Okay guys, I appreciate the input on my previous question about floor pans. I think I will relocate the frame to the car, slide in the replacement pans and jacking points and then weld them in after bolting to the body. (Takes care of alignment!) Next Question(s).... I have only replaced sections of pans prior to this and am wondering about the attachment of the original pans to the tunnel. Am I dealing with spot welds or a continuous weld as came from the factory? I do not have a spot weld drill bit. Is there an alternative to dealing with spot welds? All helpful replies appreciated, Charles
Floor pan replacement, part 2
Oct 24, 2004
2 Replies
They are spot welded along the tunnel. I used a jigsaw to cut out the main part of the pan and then used my air hammer with a flat bit to get under the remaining lip and break the spot welds. Now I just need to grind down the area to make sure it's flat before I install my new pans. You could probably use a good sharp chisel and a hammer if you don't have an air hammer, but it'll take longer.
Jay
The $9.99 air guns from Harbor Freight/Northern Tools (meant for muffler and sheet metal cutting) work great --- ya need a compressor. Use the panel cutter attachment to get majority of pan out then use the flat slightly curved one for the actual spot welsd. A 4" angle grinder is helpfull for smothing the spot welds. Use a good quality auto body caulk to water proof after the welding is doen (3M or AVECO body caulk).
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