Trunk Floor Replacement (Updated/Complete 1-28-2010)

[TexasStroker]

Hey Everyone...Just signed up a few minutes ago and kind of getting a feel for the board and layout..Liking it so far, but then again how can you go wrong with a Charger forum 

I hate taking up other people's time, but I have skimmed the "trunk floor replacement" and "trunk floor" offerings with the search feature...Not coming up with what I am looking for.  So my first question is if there is a complete and thorough thread detailing trunk floor removal and install on a 69 Charger that someone remembers and has the link too...post the link and I'll go from there.
Similarly, has anyone compiled measurements for all the brackets and mounts in the trunk?  (Yes, I did measure, not that much of a rookie!)  Just curious here...

Obviously I am in the middle of replacing the trunk pan on a 69 Charger.  I am a rookie when it comes to body work and have all sorts of questions to entertain and maybe amuse (rookie body work status).

I guess I'll dive in with a few as opinions or experience may have changed (and I don't often see these brought up):

1.  My pan is pretty much shot, the extensions are good and the upper trunk floor (above the rear axle) is still solid and should look good with a clean-up.  Is it best to cut this at the drop, just before the shock crossmember, or what?  I have the 2 piece replacement btw. 
If so, do you place the new pans in over this section and spot weld it or do you cut the pans and weld them at an overlap?

2.  I have been asking around with virtually no luck on this one:  Do you cut around the bumper mounting bracket (wedge piece spot welded to tail panel that bolts to bracket that bolts to bumper) and trim the new pans around this or do you remove the whole bumper assembly etc?

3.  My pans do not have the 90 degree lip to attatch the back (tail panel end) of the the trunk floor to the valence.  I have been told you fabricate a 1"x1" piece for this.  Does anyone have pics of this or advice on making it work?

Hopefully these aren't redundant questions (if so let me know where they are redundant and I'll gladly soak up that info!). 

Thanks in advance for any input/replies 

[BigBlockSam]

 

[TexasStroker]

I will hopefully be able to post up a few pics tonight if it will be of any use...

[69*F5*SE]

  

[bill440rt]

Hi TexasStroker,
Welcome to the 'site! 

Ahhhhhh... the familiar trunk floor replacement. You could ask the same question to 10 different people & get 10 different answers as to which is the best way.
Well, having said that, here's how I did mine on my '69 Charger. Your trunk floor sounds similar to the shape mine was in.

1) My floor was shot, the driver's side extension was OK, the passenger side extension was shot. The hump above the rear axle was also good on mine. I was able to section the floor in right where the hump goes up, well before the crossmember.
Now, there are two ways of welding it in. You can overlap it as you suggested, that's what I did. It all depends what kind of car you're building & how far you want to take it. If a visible seam under the car is a concern, then you might want to consider butt welding it (the new floor will meet up right next to the old floor, edge to edge). If a seam is not a concern, than overlapping it is fine. I left about an extra 1/2" of the old floor in place, & used a flange tool to create a "step" where the two pieces met. After doing bodywork inside the trunk, the seam was invisible. I smoothed out some seam sealer underneath, you can't see it unless you're flat on your back on a creeper with a drop-light. Done.

2) Remove the bumper from the car. In fact, remove as much as you can from the back of the car, there will be less in the way & less risk of damaging surrounding parts.
For the welded in wedge brackets, I took a cut-off wheel & cut the factory mig welds that hold them to the floor. I then bent them upward out of the way, to get the old trunk floor out & re-install the new trunk floor down at an angle. Once the new trunk floor was welded in, I then bent the wedge brackets back down & re-welded them. That way, they always stayed in the same place. It this does not work for you, then measure their location beforehand & remove them completely.

3) Again, if the way it looks from underneath is not a concern, there is a way around this. The 90 degree lip on my original trunk floor was surprisingly good. So, I cut the old trunk floor out leaving about 1/2" of it intact right at this bent. I simply laid the new trunk floor on top of the lip with the back edge of the new trunk floor butted up against the back of the lip. You can then spot weld or mig weld it in place. A thick bead of seam sealer like the factory did will hide the seam, & you can dress the edge up underneath the car as you wish.
If your original trunk floor lip is shot, then I guess you have no choice but to fab up a new one out of a piece of sheetmetal.

These methods may not work for you if you are building a concours show poodle. However, even for "most" of the show cars out there, this method should be fine. To add fuel to the fire, I partially welded & bonded my trunk floor in, with 3M bonding adhesive. Strong stuff.
Good Luck! 

PS - If you PM me your email address, I can send you some photos. I know I posted them on here, but it was a while ago.

[TexasStroker]

Thank you for the reply bill440rt! 

I saw you mention that you sectioned yours in the AMD pan thread (I've had my year one pans for about 4 years now...I would kill to have one that has the correct rear mount).

I'm afraid my lip may not be salvageable...The rust was pretty bad right around the latch area...

I will get pics up later tonight...Should give everyone a better understanding of what I'm trying to convey (although you seem to know 100%!).

Awesome on the weld in wedge brackets...I just posted in a ttt thread on another site the idea of cutting the factory tack welds and leaving it spot welded to the tail panel!!!  Good to know you've done that very thing!

As for the show poodle...not me...I drive my cars 
I can't do concours anyway, no clue where the numbers matching engine would be...plus I'm partial to the 440 
I will move on to pulling the rear bumper...FWIW my tail panel, valence, and quarters are all good and will be staying on the car...

Believe it or not I had a very well respected resto guy suggest I use the 3M Adhesive for the trunk floor...I'd have given it a shot if I would not have already bought a welder.

Thanks for the welcome to the site and useful information, PM will be sent!

