The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Floor panel

It wont be too long til im gonna be ready to start dealing with my floors im gonna try to go back with a flat floor board instead of a repo floor board, my question is how do i go about cutting out the old floor board, cutting torch, or cutting wheel, or what? Then im gonna have a friend of mine measure and fabricate a piece of 16 or 18 guage steel to weld in. Whats ya'lls take on it?

I would not cut anything without making a pattern first and I would use a cutting wheel. It's much easier to control the depth of the cut then with a torch in my opinion.

Drew's right. Don't just cut your floor on a whim. Make sure you have a pattern. You prolly already knew that. Leave as much good original material as possible. I used a cutting wheel when I did mine. Much nicer cut then the gorrilla boogers from a torch. Also, since you're making a flat floor and I had to choose between 16 or 18 guage sheet metal, I would most certainly use the 16 guage. In my opinion much easier to work with then the 18, plus it'll be stronger.

Have fun!

get a cutting wheel for a 4 1/2" grinder and you'll be amazed how fast that thing cuts. You almost have to "hold back" on it. Heck, I'll even loan you mind Zach, if you come get it!!

Cutting wheel works good, a sheetmetal nibbler also will do the job.

X-brace the cab in the door openings before you cut out the floor or it won't line up when you put it back together- the floor holds the cab together.

So could i just tack some one inch tubing to the doorways to hold the cab together? Also i've been thinking about the best way to make a pattern, what did ya'll do? Call me an idiot but i was gonna lay in a piece of cardboard and cut it out in the exact shape of the cab. Another thing I've thought about. A Floor patch panel at American Classic Trucks is $440, with seat panel and gas tank straps already in. Am i actually saving money with a flat floor? Or should i buy the patch panel that i know will fit/

Yeah, you want to weld in bracing before you cut the floor out otherwise it can twist out of shape on you. Same thing when you chop a top or cut out any parts that are adding to the structure of the body. 1" square tubing should work.

Here are some photos of a guy working on a Chevy Nomad. Go down till you see the text "Steve cut holes in the floor and welded braces before cutting out the old rocker panels." and check out the pics: http://www.linger.com/nomad/Body.htm

As far as buying versus fabricating, I think that depends on your confidence in your buddy's fabricating skills, and if he has the tools to do the cutting, bending, and beading and flanging to build the part. Just a flat piece of sheet with no bracing or moulding/flanging in it is not going to be very strong.

Personally, I'd have to spring for the replacement floor pan. However, I think using cardboard for a pattern is fine, I've seen people do that before.

By all means brace the cab. I didn't. Big booboo.Thanks to suggestions from a couple of other people here I made out ok, but lost time and was aggravated plenty.I think art board or poster board like we used in school is good pattern paper.Pay attention to how the floor meets the door sills and toeboard. You'll need extra material there.

Ok, i know it seems like im rambling... and i am because this is my first time doing this. Would it be easier for me to take the cab off the chassis, that way i could hook it to a chain fall and flip it which ever way i need it. Also does the cab need to be on the chassis to patch the rear cab corners? Because it not i could just take the cab off, blast it, do the patching, paint it and set it back on.

The reasoning usually is to patch what you can while the cab is on the chassis as it keeps things in line.But, this only works if the cab is sitting correctly now. Mine wasn't as the front body mounts were nearly completely gone. I took my cab off and it has made some of the repair work easier, especially for a first timer like me.