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Well, this is a tale of sadness, but one that leads to recovery!
I recently picked up a 91 ws6 bird with a nice carb'd "334", performer EPS intake, holley carb, CP flat tops, an unknown mild cam, shorty headers, aluminum 3 core rad, stick shift car.
Has a fiberglass functional ram air hood, body is in good shape, paint is decent, but has a few gashes. Interior was great minus door panels. Even had a new dash!
Lowered, t tops..all for $1000!
She needed a bit of work. Coolant flushed..badly..lots. And lots. And lots. Of rewiring/un 16-year-old-ifying. Yada yada. Then, the rust I found..
I should mention, this is my daily driver. Bought to replace my Mercedes, which after 210k, the rings ate it. Ls swap in its future .
The back right floorboard, almost gone. Drivers floorboard was gone. Someone bought a new floorboard..then epoxied it in place. Drivers rear floor? See above. Drivers side went from pinch weld all the way to the trans tunnel, and almost to the firewall. The rockers got hit too.. Its BAD.
Had to stiffen this bad boy up asap, so I made SFC's out of some 2" square tubing and 1/4" thick plates and had a buddy MIG em on. So, so much better.
So, being that this is my one and only daily, and I have work m-f..I decided this weekend would be an excellent time to start cutting the floors out!
Easy enough to do with a MIG and some sheet metal, or a plasma cutter and my parts car.
If I had a MIG or plasma cutter, that is.
After cutting just the back one out, prepping..
All done with an angle grinder and some hammers.
New pan test fit..its just sheet metal that I made fit close enough. Not a show car, so who cares?
And a few hours later, aka now, as is. Spot welded in several places.
All done with an arc welder and, since I ran out of 1/16 rods one bead in, done with 3/32 6013's. Such a..fun! Experience. Yeah. Fun. It'll get me by till I can get someone to MIG it, just ducttaoing the holes.
Plan is to finish this side, then repeat on the other side and then por-15 Everything and undercoat or also por15 the bottom. All while driving er daily!
It's in, sanded down most other surface rust and then painted a rust cost over the whole shebang.
I saw mixed reviews about por-15, and couldn't prep it properly being my DD, so I went with another product called Rust Trap by SEM. Have had excellent results with their products in the past. Cost $55 per qt.
I just used a wire brush attachment on my drill and went over everything, then blew the dust out and wiped everything down real good with acetone, wiping it before it evaporated.
Then just painted two coats on and let her dry!
This stuff is as dangerous as por-15 though. I wore a cannister respirator in an open shop with a fan going, and even though I couldn't smell it, I was getting light headed and dizzy after not long.
Be very, very careful with these products.
But I must say, I like how it came out! Seemed to adhere great to everything!
Then I laid a dynamat type material called peel n seal down. Was 16 bucks a roll from home depot, much cheaper than dynamat.
No pics with the peel n seal down.. Removed all the tar stuff from the weld seams- it was gooey and flaked off easily anyway. I went over those areas with waterproof caulk. Ghetto, but hey, its not a show car and it works.
The seatbelt mount was rusted badly, so I just cut it out. Used the actual mount plate and mounted it to a larger plate of 1/4" thick steel and welded that to the body. Again, ugly, but hey it works.
I came from a demo derby style background and way of doing things, where I use scraps sitting around. Welds are ugly, but they work.
The rear under seat area had a few pinhole rust spots, so I hit it with my slag hammer to find where the crap metal ended, grinded away the bad metal, stuck a bolt in the hole and welded it up. Then just laid rust trap over it and fiberglassed the holes.
So far, this side repair, I'm sitting around $120.
Not bad!
Drivers side will be way worse.
Drivers floorboard, someone bought a replacement pan at some point and, instead of properly welding it in, they just epoxied it to the body. Feels solid..but its BAD underneath.
Likely I'm just gonna grind the bad metal away from underneath, make a panel to fit and weld it from the bottom. No sense in ripping the top pan apart if not needed!
Drivers side rear floorplan has pinholes, prolly just going to cut away bad metal, patch the spot and glass over the pinholes.
All said and done, then sand the bottom and Rust Trap it, then hit with either bedliner or...??
Luckily I have subframe connectors to keep the hoondog sturdy.
More updates with potato quality pics to come!
This thing is slowly being un-16 year older and saved!
Wiring is now actually functional and safe.
Motor runs alright, though I seem to have a valve not seating properly. Vacuum bounces 5-15 instantly.. But, is steady, has good compression on all cyls, isn't backfiring or popping, and isnt running hot. Just a 305, so may as well run it till it doesn't run anymore!
