|
|
Member
Posts: 28
Location: St. Louis | I have begun restoration on a VERY roached out 58 Belvedere. Although I have saved a couple of rough cars, this will be the worst, and i've never actually installed floor pans or rockers before. Finally got the floor, rockers and trunk panels in from Real Steel and have begun. Have the inner and outer rockers screwed in place to hold while I make sure everything is right before a final weld in. The gap between the door and outer rocker looks ok. Figured I would start the floor at the front drivers piece. Appears a lot of what I would call the floor bracing(?) is pretty much gone. Does anyone make replacements for this? I have thought about using rectangular or square tubing and then welding some channel onto it. What are the remedies for this? It appears that the bolt attaching to the frame was only attached to the bracing. The new floor has a hole for the bolt. This is going out on a limb, but I think someone put an extra bushing under the frame and rebolted it to make up for the actual floor being gone? Unless the factory floor has a lot more depth to it and the new panels are pale in comparison? There seems like there is going to be a large gap between the floor and the rocker which it welds to? Doing this without directions is difficult. If you know of a write up, please let me know.
Edited by StlJimmy 2020-11-12 5:27 PM
 (ResizerImage592X789.jpg)
 (ResizerImage748X561.jpg)
 (ResizerImage624X468.jpg)
 (ResizerImage665X498.jpg)
 (1ResizerImage707X530.jpg)
Attachments
----------------
 ResizerImage592X789.jpg (230KB - 133 downloads)
ResizerImage748X561.jpg (213KB - 132 downloads)
ResizerImage624X468.jpg (200KB - 127 downloads)
ResizerImage665X498.jpg (247KB - 138 downloads)
1ResizerImage707X530.jpg (218KB - 135 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 648
 
Location: Finland | I lift my hat...this is going to be a heroic one.
Imo you should try to find a complete floor with braces and everything from a junkyard. If you "repair" the old one you anyway end up building a completely new floor. |
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 1141
Location: Blackpool, United Kingdom. | Jimmy,
looking at the extent of corrosion on the floor and rockers, if you have never done any fabrication before, you would be better replacing the complete floor and rockers, contact John fowlie (big M) to see if he has any good floor sections. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 2289
Location: Eastern Iowa | I'd be checking the frame first off to see if there is even enough strength/metal left to support the braces and cross members you will surely need to replace.
Good luck! |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 4036
Location: Connecticut | springsweptwing - 2020-11-13 7:42 AM Jimmy, looking at the extent of corrosion on the floor and rockers, if you have never done any fabrication before, you would be better replacing the complete floor and rockers, contact John fowlie (big M) to see if he has any good floor sections. 100% agree with springsweptwing. There is a lot of important structural support underneath the original floor boards. That would all be included with floors cut from an original car. You won't get that on an aftermarket panel. Ron |
|
| |
|
Expert 5K+
Posts: 5006
| yes, remember sedans share the same floor... i got a whole floor pan for 200$ included the rockers. and braces. Not super easy to find but people are still cutting up sedans. youve got a 2door sedan... did you talk to Johm at Big M when he said he has a clean body to replace yours? Man you are looking at TONS of work.. Spend the 2k even 3k to get a clean 2dr sedan body... You don't want this kind of pain... My couple weeks of welding of minor repair turned into a year(off hours after work) and probably 2000$ in supplies and tools(Took body off frame, welding gas, wire, spare metal, 400$ floor pan patches, braces, rockers etc) And my car was way cleaner than yours... When you see a "couple good size holes" and think its "pretty clean" you pretty much have them everywhere on these cars...
Edited by mikes2nd 2020-11-13 10:15 AM
|
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 371
| Wow and I thought I was dealing with Titanic on mine. I broke down and bought a bead a seam roller. But I might consider having that car dipped or at least totally blasted to see what is actually still good. You are undertaking a massive repair and my hat is off to you sir. |
|
| |
|
Expert 5K+
Posts: 9647
Location: So. Cal | To answer your question, yes, there are some cross-braces you are missing, and yes, they are reproduced in Finland. You can purchase them on Ebay. Look at all the parts this seller makes. There is a front, rear and middle brace on these cars. He also sells the bracket & panel for the seat mount here.
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Floor-bracket-Dodge-Plymoth-Chrysler-DeSoto-...
Edited by Powerflite 2020-11-13 11:50 AM
|
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 425
Location: McCleary WA | StlJimmy - 2020-11-12 2:10 PM
I think someone put an extra bushing under the frame and rebolted it to make up for the actual floor being gone? Unless the factory floor has a lot more depth to it and the new panels are pale in comparison? There seems like there is going to be a large gap between the floor and the rocker which it welds to?
The bolt recesses in Real Steel replacement panels are too shallow. I had to use a dimpling die and re-do all of mine. And the width of his panels is inconsistent - some of the 6 panels I got from him were too narrow, others were too wide. He does make some of the underlying support pieces, and the above-the-floor brackets by the B post, but again the fit was way off. I ended up hand fabricating much of the floor for my '57 Dodge wagon. As others have said, I would try to find a usable original donor floor if doing it again. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 4036
Location: Connecticut | Powerflite - 2020-11-13 11:48 AM To answer your question, yes, there are some cross-braces you are missing, and yes, they are reproduced in Finland. You can purchase them on Ebay. Look at all the parts this seller makes. There is a front, rear and middle brace on these cars. He also sells the bracket & panel for the seat mount here. https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Floor-bracket-Dodge-Plymoth-Chrysler-DeSoto-... These look like great reproductions. How much is shipping, though ? However, he says if you spend $500, shipping is free. Ron |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 507
Location: Invermere B.C. Canada - Rocky Mountains | Darryl T - 2020-11-13 12:47 PM [The bolt recesses in Real Steel replacement panels are too shallow. I had to use a dimpling die and re-do all of mine. I was not going to mention this as it was redundant but now I will. These are semi-trailer side wall tie downs with the clevis removed. Heavy and worked well. (still redundant)
Edited by Old Ray 2020-11-13 4:21 PM
 (trailer tie down (845 x 634).jpg)
Attachments
----------------
trailer tie down (845 x 634).jpg (136KB - 134 downloads)
|
|
| |
Subfloor?
