The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Floor Pan Replacement: Glue or Weld? 51 Car.

Gonna tackle for the first time. Lookin for guidance of anyone who has used the glue to do the pans. I really dont want to tack weld.
Also where to buy the pans to do the least trimming and best cost.
Also what cheaper product than POR 15 to coat them.

ehh while the glue is supposed to be good i don;t knwo if i woudl trust it on a floor. That is just my opinion. Panels that the driver seat and all the pasegners are on is different than a panel that doesn't have any real "weight" to it.

If you just want to keep your feet from draggin' on the pavement, why not? Heck, for that matter just screw a piece of galvanized sheetmetal over the hole.

Seriously, you have to ask yourself what you're trying to accomplish. Are you going to keep the car and fix it up or just drive what you have? Figure that out and proceed accordingly.

I used the glue on a trunk panel in our Nova, but like you I didn't trust it , so I went around and put some tack welds on it. But my friend the body man said I really didn't need to! I used POR15 great stuff though costly!

I plan on doing just the floor pans themselves, not the area where the seats mount. What type of glue brand did you use? I have read where body guys swear by using the glue but cant find the brand. What else is cheaper than POR 15 and does the same job well?

3M 2 part panel glue. I used POR 15 even though it was more expensive, in fact on the 53 it coats the inside of my fenders, inner fenders, nd rear fenders. I trust the stuff! There is a dispenser that was needed to apply the glue, I borrowed one from my local body man that is a friend of mine!

Several years ago I bought a 56 Ford that the previous owner had repaired with soft aluminum formed to fit the floor and then pop riveted it in. Actually, it wasn't too bad of a fix. However, I didn't like knowing it was there and seeing the pop rivets from the bottom side of the car. I cut out the old rusted out area with a plasma cutter and plug welded repair panels in and then put a small bead along the edges. With a carpet, it appears to be like new.

I'm not sure how it goes with your State inspection laws,but over here 'glued' panels simply wouldn't pass the test.
I accept floors are less 'structural' when you have a separate chassis,but for me and for peace of mind I would weld them in.JMHO.

Here,bonding agents such as the 3M products are allowed for extraneous panels such as fenders on a monocoque design, but any repair to the main bodyshell must be welded.
The annual test here though does not make any exceptions for separate chassis/body configurations.

I do agree that bonding panels can actually be stronger than a weld nowadays.
In fact I fit bonded windshields for a living,so I know how strong some of these products are.
We just have to work with what the law here dictates.

If you do decide to go down the glue route,preparation and cleanliness is everything...
Your bond is only as good as the material you're joining together.

P.S I'm also a fan of POR-15,sure it's a bit more expensive but it works....

Some of the present day pickups have a bonded roof panel. I believe Dodge does that.

Thanks so much guys. Has anyone had any experiences with the floor pans from EMS? Any other places to buy them or not?

I bought body panels for my 38 Master from EMS and they are really nice. The floor panels for the same car from EMS are flat hotrod style panels. That made me go to Classic 2 Current for my 38 Chev floorpans. I just noticed today that C 2 C carry several versions of the AD floorpans. I think they are different the the ones sold by others. Here is their website:
Classic 2 Current

The quarters have been glued on pickups for a few yrs now, as well as car fenders & quarters. my buddy actually prefers it-no rust issues ever, no distortion.

On newer stuff he's worked on, I've often seen the metal tear before the glue let loose. My next project will get glued on the non-structual stuff. If you can borrow or bargain a dispensing gun it will help, as they are pricey.

I will check into it. Thanks again

Dont have an answer for you on the bonded floor. I have found that hte benefit of bonding a panel is to avoid warping sheetmetal. I have chosen to bond quarters instead of MIGing which really didnt save me a lot of time, but had no warping.
EMS makes excellent panels--the best I have seen next to NOS. I used them when restoring a 49 sport coupe and was very impressed.
You will not find any product that will work as good as POR15. They have invested years, and millions coming up with the formula. It's expensive but well worth it. The other bonus is that it is thin and covers very well. A quart will be enough to do a floor.