Advice wanted - order to proceed

[Bakins]

I need new floors, inner and outer rockers. I was wondering how I needed to proceed. Do I need to align the doors, then brace it, cut, etc. The doors never fit right and are currently off the car, but I can put them back on.

I'm also swapping frames. How does that play into it? My original plan was to brace the body, cut out old floor, mount new floor to "new" frame, then drop body over it. Then I thought about door alignment etc.

Someone suggested to me to drop body with existing floor onto new frame, align doors, then brace, cut, etc. This was someone who'd never done it, but was "thinking out loud."

I'm at the point where I can't really do much else until I decide.

[NickP]

I think that setting your present body on the new frame would be something to give consideration to. If you do, I would simulate it so that all of the four suspension points hold the frame if unassembled. Use new body mounts, align all items - ALL, not just the doors. Obtain material to sufficiently X-Brace the assembly but remember, you will be removing mounts 2, 3, & 4 in the process so your system needs to be very secure. lift the body - replace the floor pan on the new frame after removing old - align and screw in place. Check fit, align, check fit - weld - Besides, it will all need to be realigned anyway. Give yourself plenty of working room inside and underneath. You will need it.

[Run-em]

Check with Laszlo...he has been down and all over this road before--both as a car owner, builder, and manufacturer.

[Rick_L]

I think your original plan is the way to go, and a bit less work.

[chevynut]

I would locate the new floor on the frame first, with new body mounts and no shims. Center the bolts in the holes as well as you can. The new floor will probably come with inner rockers. I would leave the outer rockers on the body for the time being, even if you need to tack some metal onto them to keep them in place. They will help you hold the body together...either that or brace the body. But before you brace it, line the doors up as good as you can. Then I would drop the body onto the floor and clamp it in a few places to check fit. Once you have it fitted like you want, put some screws in the joints and let the weight of the car body sit on the floor. Check the fitment of the doors and move the floor as needed.

I did mine in two halves, replacing all but two of the braces, but I think the full floor is the way to go.

One thing...I would support the frame of the car at the same locations that it will be supported when it's sitting on the suspension. If you have to make some temporary shocks, do that. If you support the frame elsewhere, it will flex and cause everything to be out of alignment.

[Bakins]

Laszlo - I have the coil overs already. So I could just support the frame at the suspension arms, I guess - I mean actually support via the suspension arms.

If I read your post correctly, I should align the doors on old frame as best I can, brace, cut out floors, then drop onto new floor? Then align doors again as best I can, then weld?

I'm still learning, so forgive me If I ask the obvious

Thanks again!

[chevynut]

Brian, I guess all I'm saying is to align the doors before you fit and weld the floor in. Use the doors for a guide for your work because they're going to have to fit eventually. Personally I probably would take the time to align the doors to the body on the old frame. Then you know where things should be with the new floor.

[Bakins]

Thanks for all the advice. Slowly but surely

Both inner and outer rockers on both sides are full of holes. Had about a pound of bondo backed with duct tape on each side I sometimes wonder if this car was at the bottom of the ocean at some point...

[chevynut]

Brian, don't get overwhelmed. It's easy to do, but just keep at it and it will get done. I replaced both quarters, inner and outer rockers, all but the two very front braces, and a made a custom cargo floor and new tubs from scratch for my Nomad. I even had to widen the outer wheelwells to make them fit the tubs. That's on top of fabricating my firewall and virtually every sheetmetal piece under my hood. I got a little overwhelmed at times, but looking back it was fun.

[Bakins]

Should I try lining up the doors as it sits now using new body mounts? Wondering how much the rusted out rockers will affect things or if I'm over thinking it.

I'm sure I'll look back at this fondly one day. Maybe

[chevynut]

Brian, I wouldn't worry too much about the body mounts now. I would just align the doors to the body as good as you can and brace it if you need to. If the outer rockers are gone, I would brace it. If they're still partly there, I would leave them for now. I would align the doors better when you get the body on the new floor, before welding.

The thing to watch carefully is that you get the rocker lengths right so the door openings match the doors. If you don't do that, you'll be grinding on the door edges.