floors

[NY eric]

anyone replace the floor pans in their fox? If so any tricks and or tips? I know a unibody jig would be prefered but no gots. gona probably tackel this one in a few weeks so any help would be hot.

[Pat_in_L.A.]

Well, since you asked ...

There was a good segment on Speed TV this past weekend where they installed a floor pan on a non Ford, but the same general procedures apply. Make sure that you get yourself a pneumatic flanging tool. They're not too expensive. The die opening opposite the flange die has a hole punch that's the right size for spot welding the new panels where they overlap the old remaining floor panel on the part that you flanged. That makes the repair very strong, if not stronger than before.

Some old showroom stock racers whose names won't be mentioned actually went so far as to lay a second floorpan over the perfectly good original one and plug weld it all over the place. This made the cars much more rigid and was never found by the SCCA tech inspectors.

Here's a flanging tool

Here's one with a rotating head

[NY eric]

trip

I guess since I am in LA next week I can swing by a harbor freight. any other useful toys (tools) I should look at.

[Pat_in_L.A.]

Just get two of everything.

I have nibblers, die grinders, all sorts of stuff. Maybe a particle trap/pre oiler for the air tools would be nice. Just look through their flyer before you get there and make up your list in advance. If you go to the one in Pasadena, they have a neat cruise night across the street at Fuddruckers on Saturday late afternoons.

[mutant]

floor pan replace

I replaced the back 2/3rds of the drivers side floor pan in my '84.
I found that the replacement panel was thinner than the original metal. I cut the replacement panel to re-use the original in places where it was perfectly OK.
The floor had cracked starting at the seat bolt hole. I used pieces of the metal I took out to reinforce the passenger side as the bends on both sides was identical.
Here's a tip: Don't run out of MIG welder gas on a sunday!
-Dana

[mutant]

more tips

sparks from a grinder can damage glass

Only remove one side at a time.

retain as much of the Original metal as possible

If one side is in better shape than the other , Do the smaller patch first.

support the body to take some ( NOT ALL ) weight off the wheels.

keep the door closed on the side you are not working on.

disconnect battery and remove ecu from passenger side kick panel before welding on car.


In the autobody shop of the local voketech there was an early Camaro that somebody had completely removed floor pans from on both sides without using supports, with both doors open. The door frames were bent from the weight and the doors would not close! ( Don't let this happen to you !!! LOL )

-Dana

[NY eric]

subframe

I was contemplating putting the subframe connectors in first before doing the floor just to help keep everything together.

[Fred86]

Floor Pans

Best tip I know of?
Rent, borrow, beg, or steal a plasma cutter.
They beat a die grinder or air chisel hands down

[Ken Potter]

I'd definitely install the subframes first. Also if you have any scrap pieces of angle iron or otherwise square tubing I'd do a temporary "X" under the car tacking the front left to right rear / right front to left rear. You would have to remove it after you're finished but that shouldn't be a big deal. You would be pretty much guranteed a straight finished car.