Dabba's First Floor Resto... (Ugh, trying again, Need input! 10/21/12....)

[magik235]

The cardboard template is an excellent idea. I have used cardboard and plywood for templates in the past. Cutting the cardboard and attaching the pieces together with duct tape works if you can not get the cardboard to bend correctly.

 

[Dabba]

Weird fit.

Okay so, made a rough cardboard template of the hole, and did two quick cuts to get the peice more down to size and so i can toss it in the truck. Well, i did the quick cuts and tried to line up the left side with the wall/door and ran into a few problems. First, that L hit the floor support, okay, quick cut on that. Oh wait.. it doesnt line up, what the?

Hmm, lifting it up to show you the L bends and the problems they are causing.

So, now i figure, wait a second.. Let me line up the cardboard cutout i made to the floor in the truck, then throw it over the new patch and see how **** lines up...

Oh, well look at that. I cut the floor to the edge of the rocker and inside wall.. so what's this extra ****?

I did end up cutting this last time, i think i may have just cut too much. Im temped to just not even use cutting blades and grind a little at a time. I'll be done in about a year. But seriously, now I'm afriad to cut haha.

 

[max 02]

Isn`t that the channel that the wiring for the speakers and dome light go in, don`t cut it off.

Also use thiner cardboard like from a beer box not a flat, cuts real good with a sizer and easier to trace around.

 

[Dabba]

No dome light or speakers, i can't see how it was ever suppose to fit? Because the rocker is there. Its a pickup, not a k5, and when i cut it up, the only wire there was was to the seatbelt tone, and that sucker was just sorta lose.

 

[ryoken]

it's there so you have a lip for the weatherstripping to sit on... it's the dreaded GM trough that more than likely started the rust... you may need to trim it up to that first bend...

something like this...

see how you have a lip at the front for the weatherstripping, and then the big missing section? the lip is supposed to go all the way... with the trough being on the other side....

if it where me.. I would trim the hanging down section, up to about an inch from the 90 degree bend, then actually bend that remaining part upward instead of down, so it'll form that lip for ya.. otherwise, you'll need to put a long strip patch in for the lip... doable, it would just be a stepsaver...

 

[ryoken]

here...

these 2 lines should be pretty much lined up when done... in the same spot...

make sense?

 

[Dabba]

Okay looking at old photos, i see my rusty old trough.. But what about the way it bends away as you move up? In the second photo, it bends away from the wall, why doesnt it go straight? >.<

 

[ryoken]

circle the area your talking about in paint...

 

[ryoken]

nevermind.. i see where your talking about... hang on...

 

[Dabba]

Sorry about that, I'm trying to doa a few things at once.

 

[ryoken]

yeah, that's looks f*cked... here's what ya do... see how that section has it's own down flange? past the bend, and the flanges are split there?

take a measurement in the truck from that wall over to that first trough up on the angled section... the take the patch and bend the flange up flat... you can start with pliers, then smack it flat with a hammer and a vise/dolley/2x4/whatever behind it as an anvil/dolley..

than transfer that measurement you took before to the patch.. that'll be your new bend.. either cut it there, just a bit big, and fine fit with a grinder, and stitch weld the patch to the wall.. OR..... with that new line made, REBEND the flange down in a vise or something, drill holes in the flange and plug weld it to wall, below the floor.. you can also do a combo of the plugs and some stitch welding up top to be safe... you will need to seamseal that area top and bottom too when done..

 

[ryoken]

actually relooking at the pic.. i see you left just a tad bit of floor there... i would just do the first way i mentioned, hammer flat, recut and stitch weld it in the corner...

 

[Dabba]

Yeah, i see what you mean. I think ill do that and hammer it flat before welding. Now, I'm not sure how much to trim by the rocker, i guess ill see once i solve the first problem. I see the trough now in my old pictures of the rusty floor, im kinda hesitant to shave anything yet

 

[ryoken]

good.. measure 9 times, cut 3 times....

 

[Dabba]

Ha, yeah. Ill report back after i deal with this first issue..

 

[496truck]

Keep in mind you can refer to your pass side for what it's supposed to look like.

 

[Dabba]

Well, getting that plastic peice up wasnt easy. I would prefer to to screw with it. On the D side i had to cut the screws out, as them and the floor had become one. >.<

 

[Jester1]

Any thing new to report. Hows it coming?

Don't let that silly little piece of flat metal shake ya. Teach it whose boss and get it burned in. You will lose interest if you wait till spring. Snow be dammed.

 

[Dabba]

Was actually going to work on it a bit more today, or tommorow. Depending on how i feel and the weather. Been busy with school and work, and yeah, kinda don't wanna screw up again but well see.

 

[Dabba]

Okay..

Went outside and made a few quick cuts, mostly to the : bend to get rid of it.. so i can get it nice and flush to the wall and stop its interference with the floor support. It looks pretty nice now, more so with future grinding, but it's not lined up. What confuses me is I thought I'm suppose to have the "trough", though it looks like I'm suppose to cut it out!. Input is needed before i cut, because this is where i started to mess up last time.

My nice bending of the L bend flat..

Hmm, didnt notice it was a messed up pic, you still can see it though.

And heres the floor with the new panel in place. My finger is in the indentation on the original floor, you can see the indentation on the new panel to the right of that... The orange line is what im thinking about cutting...

And No.2 of the lower side..

So, looking from the last pic, it looks like thats how it supposed to fit with the trough.. but looking at everything else.. I'm suppose to cut that out..