[gonewacky]

Hello again.. I have had this car for over 32 years,, and it has been sitting since 1979....... It still has the original drive train matching numbers.... It is extremely rusted out.. but I HAVE to bring this car back from the brink of DEATH!!!.. I have never replaced full floor pan before, I am in need of serious mental help :clonk: ... Do I have to support the body from shifting????.. can I just put jack stands under the rockers and axle?? will that be enough support???.. What is the proper way????.. should I cross brace the door openings????... I will be using full floor pan, so I'll be cutting out the old tunnel... Please, Please Help!!!!!

 

[bearcat44]

If its a coupe I don't think you NEED to brace it but I definitely would. Putting in cross braces is easy and will make sure the body doesn't move. Also to get the floor out you'll need to remove your rear end as the front of the leafsprings bolts into the torque box of the floor. You will also need to yank out the subframe as two of the body mounts are bolted throught the floor. Before you dive into the floors I'd make sure that the rockers were solid as its best (in my opinion) to replace rockers first then the floor. Do you have the interior of the car out? That should tell you alot. When I pulled my carpet out to look for my POP I was surprised to find a gaping hole.

This should get you started.

 

[gonewacky]

Thanks Dave.. I think the inner rockers are okay.. the outer ones need new skins.. the interior is completely removed, does anyone know if the new whole floor pans come with the spring mounts already attached or do I use my old ones,??????... I'll be ordering the floor this week... I can't get the car outside to sand blast it before welding.. so I am hoping to grind and use metal ready (acid) for any metal (inner rocker) that might have surface rust where I'm going to have to weld to.. does that sound acceptable?????????

 

[gene_sc]

I don't know about the acid, it may leave a conversion coating and may interfere with good welds. Be sure to use a weld thru primer, or it will rust at the welds in a few months.
1 piece floor pan pixs
http://1stgencamaro.net/gallerytwo/v/68-Camaro/album22/
http://1stgencamaro.net/gallerytwo/v/Cars-for-sale/68camaro/?g2_page=2

 

[gonewacky]

Hey Gene, thanks for the pics.. it does'nt look like the spring mounts come with the new floor..

 

[gene_sc]

Hey Gene, thanks for the pics.. it does'nt look like the spring mounts come with the new floor..

No just the plate ontop of the rear frame rails (rear seat riser area)

 

[gonewacky]

The one thing I have been worried about is back when I was driving the car it was hit in the pass side rear.. I put new factory qrts. on it, back then I knew less about what I was doing than I do now.. well the side that was not hit, the qrt. fit real well.. but, on the hit side the new qrt. did not.. the new one rubbed the pass door when I shut it, so it (qrt.) was pushed up just a little.. The thing I'm afraid of is that the sub frame might be pushed forward a little... I just wonder if I ought to try and prefit the new qrt. panel first before I remove the floor... I am trying to post some pics.. Do you think I should try the qrt. first????.. back when I installed the new factory ones, I could'nt get the tail pan and the qrt. panel to butt up like the old one did.. there was about a 1/2 inch gap... maybe I did'nt massage it right I don't know...

 

[gonewacky]

I've got a few pictures posted in my sig. take a look at the mess.:sad:

 

[gene_sc]

I would measure the car out, no sense in putting parts on a bent car, here are the specs http://www.1stgencamaro.net/frame.htm
How far up the firewall is the rust? From your pixs you are going to need toe boards, and front torque boxes or a firewall. It really looks like its going to need sand blasting, that's pretty heavy rust in your pixs. Hopefully the inner rockers and frame rails are solid still. ( they are galvanized )

 

[gonewacky]

Hey Gene,, Yeah I know I'm going to have to sand blast the whole car, but I have to get a floor in it so I can install the sub frame and front wheels so I can move it around to blast it... I'm going to see if I can maybe get a Rotissouri, that would help me move it in and out.. does anybody know how to make one using two engine stands..?????.. someone told me they knew of somebody who had done that...... I'm pretty sure the inner rockers are still solid.. I think the frame rails are okay, the thing I'm concerned about is if one of them is "Slightly Bent" (pass. side)...

 

[gene_sc]

Try a search for rotisserie, there were a bunch of posts last year abount making them. ( I made mine from 2 enginge stands and tubing). You could also made a body dolly to move it out to sandblast. RE Rail; thats why I said to measure the car.

 

[gonewacky]

Gene;.. I don't think the sub structure was moved that much when the car was hit from behind.. The guy was only going 5 or so miles and hour when he hit me back then,,, the car was parked along a street close to the corner.. he came around the corner and hit me... when I put the new factory qrt on the car it "Almost" fit.. the weired thing was the sail fin fit perfect.. and the door would close but it rubbed the qrt,, so I'm guessing it moved that side appr. 1/4" .... the thing I am worried about is if the rear pass side rail is shoved forward or maybe bent just a little... Once I remove the full floor can I move the rail back enough or will there be more to it than that???????....

 

[gene_sc]

No you need to find out if the rail is bent before you cut things out, otherwise you could be fighting bent inner structure.

 

[gonewacky]

Okay..:yes:

 

[gonewacky]

You know,, I think I'm going to try something..... I'm going to cut off the old Qrt. panel first and see if it might just be the old sub structure that might be pushed forward,, like the qrt. panel, & wheel well, and the door jamb... I've got a new repop qrt. I can prefit after I take the old one off, and see how it may fit.... If I can get it to fit okay, then the sub frame will probly be okay,, if not, then I'll know it's deeper in the sub-structure.... whada ya think?????????????

 

[cpodeep]

Here is just some insight when replacing full floor pans. When you have the subframe out and start to line up the new pan be very careful to make sure that is has the correct depth along the rockers. If it is just a little to deep and you have bolted the subframe back in the car, you might find out that you can't slide the transmission crossmember in without loosening the frame mounts.

Don't ask how I know this! :sad:

 

[gonewacky]

Hi Scott.. How should I go about lining up the new floor pan to be sure to get it back in the right spot,???? Is it as simple as marking the old one against the inner rocker.,??. Is the new full pans the exact same size as the original.???. should I have the front sub-frame already under the car to make sure it's lined up right.????... How do the guys who use a rotissri do it right,????