Replacing floor pan
 

I am in the process of stripping my 356 to the metal before I replace the floorpans.
I have two sets of questions.

The first:
Is there a preferred floor pan from the companies out there or are the all the same?
I understand that occansionaly some fabrication/cutting is required is this so?

The second:
Is it OK to use chemicals ie: acetone based products to remove the Tar and soundproofing from the bottom and interior of the car?
If so should this be washed afterwards and if so with what?

Thanks in advance,

Kelly

Restoration Design makes the best replacement sheet metal in my opinion. Their stuff is good, and they are pleasant and easy to deal with as well.

If you are going all the way with the paint job, you can just have your whole car dipped, and that will take care of the paint and undercoating...

-Wayne

There's a good article on stripping/blasting 356's in the new 356 Registry mag. Only advice I have is watch for areas that were leaded from the factory, as you can go through it quickly.

Hello

Well in germany Kotter makes the best stuff. Even better quality then the Porsche pans.

Before you do anything check how the floor is welded to the outher sill. also compare the parts and messure where the seat posts sit. Check if the forward wood board rails are similar. Be aware there are differences from the coach builders and try to make it correct.


be prepared to renew the heatertubes plus some more. The forward middle tunnel section is also mostly eaten up and some other spots will show up too.


Don´t give the car to a sandblaster without any car knowledge. Ask him for a painter he works together or for costumer who had cars done at his place. Don´t ask as you will prove his work. You just would like to know some things to handle like geting out the sand and the correct wash primer direct after blasting. And as a newbe you also would like to see how others did work out to save on the beginners misstakes.

A good sandblaster will not blast on the sheets, he only will blast the hard corners and he will do it in a special way to keep to much heat out.

Striping has the risk to leave resuedes in the joints ( capilarity ).

Plastic bead blasting is the best to stripe a clean car but it will not rmove rust.

Grüsse

True, it's best to take the car to someone who can remove the paint with bead blasting (plastic), and then hit the rusty spots with sand blasting. Make sure that the car is completely stripped of course.

If you're not doing a ground-up restoration, then make sure that you take the floorpan operation to someone who has done this before. Ask for references, and talk to people who have had their cars done by this fellow before.

In general, I wouldn't attempt the procedure yourself, unless you are an expert body man. The 356 is a uni-frame car (not like the VW bug), and was originally assembled on jigs for precision. Although the floor pans are not really considered a huge structural element, if you don't weld them in properly, then the chassis of the car may be 'off'.

Hope this helps, and tell all your friends about this forum so that we can build some traffic here...

-Wayne

Hello

Just some more input.

The 356 are solid made cars and if you sandblast them they will not look wrinkled or dented like other cars.

Renewing the pan is mostly focused on the front unit. The rear section has less rust.

Also most Coupes will withstand the amputation without any movment. Even Convertibles or Speedsters will not sag,,, except you have thin rustet rockers and then you have a middle catastrophe if you are not prepared for that.

The 356 Jig does only definite the axle, trany and several floorpan points. There are some other messuremends possible but you have to read them out the workshopmanual ( Witch by the way doesn´t cover the BT6 window messurements.

This is the reason why 356 are so expensive as some workers better known as sheetmetal artists made each car to fit the parts. Now each coachworker had slight different working methodes ( Drautz in Heilbronn where utmost precisly while the Belgium made speedster bodys are more uniqe ).

Ups not to forget to mention is that you need the reinforcement bow under the pedelwork and be prepared to patch some corners and the lower forward bulkhead

Grüsse

Thanks for the wealth of information.

Wayne,
Th erestorer that I have been talking to has said that dipping is no longer done on 356's due to the residual acid left in the corners causiong more damage than good.
Do you have any info on this?

Thanks, Kelly

I heard that Stoddard offers two types of restoration sheet metals. Concours and regular restoration. I have been meaning to check out restoration design as they are located in MI as am I. I have a 58 cab that will require full floor, longitudnals, rear clip, battery box, door sills. you get the idea.

No, but that does sound semi-plausible. I think that a good dipper would be able to clean out the chassis afterwards (redip into another solution maybe?). I'm not an expert on that one...

-Wayne

If you get the book by the 356 registry "guideline to restoring the 356" or something, there is much written about dipping and media blasting. I would avoid dipping from what I have read and been told.