After the floors, the suspension is next.
The traction bar, someone at some point used it as a tow point. Never mind the perfectly good and solid axle to use, no, the traction bar became choice numero uno. Idiots.
Nothing some threaded pipe/rod and stainless heim joints can't fix!
I'm gonna be following your work here , as i've just pulled the carpets in my 84 z28 and found rust in my passenger and driver side pans as well. I'm pretty much brand new to car work and welding ...im gonna start practicing lol
I'm gonna be following your work here , as i've just pulled the carpets in my 84 z28 and found rust in my passenger and driver side pans as well. I'm pretty much brand new to car work and welding ...im gonna start practicing lol
Man I hate that sinking feeling seeing rust..
How bad is yours?
Dixie I needed a good laugh after the day I've had and you delivered lol! Your attitude towards this project is just great! Get it done with the tools you have and then joke about it on here... Keep um on the roads boys!
Dixie I needed a good laugh after the day I've had and you delivered lol! Your attitude towards this project is just great! Get it done with the tools you have and then joke about it on here... Keep um on the roads boys!
Only way to do it, ******* roddin!
About to start on the rear passenger side, I went at it with a slag hammer to find the thin metal, ended up with around 8-9 thumbnail sized holes. That was a mistake..it just rained pretty heavy last night, so driving on the wet roads this morning I discovered WHY that was a mistake. Somehow the angles work just right to where water sprays up through those holes and mists in the crack where the upper and lower seat meet. Nothing like a wet butt crack going into work..
I also ran out of steel. Luckily enough, the state provides free sheet metal at the end and side of most streets! Doesn't rust either
Or I'll just buy more, haven't decided yet ha-ha!
Driver's side= gonna need a sheet welded in after I cut out some rot about 6"x6"
Passenger = might just be heavy surface stuff, we shall see.
not quite as bad as this shown here, but close
If you're handy with a hammer, doesn't cost much at all for new pans!
This notdynamat works pretty decent too, from what I can tell. Which, isn't much, since my exhaust dumps right under passengers feet lol.
If you're handy with a hammer, doesn't cost much at all for new pans!
This notdynamat works pretty decent too, from what I can tell. Which, isn't much, since my exhaust dumps right under passengers feet lol.
Well, I am still learning. This is my first project car, first time really even working on a car. That is why I'm following a bunch of other people who are doing similar work, I am enjoying the learning just wish I had someone here to point me in the right direction from time to time or let me borrow tools I don't own yet.
Do you mean just get some flat sheet metal and hammer it into a similar shape as the pans? And ow man that exhaust rumble right next to you must rattle some stuff huh?
Well, I am still learning. This is my first project car, first time really even working on a car. That is why I'm following a bunch of other people who are doing similar work, I am enjoying the learning just wish I had someone here to point me in the right direction from time to time or let me borrow tools I don't own yet.
Do you mean just get some flat sheet metal and hammer it into a similar shape as the pans? And ow man that exhaust rumble right next to you must rattle some stuff huh?
This thread is interesting to me , keep posting
Right on man! Digging right into rust repair, I can dig it! I suppose you're not in kansas, eh?
That's what I did, yeah. 19 gauge, a sharpie, angle grinder with cutoff discs, lots of cutoff discs, a few grinding discs, slag hammer, drill with wire brush attachment (or manual wire brush and some elbow grease) and then a welder!
If ya have any questions or would like advice, I'll try to help as much as I can and break down any processes for ya.
Naw, the exhaust rumble isn't too bad. Every car I've ever owned has been wicked loud! Previous DD was a Mercedes e420 with true dual straight pipes exiting out the drivers side- that s.o.b. is LOUD!!
I also don't have an interior to rattle around, really. Dash..center console held in by ductape..drivers seat.. Das it till I get the rust done and new carpet it.
Not much in the way of progress, had a few financial issues come up and, of course, the car is put on hold.
Only thing I've done since, is coat the pan itself and notdynamat over it. That made a huge, huge difference!
As she is now. Of course, now it's freezing out. If you get to this stage soon and use this notdynamat stuff (which works great), invest in a heat gun. The adhesive doesn't stick well when cold, nor does it contour well.
Drivers side rear is next.. Not nearly as bad, its just gonna be a few patch panels and some fiberglass.
Update!
Finally got to the drivers side rear board.
It wasn't horrible. Went at it with a slag hammer to find all the spots where It was thin enough to like through.
Not bad, really. Would need a handful of patch panels, and all thread for the grooves.
But I was lazy, so I just cut the whole pan out.
It was at this moment that I realized I was out of welding rods, and my buddy with an oxy acet/tig rig isnt free till tomorrow.
