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I am repairing the floor in my Plymouth and got a little stalled. Should I weld in panels that I have made from some 18 Gage sheetmetal or pursue replacement panels or find a rustfree floor from a donor? I have been known as being a perfectionist. Money is an issue, I want to be a good steward with my finaces. What are your thoughts?
I made new panels for my 50 Plymouth wagon. The ones you make can be cut to fit and then stitch weld them in. Then from underneath, put a good bead of seam sealer on and that will help prevent leaks.
Finding a donor car without rust will be hard to do......... make the new ones.
Yes,I hear you on the "perfectionist" issue also.:3dSMILE: You have to be happy with the end result and even if it is the floor hiddened under carpet etc.,you want it right. I would manufacture your own patch panels and slowly weld them in with a butt weld then dress well with the grinder. finish with a good body sealer both sides and then underseal the bottom.
A sheet of 20ga. and a bead roller will fix a lot of floors!
Dave, you mentioned a bead roller, that is one of my concerns. I don't have one and just putting some sheetmetal down I fear the floor will pop when it is stepped onto.
Sometimes a bit of heat or a shrinking hammer/dollie will tighten up the sheetmetal and prevent the oil canning thing. Even a slight break in the panel with a sheetmetal brake or even the edge of the bench will also add a lot of strength to the panel.
This guy's got new ones if you want to go that route.
http://plymouthdoctor.com/
Falconvan,
I checked into plymouthdoctor.com, it seemed pricey to me when I can lay in some 18 gauge sheetmetal for a tenth of the price. There is another place with replacement panels cheaper - c2cfabrication.com. I bought a center floor from them it fit good, but $300. Considering almost the entire floor needs replaced, money quickly became a factor. I was checking out the work you have done on your Plymouth and it looks good. I can only hope to achieve the same results.
I guess the question I need to answer is am I worried about originality, resale and appearance?
Originality - I am not going for a concourse resto. It is hotrod and not all orginal.
Resale - is always a concern, but will original stlye floorpanels increase the value above having sheetmetal laid into the floor? I am not sure.
Appearance - Is a concern. I do not want a thrown together a hotrod that looks like it was "thrown together".
I think I need to pry open the wallet and buy a bead roller and just make my own floors. Then I will have the tool for future projects.
Yeah, I wouldn't pay that much, either. I got really lucky that I had a good sedan floor to work with or I probably would not have original metal. I think making your own is a great idea. The old Mopars dont have a great resale value as it is plus as far as hot rods go, the builder gets to call the shots.