Hi,
The previous owner of my Z28 chose the lazy route when replacing the fuel pump and it looks like they hacked away at floor until they found what they were looking for... I have pictures showing the aftermath. Does anybody have any suggestions as to what I should do about this?






This is my first car and I have had it for 6 years and do not plan on getting rid of it. I want to do this right. This was first discovered when my father and I dropped the tank to replace the fuel pump and it has been in the back of my mind ever since. I have purchased new carpet and would like to take care of this while I have the old carpet out. Thanks.

Mark

 

I hate seeing that done to these cars. I don't mind the fuel pump access doors done right, but when people do that, its just ridiculous.

I think your options are to 1) try to weld the pieces back together, 2) get some new metal and weld it in, or 3) cut the section you need out of a car at the junkyard. I would recommend cutting the section out of a car at the junkyard (just try to find one without too much rust), cutting that section out of your car, and welding the new piece in. With that route you already have the metal shaped the correct way and all the metal is the same thickness.

 

OMG, that's horrible. It can be welded with a MIG with .023 wire. Since it won't be visible you can use 3M Rubberized undercoating to seal it up.

 

pop rivits and 3M adhesive, plenty strong. [how they hold planes together]
Just make sure and put a door in, or you'll be sorry later.

 

i agree, fix up the screw ups by welding, but i would grind the welds smooth and repaint the area so it looks right............then again it looks pretty rough, so you may have to bedline or undercote it. but still leave and access panel done proper, its really worth it..... look on the site some, im sure there is pics of proper access doors for the fuel pump

 

how long ago did you replace the fuelpump?
If its fairly new, I would just seal the (hacked up) area with some dynamat
and call it done.

 

I wouldn't recommend doing that since some water and particles from the road could get up there and start to rot the panels. It would take a while, but it could happen. Plus, I don't think it can be good for the car to have that much of its floor pan cut up (structurally speaking), but it shouldn't be a big deal.

 

WOW thanks for all of the responses guys. This car is currently my daily driver so I do not exactly have the time to drop the tank out of the way to weld the panels together. Sometime within the next 6 months I will be starting my ls1 swap and will be using the 4th gen plastic gas tank. I was thinking that a good time to fix this would be while I have the old tank out and before I put the 4th gen tank in. I don't think there is enough space between the 3rd gen tank and the floor to install a door because the doors have depth.

I also have recently purchased new shocks and struts (koni yellows) and was hoping to get them installed soon, but would this be a bad idea after seeing the location of the cuts with respect to the the upper shock mount?

 

Clean that up & fab a fuel pump access door CORRECTLY. When you need in there again, you'll be GLAD you kept the access door.

Especially if it goes out at 2am when your out somewhere Get to a parts store..15 minutes your driving home. No tow truck to get home...No getting a buddy & his trailer to get home...No spending 5+ hours under the car on jack stands......

There is a RIGHT WAY to do an access door & a WRONG WAY. That obviously wasn't the right way.

 

I am one of the ones who dosent agree with access doors. Just my opinion. I would weld it up using a section of junkyard floor, like Titan85 suggested. I have three thirdgens and wouldnt EVER do that to any of my cars!! By the way, good luck with the LS1 swap, it's and a hell of a lot of headaches and frustration, but...... LOL

 

Hey guys,
My dad and I were talking about this today while looking at the wrinkled sheet metal and we have decided that we are going to cut out the mess and replace the panel with one cut from a junk yard car. I would like to install the door, but we will make that decision after we get the patch welded in. Thanks again!

 

with Ours. we used a piece of Aluminum RTV sealer and Pop rivited the repair panel

 

yeah because theres plenty of parts stores open at 2AM.

 

 

Hey dust3r that was definately a hack job. The best thing would be to weld in an original panel from a junked car, I see u live in Walnut so you're close to Ontario Pick a Part, I was there on sunday and there happens to be no less than ten 3rd gen firebirds & camaros, just pack up your sawzall and take ur pick. Don't forget ur access panel. Im in the process right now of changing my pump.Later.

 

if i were you i would be careful wielding a reciprocating saw that close to a gas tank. wouldnt want to poke the tank or anything. maybe a smaller sawzall? cutoff wheel is the best but tool options are limited at the junkyard...

 

Whenever I see a hack job done on third Gen I bought I try to remember this.
There is always someone out there; either now or in the future that has more skill, more time, more experience or more money, which could do a better job than I can. So I try not to bitch too much about their work, because the next person that owns this car could be bitching about mine.
Instead sometimes I laugh to myself and say; well I have to respect them for trying to do it their self and at the same time realize that hey, my skill at repairs is better than someone.

As for fixing it, I would go to the junkyard or buy a junked car to cut that piece from.

Goodluck on the repair.

 

THIS IS JUST SICK! But you can get the metal already precut to fit in the place, and weld it up.