Im going to be seperating the body and pan this weekend, my floors seem to be in pretty decent shape minus some minor rust holes, not very large. These are still the original floor pans. Should I replace them completely or should I just patch these up? What is the quality of the aftermarket floor pans for a 1973 Super compared to the originals?
Thanks Alex
If you can't poke a hole through the rusty spots (or at least anywhere other than where the battery was), then patch, prime, paint and be happy. POR rules (imho) for pans.
I would say it depends on the time it would take to patch the orginal floors and how bad they are. it could take you 10 plus hours to replace with aftermarket( including replaceing the junk seat track with the originals). If you think you can fix the originals and have them come out nice in even twice that time. Original is always better.
Mario vintage werks resto
Cut out the offending rust areas, paint the edges, and pop rivet in a new piece of metal. Use some seam sealer or cut up an innertube to make a seal for between the new piece and the old pan. Take the whole pan down to metal and repaint it also, if you'd like. If it doesnt have any real serious holes, you don't need new pans. If its only a section, you can get sections as well. Way too much work for not enough return. Make sure to get your patch on there nice. If you have access to welding equipment or have a friend that welds, you can do that as a more permanent solution. Send us pictures, they help! Best of luck!
-Kevin
Alex wrote: > Im going to be seperating the body and pan this weekend, my floors seem to > be in pretty decent shape minus some minor rust holes, not very large. These > are still the original floor pans. Should I replace them completely or > should I just patch these up? What is the quality of the aftermarket floor > pans for a 1973 Super compared to the originals? >
Pop rivet? Man, those things aren't really good. Weld it up!
(Even rivets scare me. Some of you might know what it is like to be in a stressed out old military aircraft where the expression "raining rivets" was not uncommon.)
Better than leaving it the way it is. If its only a hole an inch or three in diameter, five or six pop rivets oughtta work fine. Remember, it IS a Volkswagen...not a Porsche...
-Kevin
johnboy wrote:
...Meaning...???!!!
Uh oh. I feel the need to go out to the garage and give my Beetle a hug...ºsnifº...poor baby...you're JUST a Volkswagen...ºsighº...don't worry...it'll be okay... : )
--
'64 sunroof Beetle '55 semaphore Beetle
hug...ºsnifº...poor baby...you're JUST a
bug 59 doesn't know his car's pedigree....
Ha, Only a VW! -- then get some roof tar in a caulking tube and some asphault roof shingles and tar them over the holes!
I'm not talking about doing a job that shoddy, its just that it is very likely he doesnt need new pan halves. Pop rivets for a job like this where looks are not that important are not that bad a thing. It is not perfect, but it is better than a coin sized hole in the floor, no? Pop rivets are not the best solution, but how are they that bad, especially in this situation? When I say only a VW, I mean it just as I say it. Realize what it is. I love these cars a lot, but that doesnt mean I'm going to learn to weld over a quarter sized rust hole in the pan. Pop rivets hold tight as long as they are the right size/material (steel, not aluminum) for the application. They are not to be used for bodywork. Whats wrong with using them on a coin sized rust hole in the pan? Many people wouldnt do anything at all, and a pop riveted solution is usually better than a hole.
-Kevin
Volkswagen drivers tend to have less money (than porsche drivers) so I guess you are right, I'm not talking about the car but more the typical driver of the given car. About my pop rivet idea; I'm not going to try to say its perfect, but it's better than the hole that problably would end up staying there, no? I personally don't have access to welding equipment. This is my solution till I pull the body from the pan on my ghia and get new rear pan quarters and do it right. Granted, it is a holdover job, but its better than nothing.
-Kevin
Could you post a picture? That would help a lot.
Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry RAMVA. That was a bad thing to imply... I love these cars.
-Kevin
Untrue. VW drivers just are more handy and like to do stuff themselves.
DIY |= poor.
and my apologies to Bug 59....for my comment...did not take time to read which person said what.....so...Kevin...LOL....you don't know your car's pedigree...or something...just kidding...have a good one...
i agree with tim.....done correctly a "patch" is a patch, and will last...
i sure hope he isn't rotting in hell, and Muir earned his place in vw history...he did not, however, write a repair manual.... he even called it a guide...
"Joey Tribiani" schreef in bericht news:lxFle.61637$sy6.43870@lakeread04...
O, Ok so now i can delete my" *wanted to sent* reply... heheheh.
And no i'm not saying porsche owners have more/less money than a VW guy. I know a porsche is more expensive than a VW, I mean (my guess is, so does Kevin) it IS a 'peoples car'. But i do like my beloved car and cherisch it the way i can. And i'm proud of being the owner ánd mechanic of my Bug '59.
But that's another story...;-)
Roger
nah, not at all....send it so we can laugh....this group has become very serious lately....i don't even mind laughing at *me* with you guys...
"the peoples" car was great...when that is what it was....however fast forward several decades and it is a collectible antique . Our cars are not old porsche's, no(well they are a porsche in a sense, but not really...LOL), but they are becoming more rare....as the porsches were/are..... it really is not the way it used to be....you don't find the vw's in yards for 50-100 bucks anymore(not on the eastcoast at least)...in my area(blue ridge mountains of Virginia) i stop and look at nearly all vw's i see for sale....you would be surprised at what 4 grand gets you these days...it gets you alot....*alot* of rust and dents....in the past few years the prices on the bus's have risen well.... the sedans are just skyrocketing in price too..... i used to turn a profit on vw's in a weekend...buy it, put pans in it, swap out the engine if need be, and paint it...could tripple/quadruple my money in a weekend....not anymore....
Okay thanks for the advice, yeah most of the holes are coined sized going to get them welded up. Then the entire tunnel and floors will be sandblasted and primed. What do you guys think of then getting the whole tunnel/floor sprayed with that durable truck bedliner material? What have you tried that works?
Im not a big fan of the POR.
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