ingaman

So here's the story...
Months after researching welding information, I discovered I'm neighbours with a guy who owns a bodyshop. He said he'd be fine welding a piece on as long as I do all the prep work. This saves me from going out and buying an expensive welder AND since he owns all the proper equipment and years of experience, the job will be of much higher quality.
Now my dilemma is prepping the piece. I've checked most of the auto wreckers locally to see if they have any FBs -- nothing. Finding a floorpan for my car seems impossible in the near future and I rather get it out and driving sooner than later. So my considered solution is to fabricate the piece myself. It doesn't seem TOO difficult, just a matter of bending some steel, but is it common practice? I mean what are the pros and cons? I don't think I could create the exact same groove as the original. The spot is right under the pedals on the drivers side. Thoughts? Advice?

jgrewe

iTrader: (1)

How big of a piece are we talking about? The biggest concern would be making sure you are connecting to the frame rail that comes down from the engine compartment in that area but if you are talking less than a sq ft it would be no big deal to make a piece.

bwaits

iTrader: (12)

Have someone cut the needed section form a trashed shell. I personally have a car that was hit hard in the rear and could get the section you need plasma cut out and sent to you.

Also, there are great bonding systems now that would let you bond the new piece in without the need of a welder.

If the hole is not that large you can also use a process I read about a few years ago in a hot rod magazine that involves fiberglassing over the holes with using POR15 instead of the fiberglass resin.

-billy

ingaman

bwaits-- If you could, that'd be great. The section I need pretty much everything from the front drivers side. I'll pay for shipping and everything, but how much would you charge for the piece?

As for the fibreglass + POR15 idea, I'm considering doing that to my wheel wells. The other part I'm looking at though has two holes as big as my fist. I assume that a lot of the metal surrounding it is also useless.

ingaman

C_Town_Tuner

Looks like my floors haha. Except my go right up into that bend behind the pedal assembly up to where the floor pan ties in up inside the front wheel well.

bwaits

iTrader: (12)

Oh man, that is nothing. You do not need a stock floor section to fix that. Those can be repaired with fiberglass or sheet metal. Google up" POR-15 fiberglass". That will be your solution.

This is what big holes look like:

food7373

iTrader: (2)

dang, that's bad.

ingaman

Holy hell! I'm considering myself lucky right now.
Well I just peeled back some of the sound deadening material to discover the rust goes back a little farther. I still think for the floor I should just replace the whole piece rather than fibreglass -- especially if my neighbour is willing to do the welding himself.