Replacing floor pans....

[Run-em]

There are braces just a few inches rearward of the toe board/floor pan junction on the bottom of the floor pan--how are these attached? Spot welded or?

Thanks, Guys.

Max

[chevynut]

Yes, all the braces are spot welded to the floor pan. Those two front braces are the only original ones I used when I replaced my floor. All the others are new.

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[NickP]

Max, if you need a pair, let me know. I think I have a spare set.

[smooth 56]

Max you replacing the whole floor or just the braces?

[Run-em]

Replacing the floor pans. Plan to take off the supposedly (by looks) good braces & transfer them over. Course my constant work helper, Arthur, doesn't speed things up. As in arthritis. Worked hard on the car yesterday, now I'm off today to let the inflammation die down. And yeah, I'm taking the maximum strength Rx anti-inflamatory. Just get flustered. But it does give me more outlining time so work time is more productive.

I pickled the underside of the Nomad with tons of fiberglass & mat (inside) plus lots of anti-rust paint on the outside, 30 plus years ago after killing a little rust in the pans. This time on the rebuild, I'm planning to put new metal in there then do Lizard skin---unless someone has heard of anything detrimental about Lizard skin. May also use dynamat to replace the jute also. Anything to insulate that cavern of a Nomad.

[Run-em]

Replacing the floor pans. Plan to take off the supposedly (by looks--thanks Nick) good braces & transfer them over. Course my constant work helper, Arthur, doesn't speed things up. As in arthritis. Worked hard on the car yesterday, now I'm off today to let the inflammation die down. And yeah, I'm taking the maximum strength Rx anti-inflamatory. Just get flustered. But it does give me more outlining time so work time is more productive.

I pickled the underside of the Nomad with tons of fiberglass & mat (inside) plus lots of anti-rust paint on the outside, 30 plus years ago after killing a little rust in the pans. This time on the rebuild, I'm planning to put new metal in there then do Lizard skin---unless someone has heard of anything detrimental about Lizard skin. May also use dynamat to replace the jute also. Anything to insulate that cavern of a Nomad.

[chevynut]

Max, are you replacing the entire half pans, or just the footwell area? If I were you, and your floors are that bad, I'd just go with the whole assembled replacement floor. I think some day you'll be glad you did. I'm really glad I did mine, even though I had to piece it together from pans and braces and it cost me more than twice as much as the new assembled floors.

14271428

[Run-em]

Just the footwells. Everything else was good before pickling & still looks good.

But if I get further into it & find different, I'll follow your sage advice.

[NickP]

Replacing the floor pans. Plan to take off the supposedly (by looks) good braces & transfer them over. Course my constant work helper, Arthur, doesn't speed things up. As in arthritis. Worked hard on the car yesterday, now I'm off today to let the inflammation die down. And yeah, I'm taking the maximum strength Rx anti-inflamatory. Just get flustered. But it does give me more outlining time so work time is more productive.

I pickled the underside of the Nomad with tons of fiberglass & mat (inside) plus lots of anti-rust paint on the outside, 30 plus years ago after killing a little rust in the pans. This time on the rebuild, I'm planning to put new metal in there then do Lizard skin---unless someone has heard of anything detrimental about Lizard skin. May also use dynamat to replace the jute also. Anything to insulate that cavern of a Nomad.

I feel your pain - every day :( Add to that carpal Tunnel - getting old just sucks.

[Rick_L]

Think real hard about Lizard Skin before committing. The stuff is expensive. A friend of mine used $500+ worth of it on an old Suburban. It wasn't all that thick and didn't pass my "thump test". I've got to think that Dynamat or one of its clones does better for less.

[chevynut]

Even Dynamat is WAY expensive, IMO. I bought a bunch of Raammat for my Nomad for a lot less than the same amount of Dynamat would have cost. I'm sure it will be just as good for all practical purposes.

[Run-em]

I just used Dynamat as a generic term instead of foil backed heat,vibration, and noise insulation.

[slowfinger]

Getting back to replacing floor pans, I have a question? I need to replace the floor pan complete and the inner and outer rockers on our 56 chevy. What would come first the outer rockers or floor pan with braces and inner rockers ? I would think the outer rockers would keep things from moving while a floor pan was cut out and new replacement installed? As our present pan has 70% only metal left in it. And the car is going to need a pass. quarter full pannel. Any tips are apprecieated!

[chevynut]

If I was you I'd buy a Taiwanese fully assembled floor for your car. It comes with all braces and inner rockers attached for only around $900. I would leave your outer rockers on if you can, to keep the car together as much as possible. Brace the body if you can, or if needed (probably do on a HT). I would also try to align the doors before you cut the floor out. Then I would raise the body off the frame, and bolt the new floor to the frame with new body mounts. I'd then clean up all the flanges on the floor and body and do any repairs needed. I'd do all the other inner quarter repairs you need to do before installing the floor. Then lower the body onto the new floor and line things up, using the door fit as a guide. Once you like the fit, put screws in to hold everything in place. Then you probably have to remove the screws and raise the body again to drill plug weld holes, prime, or whatever you want to do before installing the floor for good. Drop the body again, install the screws, then start plug welding. Once the floor is in, cut the outer rockers off and install the new ones, but do it along with the new quarter on the passenger side.

[slowfinger]

Chevynut, Can all this be acomlished with the body on the frame? Also with the same steps you mentioned being floor first then quarters, then outer rockers using a complete floor assembly. I figure when it arrives...to cut the floor pan down center and sliding it in opening for rear window, then going from there. And alian doors before starting project. Thanks for your info. we are preping it now for metal work, stripping chrome and windows off car and some sand blasting in areas.

[chevynut]

NO, DO NOT DO THAT!!! Don't cut the floor pan.

The floor pan comes as one piece. It's the quickest, easiest, most economical and best way to replace a floor. Leave it as one piece.

You won't be able to leave the body on the frame. You can cut some of the floor out and do other repairs with the body on, but to install the floor lift the body off the frame. Brace it first. Then put the new floor on the frame and drop the body back down. Any other way will result in inferior quality, imo, and a lot more work.

[smooth 56]

Yep do as chevy has said. I think I have pic's of mine when I done it.
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Hope this help's you a little.

[slowfinger]

Smooth56, Hey thanks for your self explanitory pics of your metal work. I guess that's are route to go. Have to get some help! Our car definately worth restoring! It's a 56 HT. stick like yours! Geo.

[chevynut]

Good luck slowfinger. Keep us up to date with some pics of your own. Sometimes this stuff seems like such a challenging job, but when it all goes together it's definitely worth it. I put my floor together piece by piece with new pans and braces, and inner rockers. What a long, tough job. Back then assembled floors were almost $3000. I still paid around $2000 for mine, and took 6 weeks of my spare time to put it all back in.

[slowfinger]

Well just towed the 56 over to the winter garage. This spring we will sandblast the rust and then with your great help, pull the body off for the floor instalation. Hope to get pics along the way! Probably do the body stuff in my driveway as our garage isn't big enough. Here in Ill. anyway. Last chrome top of window runners comes off soon! Maybe look at the brakes this winter too. Geo.

[slowfinger]

Hey, How does the chrome from around the small vent windows come off? Got the screws out but something is hanging up on the 5" piece. Also the verticle piece is not budging? also I didn't find the article here anywhere but how does the trunk lid come down lower at the top after it is alined sidewase? Do you shim lower bolt? Enclosed is pic of our project...26432644 and a friends 33 plymouth coupe. Geo.