replacing floor pan question...

[G50911]

i need to replace my floor pans in my 71T. i noticed that some places sell front and rear halves while others sell left and right halves. my question is, if you were going to replace the entire floor pan is there a reason to choose one configuration over the other?

i'm leaning towards the left/right halves so the seam can run along the tunnel. am i splittin hairs now?

[mowog63]

I replaced the floors on my 66 and I used the panels from Restoration Design - they were perfect.

I did front and rear.

I have no reason why I chose that, if I did it escapes me now....it's been over ten years since I did that.

I remember that I did have to fabricate my own steel sections around the foot pedals and the rear seats so that I had good clean metal to weld to.....it is depressing to have to cut out sections of metal until you hit good solid steel.

However, some things that I remember working out:

- I cut the floors out with a sawzall right up to the welded flange, but then ground off the last bit of floor from the flange to retain the original flange so that I could weld to it
- Before I cut anything, I measured tons of datum points and made a drwaing with all the measured points noted.
- When you cut the floors out, the car moves a bit....when you cut the rockers out, the car will move quite a bit
- I used a Kennedy sheet metal punch to punch holes in the floor pieces to match the factory style welds - I welded the floor in with a MIG and it was pretty easy.
- I used tons of vice grips to hold everything solid while welding and didn't get too far ahead of myself when filling the holes with molten metal that warping was an issue.
- I used weld-through Zinc spray paint anywhere I could
- After the welding was done, I ground the welds as much as was acceptable to gain a smooth finish and not weaken the weld
- Even though the new panels are galvanized, I applied POR-15 inside and out to protect the floors from rusting again
- As long as you keep the car solidly supported through the process and make sure that the panels are held firmly while you weld to good clean steel, it should come out nicely.

I had to weld in new floors, but the tunnel stayed in place and was fine.
When I finished the floors, I did the rockers as well.
Before I buttoned up the rockers, I took a string and vacuumed the other end through to the footwell opening in the car, then a friend and I tied a rag soaked in POR-15 to the string and kept dragging it back-and-forth through the heat pipes to coat the inside.
Now I see RD sells replacement heater tubes!!!!

I also had to weld in new frame sections near the rear torsion arms -- those I had to fabricate as well.

Needless to say, I ate a lot of rust that summer and killed a lot of brain cells with the chemical and welding fumes!!!

Good luck,
Erik.

[chris_seven]

You can buy complete floor pans with the front suspension pan and under rack portion all as one piece.

Porsche sell them in this format and Dansk sell them in the same form but also sell them as just the rear floor.

They are readily available in Europe and the USA

[ThomO]

left-right front-back does not matter I always use restoration design pieces they always fit just my experience

[G50911]

thx for the replies. just curious about floor pans from automotion (ecklers?) they're having a killer deal on them now and was wondering there is a big difference between them and say RD? is it a matter of how accurate the stamping and cut is compared to OE or is it the metal thickness? maybe both?

[mowog63]

I don't know what the difference is...I'd say to call both and ask the specs on their product to see what the difference is for yourself.

I can highly recommend the RD products.
Everything I ever bought from them was perfect....and I can't say that for a lot of companies.

Also, I called them a lot and asked tons of questions - they were perfectly happy to chat with me every time.

I've learned over the years (the hard way) that cheap usually isn't better.

"You pays your money, you takes your chances."
-Harry Pellow

[jpnovak]

Cheap panels take extra time since the seam areas do not have crisp, sharp bends. RD panels are good. The factory panel like Chris describes will be the best.

F and R panels will be easier than the L/R halves. You can mount and clamp both sides to the flange at the same time without driving so many screws or drilling holes for clecos along the center tunnel.

[lrodri64]

Hi,
It ain't easy no matter you slice it.
Been there before.
Take a look.

[78-911SC]

Got to ask. Is that a wood rotisserie?

[lrodri64]

Hi again.
Yes, 4 x 4 pieces.
Easy to make, low budget
Instructions found on Internet.