I've just started on a complete restoration of my 51 Chevrolet Canopy Express, only about 3 years after I bought it. I found it in Colorado, where we lived at the time and about two years later we moved to California, trailering the old truck behind the Penske truck.
It's pretty complete, but it was used for 25 years in Colorado Springs as a window cleaning company's truck. The inside quarters are pretty rusted, but the outside is pretty good.
Before I left Denver, I found a panel truck and was able to cut the quarters, both inside and outside, off of it. I plan on replacing the rusted interior panels and I've started to disassemble the truck, but I'm worried about how I'm going to replace the plywood floor.
I can't see how the floor was put in unless the flanges on the sides along the quarters were welded in after it was put in place. It is one piece and fits around the wheel wells. What I have is pretty rotten, but I can at least use it for a pattern.
What I've come up with is that I think I'll have to cut the spot welds on one side's flanges, slide it under the other side and then reweld the flanges back on. I sure would appreciate any ideas that anyone may have that might keep me going in the right direction.
Please understand that I'm restoring the truck and not hot rodding it. When I'm done, I want it to look just like it was delivered to the original owner. I don't intend to use it for much driving, guess I have a trailer queen in mind.
