It has come down to this... As all of you know, rust is enemy number 1.

I cut off the ruated floor pan some time ago, and now i'm making my own floor pans... It would be easier to buy new ones, but i think about the price i paid for the car, and the price of the new pans.... You get the idea....

I found good sheet metal and have a welder... Have done some small welding before... I feel prepared to do the pans.... But i need advice abput something...

The floor has a curved section under the door.... I tried to form the whole pan as a one piece... But i think it will be easier to weld the flat portion and then add the curved portion that goes under the door....

I was wondering if this will compromised the integrity/stiffness of the car at all...

I have 18 guage and am thinking about plug welding it... May be add some steel bar/angle under the floorpan to make it stronger and ensuRe that i won't pull a flingstone...


Any ideas?

 

my brother purchaed a schrinker and a stretcher from Harbor frieght tools,
which did a very good job put a nice curl on the edges of our floor pan for a 76 cutlass. Once that was done curving a piece to match the edge was no problem with a few cuts and bend here and there. A torch is really handy as well to soften the steel. Technically, once welded steel should be one piece again if your welds are good.