Hot Rods steel floors in model a

Hello everyone.

Down the road, hopefully sooner rather than later, I plan on installing full length steel floors in my '29 Coupe. Just curious if anybody has any suggestions on which brand / company to go with? I'm seeing multiple brands / companies out there and I'm honestly not sure who to go with. I am also seeing different gauges in steel such as 14 vs 16 vs 18? My sub rails/ sub frames have some cancer on them along with my fender wells, so I'm really interested in strengthening up the body with some steel floors while I'm in there replacing the sub rails / sub frames.
Any suggestions on who to go with (or who to avoid) would be greatly appreciated. Thank you guys for your time.

KG

 

Bump, because the answer would be useful information for me...
t


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Thanks Raven

 

bump

 

OLD SOUL HOT ROD SHOP builds some nice stuff. I know nothing about them other than what I have seen on line. They are in New York

 

Made my own out of 16 gauge and put a couple of beads in them. Pretty easy on two of them. The front one took some doing since I've got a nailhead in the chassis and it's pretty long. I put in half rails as the front of mine were solid.

 

Really not that hard to make your own. If there is a steel yard near you. I used 16ga. and a Harbor Freight electric shear. A few beads to stiffen it up and screw it down, or spot weld them. [

 

I've not ever put floors in a model A, however, I've put a lot of floors in other stuff.
I believe the 14 g probably has enough strength you wouldn't need any sub frames, depending on how they are formed. With 14 G, you won't be doing any modification to those floors unless you have a plasma cutter. Your body will probably have to be conformed to fit the 14 G floor pan.

I believe 16 G probably also has enough strength, you can get by with limited sub frame support. The 16 G will be a little easier to modify then the 14 G, should you need to, but it won't be easy. You probably won't be cutting much 16 G with tin snips, but a cut off wheel will do it. You may be able to tweek the 16 G floor pan a little to conform to the body, but again, the body will probably have to conform to the 16 G pan.

The 18G is probably the gauge metal your model A was stamped from, when it came from Ford. Some level of sub frames will probably be a good idea for added support, especially when the area spans more then a 24" square. The 18 G can be cut with good tin snips, and can be formed to conform to your A body.

You are new at this, I'd probably recommend the 18 gauge simply because it will be something you can work with more easily. Gene

 

Models A’s are 19 ga. stock.

 

I used 16ga sheet metal and cut my own floor pans on my '27 Coupe. Welded them into place and coated the bottom.
Too easy to do.

 

I used absolutesheetmetal.com panels in my ‘31. I just did the three panels from the axle forward. I believe that’s all they make, that is, no trunk floor. I don’t have any real useful pictures of them, but they have a few beads rolled and fit in mine very nicely.

 

I made my own, basically copying @Dino 64
Rather than using a bead roller, I cut 1/2" thick MDF to make forms and hammer-formed 18 gage over them.
Easy-peasy.


More pictures of the process here:
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/introducing-my-fuel-coupe-styled-tudor.132127/page-4

 

Simply curious, what’s wrong with plywood?


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Termites?

Phil

 

But seriously I really like the look of a nice bead roled panel, but with my skills I'll stick with plywood for now.

Phil

 

Ply wood will start to weaken with all the vibrations of a full floor. The front floor board works fine cause its screwed down and has some flex.

 

I used heavy walled rectangular tubing for my crossmembers and 18g sheet metal with some beads added. Plug welded from the top every 3” all the way around each piece. Didn’t put any beads in the one under the seat.

 

I think these guys took over Bitchin Products a while back. http://absolutesheetmetal.com/1928-1931-absolutely-bitchin-ford-car-parts/

 

I should have rolled some beads in mine.

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Its too thick when you are fighting for every fraction of leg room you can get after channeling a car.

 

I used synders subrails and crossrails in mine, then made the panels from sheet steel and bead rolled it.
For the front I made it out of aluminum and removable.

 

Nothing at all. Most use plywood. But plywood takes more leg room. That extra .75" can make a big difference.

 

I remember reading someplace that Henry used to spec out the wooden shipping boxes that parts came in. Spec'd so he could use the wood in the floor. Mine are 16 g with a few beads rolled in. But that's Ford Barn stuff.