(need quick answer)Starting the floor pans...

[brtnstrns]

I'm gonna be doin my floor pans one at a time. If i do them one at a time do i need to still support the car with something? I"m not planning on putting in cross members or whatever. If i do one floor pan at a time (cutting it out then welding it in then doing the other one) do i still need to have support for the car? If so how do i do that?

 

[6Stang7]

Are you doing just the front, or the whole thing (front to the back)?

-Shaun

 

[Pakrat]

Well, support is one of those things I don't think you can ever over do. One at a time is the right idea to keep it straight as possible. Because you have a hard top, you may be fine if you leave the doors closed while you do it, but if it sinks in even a little before the new one is fully tacked in place, you could run the risk of having a tight sticking door. To be safest you should open the door and tack in a temporary brace across the opening before removing the old pan and remove it after the new one is in place, that would insure that your before and after dimensions stay the same.

 

[Ozsum67]

You should be fine. With the roof and the rockers and the tranny hump. My old 69 didn't have any front pans on either side, and it drove down the road with no sag.

 

[GaPonyFarm]

I agree. If you're not replacing the rockers, you should be fine. I'd do the whole floor at once, but I'm not especially afraid of risk. Use your own judgement, you know whats best for your car.

 

[65stanger]

I had mine completely supported just to be on the safe side.....it is a 39 year old car after all! Good luck with it and post on your progress!

 

[Ozsum67]

The floor pans are generally a flat surface and offer little, lateral (for and aft) support.

 

[cardude]

question on this as well. I have rust between the floor and the firewall from a pesky leak, what gauge steel would I want to use to replace the small strip that has rusted through?

 

[brtnstrns]

we've got the right floor pan completely gone and the left side is so rusted all we basically have to do is knock the "pan" or whatevers left of it out of the car and grind the sides to smoothness. so tomorrow we're gonna cut out the tail panel and the rest of the floor pan. Then starting friday probably we'll begin the welding.....just an update

 

[Route666]

Would putting a couple of jacks under a long piece of wood going from one side to the other in the middle of the body be a good idea for support? (if you're extra paranoid)

 

[GaPonyFarm]

question on this as well. I have rust between the floor and the firewall from a pesky leak, what gauge steel would I want to use to replace the small strip that has rusted through?

20 gauge ought to do it. Be sure to use some POR-15 or Eastwood Rust Encapsulator on your new sheet metal. Also use ample amounts of seam sealer as your final task.