Technical Model A subrail replacement question

ok so this is a pretty specific question about replacing the sub frame/ subrails/ sub floor whatever you want to call it in my 28/9 model A Tudor.

My door sills are pretty rotted but the attachment points seem solid. What is the best way to go about removing and replacing them? Do they just get welded onto the base of the A and B pillars and call it a day?

Just trying to think ahead and make less work for myself and I havnt seen this area addressed in much detail when talking about subrails.

Thanks in advance

 

Lots of A parts are folded around the sub rails, and riveted, and maybe a regular weld or two. It's not just an easy lift it up and slide in the new sub rail thing. It will take investigation to find all the attachments and a bit of acrobatics to suspend the shell while you are fitting the new rails. Lots of guys disassemble the body at the seams at this point and sandblast all the rust that is usually in those joints as well. Might be easiest to build your solid new rails on the frame, then add the body chunks back a little at a time. Then square it all up and start welding solid.

 

That's about what I figured but was curious of some first hand knowledge. This body is actually remarkably square and aligned but the sills and just a little aft are shit so they'll get replaced.

The plan right now is to brace the hell out of the entire body and sit it in some saw horses and then gingerly start picking it apart and patching a side/ section at a time.

I can't see an obvious rivit so it may just be folded. I'm going to dive into my library this week and see if I can find something.

In the mean time I thought someone might have done it before. @Flop @Tuck any thoughts ?

 

When I did my roadster last year I found that they were just riveted to the feet. I braced up the body with angle iron welded in to keep it from folding up, then cut the subrails out one at a time and drilled out the rivets. The new subrails went in fairly easily and I spot welded them back in place.

 

Cool I'll take a closer look at the feet and see if I don't see a rivet. I could just be seeing the little tabs/feet and missing the rivet that's maybe further center

 

I'm pretty sure there were three. It may have been spot welded, but I think it was rivets if I recall correctly.

 

Tim, ^^^ what he said- just riveted together
you can use conduit for reinforcements too-

 

Thanks guys. I'm planing on bracing it like crazy and then Replacing a section at a time as the ones I'm patching with aren't super complete any how. But it's enough to get it fixed

 

Conduit lmao I'm gonna have bob saying that in my head for an hour now