Floorpan restoration

[ZoskalonMPI]

Just thought I'd share my progress on my 1990 Daytona. It was rusted REALLY bad. Am I crazy for tackling this?








This is all done myself, first time bending steel and first time mig welding. I think its ok for only being 19?

[Reaper1]

Wow...that thing was pretty well gone! Reminds me of the 280Z project nicknamed "Hugo" over in Sweeden! LOTS of metal work on that car!!! Some of the videos can be found on YouTube...

[dafz1]

Yes you're crazy for taking on a project like that. However, everyone around here is just as crazy(if not more).

That's some nice work, especially for a first timer! Keep it up and post pics on your progress!

[ZoskalonMPI]

Thanks guys. I'm really just trying to get the car back to one "piece." Its going to have the side skirts on and a carpet, so I don't really care how the floorpan turns out as long as it keeps the car in one piece and lasts me a good couple years until I can find and afford a nice rust-free Daytona in Arizona and swap everything over to it.

I have a question though, the side skirt bracket was welded onto the body of the car. If I weld the sideskirt bracket back on without painting the mating surfaces, will it rust? I am NOT going to be driving this car in the winter at all, but steel just loves to rust. Certain areas that I grind one day get small patches of rust by the time I go to the garage the next day. Is the moisture in the air really that horrible? Now, I am going to paint the whole damn thing with POR-15, so the mating surfaces of the bracket and car will be sealed off from ambient air and not rust, am I right? I just don't want to open up my door one day and see the paint bubbling where I did the rust work

And pic updates will come tomorrow hopefully, if I don't forget my camera.

[ZoskalonMPI]

Sorry for the delay in updates. Yeah, yeah, so the welds are sloppy but rock solid...I hope.














I still have quite a bit to go and school started this week so its going to drag on *sigh*

[lotsaboost]

That's really cool. That's exactly what I was going to do to my Daytona before it got t-boned. Looking forward to seeing it done.

Carlos

[spoolinhard]

You are crazy. I would suggest more gaps in the metal you are welding for better penetration. I would also suggest some sort of rust prventative measures to make sure that the rust doesnt come back through. Coating with roofing tar on the back side of the seems would help. Probably wouldnt want to drive it in the winter anymore. Youve done alot of work, you dont want it coming back through.

[looneytuner]

I saw a little trick somewhere for butt joints. Cut a bunch of pennys with 2 hacksaw slots 180* from each other. It holds the two pieces of metal together flush. After spot welding rotate them and pull out.

[rich tideswell]

Quote:

Originally Posted by looneytuner I saw a little trick somewhere for butt joints. Cut a bunch of pennys with 2 hacksaw slots 180* from each other. It holds the two pieces of metal together flush. After spot welding rotate them and pull out.

That's pretty slick. MUCH cheaper than these:
Eastwood Co. - Intergrip Panel Clamps Set of 4

or this:
Eastwood Co. - 4 and 8 inch magnetic Copper Butt-Weld Backer set

[d_snook6]

Nice work, I wouldn't weld the side shirt brackets on use rivets or weld bolts on your rockers for mounting studs like I did. Check out my Got Rust thread! I'm crazy too.
Got Rust?

[Reaper1]

Just to mention it, not to bust b@lls or anything: technically removing material from U.S currancy is a fellony as it reduces its value. Now, if there was a way to put those slots in there without removing material...

Anyways...cool trick for sure! May have to look in to that idea myself for future projects!

[shotgunhunter4]

Looks good man, keep up the good work

[ZoskalonMPI]

Since I neglected to pay my comcast bills, my internet was cut off for a week . I finished the passanger side off. I was no where near done when I posted the last pics, lol. I painted the top and bottom with POR and then I loaded on the seam sealer everywhere. I'm going to scrape the entire underside of the car and paint the whole damn thing with POR. And yeah, I'm not going to weld that bracket on, I'll either use rivets or just plain old bolts. Aligning sideskirts is a pain in the ass.

This is right after a fresh coat of por. I have to take pics of it with the seamsealer and the second coat of POR once I clean out my garage.






I did a slopy job but it was my first time welding and bending/forming sheet metal by hand.

[spoolinhard]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZoskalonMPI Since I neglected to pay my comcast bills, my internet was cut off for a week . I finished the passanger side off. I was no where near done when I posted the last pics, lol. I painted the top and bottom with POR and then I loaded on the seam sealer everywhere. I'm going to scrape the entire underside of the car and paint the whole damn thing with POR. And yeah, I'm not going to weld that bracket on, I'll either use rivets or just plain old bolts. Aligning sideskirts is a pain in the ass. This is right after a fresh coat of por. I have to take pics of it with the seamsealer and the second coat of POR once I clean out my garage. I did a slopy job but it was my first time welding and bending/forming sheet metal by hand.

you did a pretty good job for first time.

[cawcislo]

Pretty good. I have to do similar work next year to my daytona. Mine is not in quite as bad shape as yours was. Mostly the drivers side rocker pannel area. I have two new rocker pannels, so I'm not sure how much work and welding I'll have to do, but it's always more than you think. I'll have to do some work on the floor pan too. Is there anywhere to buy floorpans? Would be a hell of a lot easier than bending my own.