong).

I have a couple of concerns. One, making the ridge that is under the aluminum deal (forgot its real name). And two, since it's right above the frame, I am limited in how much I can clean up the welding on the underside.

I'm soliciting suggestions from this merry gang of experts before I start cutting and welding.

Thanks,
Paul
PS. Do the rubber rocker mats just peel up? They look like they are glued down.

You can purchase a wire size guide or a metal thickness guide to determine what gauge of metal in the floor your dealing with. Its a round disc with holes and slots in it.........around $15 ?? just checked on ebay USA and there is one eastwood one for $14.99 .

The EASTWOOD COMPANY just had a bead roller on sale for $125 that with the right tooling you can duplicate the beads in the floor that strengthen it.

Use an air powered thin disc cutter to remove the panels that need to be replaced. Stitch weld the new panels into place using a MIG wire feed welder.

An inexpensive 36" long sheet metal bender comes in very handy.

Be careful don't set the interior on fire.!!!

mike

Hi Paul,

I have done a lot of floor repairs on my 41. I replaced the rocker panel on my passenger side along with the cowl and bottom of the front floor. A welder assisted me over 3 months welding the parts together as I fitted them. A lot of the work I documented on video. I have also repaired the trunk floor, a 4" rusted out section of the wheel well, the driver's side rocker panel, the edge of the floor where your work is, and the area where the rear wheel wells meet the body. The problem with welding is you start thinking you have a small problem area and find out later that the metal is too thin to weld too. All the work I have done to the trunk, wheel well, and driver's side I have done with Por 15 or the West System a marine fiberglass product. I have had very good results using all these methods of repairs and recommend each. Where I used welding I even leaded in the edges of repaired areas before finishing the work with body putty.

None of the methods I used was easy from a point of my time commitment to ending up with a repair that only experienced body repairmen would recognize.

In your situation I would recommend not welding but rather either of the two methods I mentioned above. Both will provide the reinforcing strength the area needs and also bond well to the rusted metal with only minimal cleaning and preparation of the area (no priming, sanding, chemical neutralizing of the rust). Both will also rely on a cloth like material to bridge the most damaged areas and several coats of the painted, brushed applied, liquid. You will need to follow each manufacturer's directions closely especially the directions to sand between coats.

There are a few dos and don'ts with each method I mentioned and you can call me for my suggestions.

I will post some pictures later. Please remember that my repairs are not for show quality restoration, and don't need any special equipment, or body repair expertise. They have also been done over a 7 year period and don't show any failure in the repaired areas. The only exception has been when I applied Por 15 over an area I primed instead of applying the Por 15 directly over the rust.

Best of luck, Mike

Hi Paul,

Here are are some pictures of completed work on my 41 floor and rocker panels. The 4th picture shows the area I will paint with POR 15 then top coat with a special primer and a Rustoleum semi-gloss enamel. I repaired that area and the rest of the passenger side 3 years ago.


http://i1321.photobucket.com/albums/u560/41chevymike/IMG_0228_zps5ad17284.jpg

http://i1321.photobucket.com/albums/u560/41chevymike/IMG_0232_zps04cc5990.jpg

http://i1321.photobucket.com/albums/u560/41chevymike/IMG_0239_zps168a90d4.jpg

http://i1321.photobucket.com/albums/u560/41chevymike/IMG_0234_zps265e69dd.jpg

These four pictures show work I will try to finish this winter. I will be replacing the driver side cowl as soon as I finish the rocker panel.

http://i1321.photobucket.com/albums/u560/41chevymike/IMG_0242_zps95ac72d1.jpg

http://i1321.photobucket.com/albums/u560/41chevymike/IMG_0243_zps12a0d4fd.jpg

http://i1321.photobucket.com/albums/u560/41chevymike/IMG_0244_zps06c3c034.jpg

http://i1321.photobucket.com/albums/u560/41chevymike/IMG_0249_zps73564bab.jpg

HI Mike,
The more I think about it, the more I like your suggestion. I can see the welding turning into a disaster as I blow through thin rusted metal. Then I'll cut out a bigger piece, and then a bigger piece....

