FINALLY- After waiting for what seems like forever, tomorrow I'm tearing into my '54 Olds Holiday. The goal for this weekend: Cut out 100% of the floor and rockers (in and outer rockers) and get as much replaced as possible before having to return to work on Tuesday. I've done quarters, roofs, fender patching, and some floor patching, but this is the first time I've done an entire floor (this thing is gone from firewall to trunk partition, and is held together by a little of the trans tunnel and some swiss cheesed rockers). The replacement panels are all going to be made from scratch by myself and a friend of mine. Pics will follow for sure. Before I fire up the saw, I am humbly requesting the wisdom (or warnings) of fellow HAMB members. Hope to start a proper build thread on Tuesday.
You cant fix em less you cut em up. Get to work there son!! The sooner you start the sooner you get done....
Nice work! I'm hoping to have the car on the road by mid summer so my wife and I have something to cruise to shows in.
Cant wate to see pic's. It shouldne't take to long to fix if thats all you need to do.( my latest cut up work).... Good luck....
FIT YOUR DOORS! Make sure everything fits and brace the hell out of it. Think about your bracing, don't put it in the way. I like to make sections bolt in. Blast all the rust you can get to after everything is apart. Use the right primers and weld thru primers on internal parts as you reassemble.
I've used Dupli-Color Weld-Through Cold Galvanized Primer in the past. Seems OK, but is there something else you'd recommend?
Most important thing is knowing where. Weld thru should ONLY be used on bare metal mating flanges. Only the weld site. Everything else should get an epoxy. Do you have a rotissery to put it on?
Contemplating making a rotissery. I intend to pull the body off the frame, but only after repairing the floor. Because the holiday is already flexible (no posts) and this car is missing so much material, I am approaching this with a lot of caution. I don't want to screw up the body. Would hanging the car on a rotissery prior to floor repair make it sag in the middle? Plan for tomorrow is to get the car in the shop, level it on jackstands, check the fenders, hood, and door alignment, and then get to bracing. With any luck we'll do cutting by the afternoon (the gaps look pretty decent right now for everything except the drivers door/fender gap).
Bracing is the key. I wouldn't even think about replacing a floor without rotisserieing the body. Your biggest issue is rockers. again brace the shit out of it! All the rusted parts should be removed before you start the replacement
Would you advise jacking the car up or doing the bracing while the car is resting on all 4 tires? I've been thinking that I'd do jack stands under the frame (at typical lift points), because that would help me level the car, and also give me access to the underside of it.
If you brace it with stands under the frame make sure you have it supported so that everything fits. Most of the time its better and easier on the suspension
Take detailed photos before you start. You can't go backwards to see things once all is cut apart. I would do the rockers first(after bracing) because you want to retain as much of the original strength and position of everything as long as possible, at the same time you want to return as much strength to it as quickly as possible. Where your floor ends up may rely on how your new rockers fit. Doug.
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