What to do for cheap

[Sweet Savage 3]

I have just picked up a 76 k-5 that i traded for some 37's. Now it is just a offroad toy and occassional on road. The floor in it is bad in spots and needs to be replaced. I know you can buy replacement panels for it but i don't have a welder to put them in with. Is there any other way to make the floors a bit more sturdy?

 

[diesel4me]

Sure is...

I patched a good many floors with sheet metal pirated from things like refigerators,heating ducts,filing cabinets,and 55 gallon drums,etc..I had no welder or torches when I first got my licence,so I used pop-rivets,nuts and bolts,self drilling sheet metal screws,etc..--then I broke down and bought a small set of mapp gas/oxogen torches so I could braze things together..

I've never owned a MIG welder,but have gotten pretty good with my ARC welder..its tricky to use on thin metal,but with the right rods and some practice,I can "spot weld" sheet metal patches on with it..

I'd say other than welds,nuts and bolts with fender washers add the most strength,and using ribs in the metal to stiffen it will add considerable stuctural strength(I've used those green garden fence posts to beef up "wavy"thin metal floors too)..pop rivets hold pretty darn good too..

 

[Sweet Savage 3]

Well i can try that. I just need something that is cheap and will work for what i am going to do with this vehicle.

 

[Chrisblazzer89]

What r u going to do with it?

 

[Sweet Savage 3]

It is mostly going to be an offroad vehicle with the occassional street driving. I just need to find something that is cheap to fix the floor in it. Would like to get replacement panels but don't have a welder to put them in with. So was trying to see if anybody had any other ideas of what i could do.