I'll give you a call to discuss. Maybe tomorrow.

Paul

Another approach is to use epoxy adhesive that is strong and made for panel work. The damaged metal can either be cut out or you could clean with wire brush down to bare metal and form patches to go over damaged areas on the inside. Rust through's can be finished with all metal to cover the damage on outside if cosmetic repair is needed. Patch panels can be held in place with sheet metal screws or pop rivets which can later be removed and holes filled with all metal or metalized epoxy. Since no heat is needed you won't need to remove all the parts that you would when welding. The repairs will be strong and long lasting. Refinish repair with quality paint. Epoxy or urethane primer works well on the bare metal.

Paul,

The suggestions you received are good ones. Mike Buller is a great guy and knows his stuff. I'm sure VR is too.

I, too, had a few small rusted out pin holes in my 41 project car.

I chose a different route as follows:

a. Sand blasted the body.
b. After sand blasting the pin holes were larger. Much larger. Well, much, much larger. (you get the picture)
c. Dropped $1.4k with a body shop. (little to show for it and work wasn't getting done. Went and got the car.
d. Dropped an additional $17k at another body shop. Got the job done. Sort of.
e. Have now exceeded budget.
f. I'm now sick of it. It just sits in the garage. Over time very little work get don on it. I kick it every time I go by it.
g. Waiting for my ship to come in or die. I prefer the latter.

Don't let the above happen to you.

Owing to my experience with body shops, I wouldn't worry about fixing holes in the floor pan unless cold air is coming in or it sags too much and you can do the work yourself. After all who is going to see the holes. They are hidden from view from above. Install a nice carpet and forget it.

Good luck with it.

Best,
Charlie

Note: I'm serious and (disclaimer) there is no stinkin humor intended.

Hi Charlie,
Yes, Mike B. is a good guy and I've enjoyed talking to him on the phone.

I decided to cut out the rusted parts and weld in sheet metal. I had to do several smaller pieces of metal, as I was very limited in my ability to bend and shape the metal. Basically I was pounding it with a hammer and using a vise and a block of wood that I routed a channel in.

It's very easy to blow through the weak old floor when welding. I'm doing the best I can, and plan on sealing it all up when I'm finished.

I'm sorry to hear that the fun seems to be gone from your project. Maybe you just need a break from it for a while.

Here's a pic of my fix on the passenger side. Not particularly elegant, but it will get the job done.

PHOTO ONE

[img]http://s1109.photobucket.com/user/PaulMahoney/media/41%20Chevy/BendingJig.jpg.html?sort=2&o=51[/img]

[img]http://s1109.photobucket.com/user/P...y/MakingDimples.jpg.html?sort=2&o=46[/img]

[img]http://s1109.photobucket.com/user/PaulMahoney/media/41%20Chevy/Rust3.jpg.html?sort=2&o=53[/img]

Hmmm. Not sure why I'm only seeing my links and not the pics. Anyone?

Your "http addresses" need to end with JPG.

But---- after erasing everything after that, it didn't work. It appears that PhotoBucket has modified their "linking" scheme. It may not work here any longer.

I'm go in an modify one or two them as a test.

------AFTER TESTING-------------
I couldn't get any of your addresses to display properly here.

But I saw some other instructions on how to USE PhotoBucket for "image" linking... You might try to generate some of these different addresses.... remember the trick is that you're looking for one that ends in "jpg"

Thank you Bill. Gonna try something here.
This is using the "Direct Link" option on photobucket.

You found it!!!!!!!! Good job... Anybody else have PhotoBucket photos -- here's how to show them here.

Use the "Direct Link" option on photobucket.

nice, great american ingenuity.

I like the way you pressed the circles in!