I am working on a 37 Ford Tudor. The owner before me put in a new floor. He arc welded a sheet metal floor over the original. It looks like the front part had rusted out, so he just covered it. Problem now is oil canning. Can't spot shrink enough to make a difference. If I put a layer of sound deadening down, then covered it with 1/4" plywood, then some more sound deadening over it and screwed the works down to the frame work underneath.. Would this work?? The floor would be more sturdy.. I think??
If he went over the rusted old floor, I would cut it all out and start over. Sounds like a mess. You may successfully cover it and hide it, but it's still not the right way to go about it. My 2 cents
Can't afford to buy a new floor.. Wife just got out of the Hospital, and after insurance.. I am still looking at a near $5,000 bill.. Would my way work??
It will function but as the other guys said, you are a lot better off to do it right. a sheet of the right gage metal doesn't cost all much if you were to cut the metal back to good metal and redo it. A member in the area might have the equipment to help you fold it and run some beads where you need them. That said, one of the reasons that I am redoing the 48 from the bare frame up is that it had a few too many "make do" repairs on it over the years that just don't cut the mustard in the long run. I've finally purchased or have access to the stuff to do it right this time and don't intend to get in a big honkin hurry just because I want it running again. <input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden">
it will be sturdy, but who knows for how long, if you just keep covering the problem up, it won't stop causing problems, you just won't see it.
Might as well leave it as is rather than do what you want to do. Moisture is going to get in between the two pannels and contine to rust so not much point spending any money on it unless you are spending it to replace the floors
You just wont see it til it works loose at 60 mph. It'll look like a lowrider bottomed out and with those drag blocks sparking away. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3UcuS7j5uA
i'd agree with moisture being a problem... i would think that the plywood would absorb it and make matters worse
Al, apparently you are in a bind for now with bills etc. Sound deadening...don't pay for some fancy name stuff, go to home depot for a roll of gutter/roof flashing. It is hard to find in my local store, but it is there. About 10" wide, aluminum backed stuck to rubberized self adheshive stuff. I don't know if I'd use plywood as a temp fix unless it's an indoor garaged car? Fix it right when you get straightened out
Al, Get that shit out of there- There must be a shitload of guys around Duluth/Two Harbors that can help weld in the floor panel. I know times are tough, but running around town like Fred Flintstone is going to suck! Besides winters around 8 months long here and colder "next to the lake". If you locate the guy with the welder, I'm sure the sheetmetal will be close. If you patch the patch you'll just end up doing the whole job over the right way later- Good Luck
There is an intire new floor in it from the riser foward. There are no holes. It is underneath the car where the old floor is.. I had to cut threw the floor tonight for the master cylinder. I had to go threw two sheets on metal. The new floor, and some bad looking, but still there old floor.. I could cut the works out from the topside.. There is a floor on ebay, but $225. is a little steep for me now.. Like you guys said though.. I'll have to wait and do it right. Billet.. There are people right in my own backyard, but they have been to busy to help me with the entire project. Execpt for people online.. I have had to do it all myself.. Pictures are kind of hard to see.. Sorry..
From the pictures this looks like a worthy project. If it were mine I would take a break until the current financial crisis passes and do the job right. A little longer getting it done is well worth it knowing you won't have to go back at some point and do it over. Frank
drill some holes through the top sheet, pump the gap full of oil and screw or pop rivet the two panels tight together. It's obvious the guy who did the work screwed up and didn't put any dryer sheets between the panels to insulate them... You can fix it better later of leave it like it is so the next owner that fixes it "right" can be a superhero and brag about how great he is, and you can then say "He couldn't have done it without me"
That's a nice looking project. Can you cut both the new and old floors out, clean it all up and weld the new floor back in? You could hammer a few beads in it where it's oil canning. If its got a full new floor, just cut it enough to get it out and re-use it once the old rusty stuff is gone.
Hell, now come the pics... it sounded like you were needing to use the thing!!! fix it right boudreaux
Until you catch up on your bills you just want to stop the infernal pop-pop of the oil canning right? Just temporary like? If it's in a double metal area drill a hole right in the middle of it and put a pop rivet or nut bolt and a couple of washers in it. Repeat as necessary. Fix it right when you can afford to. OR/AND take a BFH and wack some channels in the warped flat piece in more or less the same areas as the original one has it's channels. Just temporary like, till you can "do it right."
plywood huh? sounds like the great beginings of a RAT ROD! car looks to nice to end up a pile of shit, do it correct and save it. keep posting pic's looks like a cool project.
I think you'd be better off to cut the floors out and just use the plywood, Better go with 3/4 marine if you can afford it and maybe a foam strip around the edges until you can afford some steel. For sound deadening I'd recommend light weight concrete with chicken wire for reinforcement.
why go 7/8 of the way....the WRONG way? cut it out, buy the new parts, weld in...done. Done right...will probably last longer that you will. I mean that in a GOOD way...
That floor board looks to be a simple project.There should be no need to buy a replacement floor board.Make a template and make your own and save yourself a ton of money.I heard you talk about a stick welder,you might have to borrow someones MIG,or have some one gas weld it for you.You should be able to do this project for 60 or 80 dollars,unless you can find some sheet metal.I already had this posted but not sure if you seen it. Make a floor board patch with a minimal amount of tools. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~ I drew up a pattern Next I cut out where the beads will be on the floor board patch. Then I got a piece of plywood and marked out were the pattern will sit. Next I placed the pattern on the plywood and painted through the cut out for the beads. I then used a router with a 3/4'' fluting bit.From the center of the fluting bit to the edge of the router table is 3''.So from center of the bead,I moved over 3'' and placed a straight edge.Then routered out the flutes. Then I placed a piece of 19g sheet metal on top of the plywood and then toped that with the pattern.Then I made a cocking tool out of a piece of oak.On both sides of the flute I clamped down some metal and beat the sheet metal down into the flutes. After I pulled the sheet metal away from the plywood it was a little warped.I took a piece of wood and beat down the sheet metal around all of the flutes and returned to being flat.I forgot to take a picture of that. I then cut the pattern placed it on the sheet metal and cut it out as well.Then I needed to roll one edge.I just clamped a pipe to it and hammered it over.The roll over went above the fold line so I just cut a v notch to allow it to fold over. To fold over the front half I just clamped down a straight edge and folded it over and welded the v notch. WA la floor patch ready to be welded in.Its not perfect and I wouldn't use this method on the outside of the car but this is the floor board it's going to be covered with carpet. I know this is like cutting a tree down with a hand saw but if you don't have the tools you have to make do with what you have. <!-- / message --><!-- attachments --> <!-- / attachments --><!-- sig -->
If you had good metal floor welded over bad floor, why not pull up the good floor and trim out the bad? Then fit the good floor into the gaps and stitch it back together? This will save you serious bucks...just a thought. Hope your wife's doing good
I'd be tempted to drill holes thru both layers and plug weld em together into one solid unit. The others are right, you really need to remove the old floor. But we all have realities to deal with. Good luck with both the ole girls.
I sold some stuff I had. Now I can buy the new floor off ebay. Would anyone have any idea as to just how much of the floor I need to cut out?? The new floor goes right up the toe board. It is the side to side part. I wouldn't want to cut out to much..
Wife's Dad is going to pay for some of her bill. We will pay the rest. Just give them $25.00 a month. Wife wants me to do the floor.. She want me to finish the car. I found the floor, and sold one of my metal detectors.