Floors

[50 coupe]

What gauge material have you guys used to replace floors? Looks like the original stock in my car is about 1/16th inch. That is kind of thick for hand forming new panels. Han anyone successfully used 18 gauge?

[casper50]

I've used 18 in both of the cars that I've replaced the floors in.  Yes it's harder to form.  But it's much stronger.  From the photos you don't have that much forming to do.  I'd use 18.

Edited November 26, 2018 by casper50

[Plymouthy Adams]

between 20 gauge and 16 gauge there is but .006 between each gauge size....if your local supplier has 19 gauge I would recommend that, 18 if not...anything thicker is just adds to the difficulty of shaping and cutting, anything thinner for an area that will sustain weight is adding flex....the 19 with rolled beads is more than adequate...remember also...weld beads themselves acts as stiffeners to prevent tin canning...

[50 coupe]

OK, thanks guys. Good to know. I was thinking I would have a tough time working with 16 gauge.

 

The cross support braces are full of good ole' Indiana clay. I want to expose all of them so I can dig out the clay and coat them with POR 15. I may end up just cutting out the tunnel as one section then weld back in on the new floor. The more I dig in the more rust and clay I find needs to come out!

[Plymouthy Adams]

normally the tunnel is very solid and serves as the backbone to your floor repair so not to introduce flex by having too much metal removed at any given time.  On some bodies it has added supports at the rear tunnel opening for strength....unless you have a jig set up to support all points equally, working of the floor in quadrants is often in itself quite the task to manage...you are talking of floor pan work, are you also going to need to repair inner and outer rockers....I have found that addressing these in proper sequence very beneficial in safeguarding/retaining the body gaps...you will be quite surprised at the movement of the body while welding..

[50 coupe]

1 hour ago, Plymouthy Adams said:

normally the tunnel is very solid and serves as the backbone to your floor repair so not to introduce flex by having too much metal removed at any given time.  On some bodies it has added supports at the rear tunnel opening for strength....unless you have a jig set up to support all points equally, working of the floor in quadrants is often in itself quite the task to manage...you are talking of floor pan work, are you also going to need to repair inner and outer rockers....I have found that addressing these in proper sequence very beneficial in safeguarding/retaining the body gaps...you will be quite surprised at the movement of the body while welding..

 

Yes! I have inner and outer rockers from Classic2Current I need to put in. Thansk for the info about the tunnel. 

 

You mentioned 'Proper sequence'. Please let me know the best way. I was wondering about that when contemplating cutting out the rockers how that might create a problem with floors cut out. Don't want my car to end up looking like a cartoon with two halves hanging off the jack stands! 

[casper50]

Please let me know how the rockers fit when you have them in.  I bought floor pans and rockers from C2C for my 55 Pontiac.  Good thick metal and they were oversized but the rolled beads were very shallow.The rockers did not go all the way across on the top from outside to floor.

Edited November 26, 2018 by casper50

[Plymouthy Adams]

you also do not want your gaps growing or shrinking or risk a buckle in the roof....while it is not that flimsy of a body...remember most folks do not consider their weight when wrestling about welding in repair chunks....PM me your e-mail address....I will give you an outline of my attack process....as all advice, it will be free and you can choose to use all or part as you see fit.

[Adam H P15 D30]

Just make sure your body is securely bolted down to the frame.  My floors were non-existent so I made a new structure and used 14ga for the flat parts, 18ga for the trans/driveshaft tunnel and lower rockers.  Harder to work with but very solid and quiet.

 

 

[50 coupe]

2 hours ago, casper50 said:

Please let me know how the rockers fit when you have them in.  I bought floor pans and rockers from C2C for my 55 Pontiac.  Good thick metal and they were oversized but the rolled beads were very shallow.The rockers did not go all the way across on the top from outside to floor.

Will do.
I just received mine so only have laid them on the existing rockers to see if bends and length match. Look to be good to go but will get back to you when I get them welded in.

[Plymouthy Adams]

I got lucky long time ago and found one set of rockers that were factory stamped replacements.  I have replaced rockers on a number of cars since that time.  To date, I have not found any re-poppers  that accurately can define the J-curve for the door opening and I have sampled four different companies over the years.  The factory was a stamped unit whereas the ones made to day is done on a other shop equipment.