The show must go on..
A baby floorplan being made! Eyeballed it. Looked like it was close enough (and its all the steel I had left. Easy decision!)
I then went to town on forming it. This side was a little more complex, due to being a different shape than the other side..
Deft hands, fine tools. Only the best crafting technique and tools, based on advanced level schooling. Basically I beat it with a hammer till it fit .
How's the saying go..measure once, cut twice? Doesn't work as well in reverse. Had a spot that was a liiiitttle short. That's what scrap metal is for..
More pics later! Today I'll be laying rust trap on the metal that will be under the pan, letting it cure, working on a BMW, then getting it welded up tomorrow!
Right now it's just held in by ductape.
The drivers side..won't be fun. It's the entire pan from the seat mounts to under the pedals, rockers to the driveshaft tunnel. That's where things get tricky, being my daily driver and all..
One thing I've done with this work, make a cardboard pattern. Use some lightweight cardboard, not the corrugated stuff. Cut, bend, form as needed, then flatten it out and cut your metal. Real easy to work with the cardboard and scissors.
Still watching and reading. Unfortunately, Dixie, I found out the frame was cracked and twisted to some degree on top of the rust repairs needed, so I'm scrapping it and saving up some over next month or 2 and hunt for a better subject to start with. Now that I know what to look for I can make a better informed decision.. derp
Still watching and reading. Unfortunately, Dixie, I found out the frame was cracked and twisted to some degree on top of the rust repairs needed, so I'm scrapping it and saving up some over next month or 2 and hunt for a better subject to start with. Now that I know what to look for I can make a better informed decision.. derp
I await the driver side repairs next
Oh man, that's a pretty shitty sight to see..hopefully you're not out too much $$$ there. Rust has a way of sneaking up on the best of us.. You could probably put it back together and sell for close to what ya bought it for.
Also, the cardboard idea is a pretty good one. The rear floorboards were simple enough, but the drivers front is going to be a nightmare, that cardboard trick will save lots of time. When j get to that section, ill be driving without a floorboard, during the winter, which will majorly suck for a few day. Thanks man!
More updates! Meant to get to this sooner, but life gets in the way sometimes. So do missing cam lobes.
Anyway..
The only spot I have left is the drivers floorboard/piece in-between seat mounts.
Haven't started cutting the crap from my 91 yet, but I started chopping the floor from my 87, and using the rest of the car to form the rest of the pan.
As is now. Doesn't do justice to showing how bad it is, the panel that's there now
Is the replacent that a P.O. epoxied in. From underside really shows how bad..
More pics on that later.
Anyway, here's a few of the new pan being made.
19 ga steel, a saws all, angle grinder/cutter and a hammer
And the piece I chopped from my parts car, frame rail and fuel lines full of fuel and all.
Plan is to finish getting it formed, then next weekend chop out the old, in with the new.
It'll be a bit crude, but who cares, it works.
More Joe dirt style pics coming later!
Huzzah! All done with an angle grinder, broken shop lights, a can of skoal straight and a can of monster.
I was just reaaaaaly careful around the fuel lines. I unbolted em from the frame so I had another half inch or so. Also removed the gas pedal, made it much easier. Would have been even easier without the brake and clutch pedal, but who has time for that.
Frame is bent a little from the floor being gone, but she still drives perfectly straight and doesn't eat tires, so hakunahmatata there.
Yummy rust.. A little inside the frame rails, gonna clean it up and hit it with rust mort, then a coating
Forgot to order more rust trap, and por-15..just..no.. So imma try something else, perhaps
Chassis saver.
Fender was bolted straight to the replacement floor..and promptly rusted.
And the new pan! I didn't actually measure anything, I just kinda..cut, and tac'd up a new piece.
So I was surprised that it fit almost perfectly. Maybe a handful of small spots where I'll need a filler bolt/rebar, but not a whole lot.
Finishing prep today, then planning on welding tomorrow, then hitting everything else with phosphoric acid, followed by more rust coating top and bottom.
Sucks about not having rust trap, that stuff works pretty well.
I prepped the inside of my car nicely, and it worked..nicely.
The bottom of the new pans, though, I used whatever was around.
Basically carb/brake cleaner and a rag, yet its holding up very nicely there too.
Got everything in! A mix of tig and stick, its just little 2" welds everywhere,
Enough that I could drive with ease. Gonna go back over it Tuesday with oxy/acet and tig to connect the dots.
Closer shot
Here you can see the Dumbass marks, where I cut once and didn't measure. Gonna stick some bolts or rebar in and fill it..
11-07-2015, 09:40 PM
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