1st Gen 1-piece floor installation

[Y-TRY]

I'm about to cut out my rusty floor and replace it with a new 1-piece floor.

How much time should I expect to complete this process?

Any tips to what's involved? Nuggets of wisdom from someone who's been there? Condolences?

[cowboybob]

I did mine in my '69 Camaro earlier this year. Although its not what call a particularly "fun" project, it wasn't too hard. The best advice that I can give you is to start by hacking the entire floor out about an inch from the rockers, front floor pan and rear trunk panel flange (I used an air saw, but a gas axe works just as well and is probably quicker and definitely quieter). That way, you can work on the spot welds from inside the car and any "uh ohs" will be covered by the new floor pan.

Also, forget about cutting out the spot welds with a spot weld cutter. After the first 3,000 or so (at least that how many it felt like :rolleyes: ) spot welds that I cut out with spot weld cutter, I went an easier/cleaner route. Use a hand-held grinder with an abrasive disc to grind down the spot welds to the underlying metal. Afterwards, use an air chisel with a flat blade to separate the two pieces of metal. This seems to have worked the best for me because it was too easy to cut into both pieces of metal with the spot weld cutter and then you are left with circular cut marks on the underlying metal. Also, by using the grinder/chisel method, you don't need to drill a pilot hole to keep the spot weld cutter in place.

The really "fun" :rolleyes: part is putting the floor pan back in because you get to lay on your back and weld above your head. Be prepared for a severe case of "forearm pump" from holding your arms up for an entire afternoon. Not to mention the wonderful burns and scars from welding slag that I proudly exhibit to this day. Ask me someday about the huge piece of slag that went down my shirt sleeve...that must have been a hoot to see!

One other piece of advice...I didn't replace my rear frame rails because they were in great shape. However, if I ever do this project again I will install new frame rails since it so much easier than trying to save the old ones. This is primarily because I drilled out the spot weld from the bottom of the car. If you use the grinder/air chisel method from inside the car, you can probably do a lot neater job of it than I did.

All in all, I did the entire job in about two weekends and I didn't get into a hurry with the project. This was my first time doing a floor pan, so I thought that it was pretty good progress. Just be sure that have some nice, heavy gloves and safety glasses and make sure that you are up-to-date on your tetanus shot!

Brian

[Y-TRY]

Cool, perfect info.

What would you venture to say it would take in shop-hours? 12?

[Smittys67]

Take some measurments and make sure you have the car on a level surface. You want to get everything back in and square so some bracing is a good idea.

[cowboybob]

Cool, perfect info.

What would you venture to say it would take in shop-hours? 12?

That may be about right. I said that it took me two weekends, that accounted for time spent socializing with my buddy, eating Snickers, drinking Mt. Dew, chasing down tools, and screwing around with other parts of the car. I guess that if I added up actual working hours it would be closer to 20-25 hours that I actually spent doing the floor pan. I doubt that it would take an experienced shop more than 12 hours, but I suppose it would depend on the shop. Though others that have had a shop do the work would be in a better position to estimate.

Just change your screen name to "Y-not-TRY" and forge ahead! It's not too difficult of a project. :thumbsup:

[Jay Hilliard]

1) measure before you cut
2) measure again
3) take pics for reference
4) Brace with 3/4" square tubing by creating a box inside the car. With the floorpan out it will be pretty flimsy and can get out of square.
5) Be patient and take your time.

[redfire69]

I am half way through this process, don't rush it.

Some good advice here, definitely take your time and brace the car. Cutting out the entire floor pan and carefully grind the spot welds on the inner rocker and frame rails is the way to go.

http://home.infionline.net/~redfire69/images/CamaroNoFloor.jpg

http://home.infionline.net/~redfire69/images/CamaroNoFloor2.jpg

[ItDoRun]

Sorry to hijack, but I need to ask a question.

Redfire,
How do you plan to get the new floor in with all the bracing? The reason I ask is because my car is on a cart similar to yours and I'll be bracing everything similar to how you did. It won't fit from underneath the car because of the cart's legs, and through the windshield won't work b/c of the cross bracing.

Keep us posted. I'll be starting removal of mine in a few weeks.

[redfire69]

Yeah good question! Now that I have the inner WW, inner/outer rocker assembly, and trunk floor welded in, I plan on removing the one brace between the back windows so I can pass the floor thru the windshield area...

It might not be for a few weeks but I'll update my build thread when I do... Ron

http://www.lateral-g.net/forums/showthread.php4?t=15120


Sorry to hijack, but I need to ask a question.

Redfire,
How do you plan to get the new floor in with all the bracing? The reason I ask is because my car is on a cart similar to yours and I'll be bracing everything similar to how you did. It won't fit from underneath the car because of the cart's legs, and through the windshield won't work b/c of the cross bracing.

Keep us posted. I'll be starting removal of mine in a few weeks.

[Greg from Aus]

I am just about to start this same project, is it possible with good bracing to do it on a rotisserie?

Thanks

Greg

[redfire69]

I don't see why not, so long as you brace everything. I've recented updated my build link above.

The floor fits through the windshield area, but I could not get it into place without putting a temporary notch on one side. I cut a slit 8 inches back from one corner (about 5 inches into the floor). This allowed me to bend the floor at the notch so it fit up into the rear window area. Then it cleared the dash and fell into place.

[ItDoRun]

Can you post some pictures of the notch you're talking about? Since I'm installing the DSE tubs, I wonder if I could notch the floor for the tubs before I put it in.

How did the floor fit overall?

[rubadub]

I am just about to start this same project, is it possible with good bracing to do it on a rotisserie?

Thanks

Greg

You can brace it underneath, rocker panel to rocker panel, besides some inside the body bracing, its on my web site under floor pan installation.

Anyway, just thought I should mention it.

Rob

[redfire69]

I'll try to find some pics. The floor fit very well over all. Especially with all the replacement metal that's in my car (see my build link earlier in this thread). I did do alot of measuring along the way to be sure I was close too. replacing the inner rockers along with the outers made for a very clean job. Ron

[redfire69]

Here's the only pic I have. Look towards the upper right near the WW. I temporarily bent this part of the floor up in order to make clearance to get the floor into position (to clear the dash in the front).

build thread: http://www.lateral-g.net/forums/showthread.php4?t=15120

http://home.infionline.net/~redfire69/images/FloorDroppedIn.jpg

[ItDoRun]

So how wide is that cut? You mentioned 5" in one of your other posts. Get a zoomed in picture of it if you can. Thanks for the posts. This will help me when I get ready to put mine in.