So i've got a problem. I mounted some seats out of an '80 SA in my '82. When I went to tighten down the two outermost mounting blots, the steel around both of the mounting points sheared, and now i've only got two mounting points for my drivers seat (dont' worry, it's not tagged or insured right now, so no driving except to keep the motor in shape, ~20mph around my subdivision).

I was wondering what would be the best way to replace the seat pan? I have access to a 110v Lincoln wire feed mig, so a welder is no problem, but the actual steps to go through to get it ready for a new seatpan and mounts is what i'm in need of. There is a place 30 minutes from my house where I can get sheet steel in any size that I need, so materials are no problem as well. Should I shore up the body with braces (x at the b-pillar, and x's in the doors), and cut out the floor and overlap weld in new steel, or should I just weld over the current floor and not worry about it?

 

If you are only cutting out the pan and not getting into the trannny tunnel or the rockers, no need for bracing. Cut out the rusted parts and fab new ones. An overlap of up to 1/2" is fine for the replacement pieces. Be sure to prep, treat and seal all of the new and old metal.

 

I think that i'm going to need to cut into the inner part of the rockers (just going up the inside, where the seat pan curves up toward the door sill). There is a little bit of rust in there, but not nearly as bad as the floor. What would you recommend for prepping, treating, and sealing of all the metal? POR15?

 

Remove all of the rust, spary the lap joints with a weld through primer, weld, metal etching primer/sealer, epoxy coat/POR-15, then undercoat. Seal any joints after the epoxy and before the undercoating with seam sealer.

 

i forgot to ask, what thickness of steel should I use for the seat mounts? I'm thinking about using some 1/8" plate and bending it to be similar to the stock mounts. Is that overkill, or not enough?