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heres my project, not to bad i dont think, if anyone can help me find a website for new or solid used sheet metal for these areas that would greatly appreciated! im looking for a smooth firewall with a/c delete as well but am coming up empty handed!?!?
seeing as how ive never replaced floor sheet metal before can someone direct me to a thread where floors were replaced
being a unibody vehicle should i brace it once floors are being cut???
I'm all for restoring them instead of parting them out, but in all fairness, that's some pretty serious rust in a lot of areas. I don't think I'd fix this one. If anything, you might try to find a roller to swap everything onto.
I'm all for restoring them instead of parting them out, but in all fairness, that's some pretty serious rust in a lot of areas. I don't think I'd fix this one. If anything, you might try to find a roller to swap everything onto.
I'm not exactly looking to be talked out of the project, more or less looking for ways/option to do it and the learning experience! But Thanx for ur opinion tho!
I've been told "if your thinkin to long you thinkin to wrong". In other words, what is the first way you think you should fix it? now do that.
Your asking the opinions of hundreds, if not thousands of people, and you know what your gonna get? Hundreds, if not thousands of opinions...
If it was me, and I REALLY wanted to save THAT car... I would buy some sheet metal and start cutting, but I would keep the purchase of a donor car as a very real option.
I cut out probably the same amount as you will in the floors. I didn't bother bracing it, and the car came out fine. But I'm no expert, Ive only done extensive rust repair on one car. But I didn't have shock tower issues like you. That scares me
You're going to need a lot of sheet metal that isn't reproduced. Patch panels could be cut from another car, but that means finding a parts car without rust (not too likely). If you find a donor with less rust, it'd make more sense to build the donor.
What has this car got going for it that makes it worth saving?
You're going to need a lot of sheet metal that isn't reproduced. Patch panels could be cut from another car, but that means finding a parts car without rust (not too likely). If you find a donor with less rust, it'd make more sense to build the donor.
What has this car got going for it that makes it worth saving?
Sentimental value, and a good learning experience!
The rust visible on the surface, is BAD for a thirdgen. Like an 8 on a 1-10 scale, where a 10 = the driver's seat rips through the floor when you get in. Once you start stripping back the paint and oxidation, and cut away the steel that's weakened, back to good steel you can weld new metal to, you're going to have a bunch of holes the size of basketballs.
To answer your question, none of that stuff is available as new reproductions aside from the floors and maybe the outer rockers. If you want new, you'll have to fab them yourself. Finding rust free donor panels isn't impossible, but that driver's kick panel area rust is pretty common. Probably end up using a combination of donor cuts and fabbed patch panels.
If it's a T-top car, I'd weld in some braces. It's probably not a bad idea even with a hardtop. You're going to be missing a bit of structural integrity in that driver's kickpanel/floor pan area. That's basically where the A-pillar and front subframe come together, and all those panels are completely toast. There's serious rust in half a dozen or more panels in that one area.
You might look into the Detroit Speed subframe connectors. The install would cut away a lot of the floor pan to inner rocker rust, but you might need to replace the inner rockers to get good steel to weld them to. You will definitely want to weld in SFCs at some point.
All that said, I'd still cut my losses before putting any money into that shell.