[69*F5*SE]

Here, search through the pages of this web page and see if it has any info you could use.

http://www.69hemi.com/restoration.html

[TexasStroker]

Here, search through the pages of this web page and see if it has any info you could use.

http://www.69hemi.com/restoration.html

Thanks for the link...I've hit that site for reference a few times.  I think bill440rt basically knows right where I am at in this predicament.
I'd have pics up by now but I am still at work...Hopefully before midnight, lol!

[TexasStroker]

Right, so "later tonight" turned into 130AM...Nonetheless, here are some pics:

Jump over rear axle...Pretty solid above where you see the "peppering"


Two shots of the LH side bumper mount wedge:



Latch frame to trunk floor, err used to be anyway:


RH Side bumper mount wedge:

[bill440rt]

Uhh...       ...can't see the pics, dude. 

[TexasStroker]

geez...I had them posted, know they worked...

I'm guessing they aren't showing up since I made the mistake of being organized and moved them to a "trunk floor folder."  Just my luck 

I'll host them from their new folder with unbroken links asap!

[TexasStroker]

Links fixed...too bad the trunk floor isn't that easy 

[suntech]

That trunk looks pretty much junk!!
What i would have done, if the quarters and extentions are good, ie to take the entire floor out, together with the braces and trunk lock support. Also remove the tail light panel
Then call Auto Metal Direct, and get a one piece trunk floor, braces, lock support and tail light panel. With the tail light panel out, you should be able to slide the one piece trunkfloor in, from the back. Like this you can make it look as it should be, with no extra seems and welds.

[bill440rt]

T.S.,
Your trunk floor looks very similar to the way mine did. You'll definitely need a new lock support, but the back lip looks salvageable to me. You may have to put in a little patch under that support, but for the most part it looks OK. If you can have the area sandblasted, that would also be good.

Your tail panel looks alright too, from what I can see. Don't remove it if you don't have to. My way of thinking is, do not cut up the car if you don't have to.

I'll be sending you photos shortly.

[TexasStroker]

Thanks for the input and feel free to keep it coming.  Man, I can only wonder what the lock support is SUPPOSED to look like...Might have to ask for pics or track down one of the guys around here with 68-70s.

My problem with pulling everything out and putting it all back in is the car is sold except for the trunk.  Good paint, driver, etc...

I'll look forward to the pics Bill.  I've got to run and kick some grass, but am going to try and get a good work load in this weekend!

Like I said, keep your suggestions, ideas, and past experiences coming...It'll only help me and anyone else in this boat.

Thanks!

[suntech]

I can only wonder what the lock support is SUPPOSED to look like

Download the catalog from Auto Metal Direct website (pdf file), you will see a picture of the trunk lock support at page 10.

[69*F5*SE]

Here's a link to the lock support.

http://www.autometaldirect.com/images/uploads/3424_web.jpg

[TexasStroker]

Thanks for the links...I found it at Stephens....Diddn't realize downloading the AMD catalog would give me part by part breakdowns like that...I'll try it out tonight.

I did notice on their site that part # 47 on this page: http://www.autometaldirect.com/content.php?page=117

doesn't seem to come up in the schematic.  Is it the piece that bolts to the frame rails with a u-hump and square hole in it?  It may show in the dl catalog...if so I apologize.

Have ya'll found AMD prices/quality to be the best for items like the trunk lock support or are they all about the same?

Also what would the best way to remove the trunk lock support from the car?  Should I use spotweld cutters or try and get a cutoff wheel up under the spotwelded brackets or what?

Does anyone have a direct shot at a newly installed trunk lock?

On mine that area had rust so bad the bottom flange had thinned and the integrity was gone along the lower support seeing how the bottom flange seperated from the suppor to the floor 

Thanks again for all the replies!

[69*F5*SE]

Spotweld cutter could do it probably.  Use what you got that won't cause more work or damage.

[TexasStroker]

Spotweld cutter could do it probably.  Use what you got that won't cause more work or damage.

I'll probably save a spot weld cutter to keep it as sharp as possible for that...

Made a little progress today, sort of lost a few hrs to interruptions, but should get in a long day tomorrow...Actually think I'll put in a little more time tonight 

[TexasStroker]

Got the rear bumper off and a little more of the floor out...Also dressed the frame rails up a little bit up top.

I've come up with a few more questions though (bet no one saw that one coming!).

First off, will heating the seam sealer up help it come up easier?  The driver side wasn't too bad, but the passenger side is a beast...they laid it on thick!  I think I've heard of it being done, but I've also read a thread recently where someone cautioned against it due to the fumes.  What is the consensus here, doesn't seem like heating it up quickly would be too big of a deal with ventillation??

Second, do ya'll reccommend using a cut off wheel in between the trunk floor pans and trunk extensions to seperate the peices or should it be cut close and THEN drill out the spot welds?

Last one for the night...As far as the bumper brackets go (the actual pieces that bolt to the bumper and then into the supports tacked to the tail panel and floor) is it easy to get them lined back up?  They are a little rusty and it eats away at me to take something apart and not put it back in the best shape I can...

Thanks in advance for any feedback!

[69*F5*SE]

Just mildy warm up a small area of seam sealer with a propane torch and see if it'll come up easier for you.  If it does then away you go.  Drill out your spot welds to separate the floor from the extentions. If you have a good spotweld cutter then have at it.  After tearing your trunk floor out you'll have a better understanding of what it takes to work with the rest of the metal on your project. Hope this helps.

[TexasStroker]

Just mildy warm up a small area of seam sealer with a propane torch and see if it'll come up easier for you.  If it does then away you go.  Drill out your spot welds to separate the floor from the extentions. If you have a good spotweld cutter then have at it.  After tearing your trunk floor out you'll have a better understanding of what it takes to work with the rest of the metal on your project. Hope this helps.

Thanks!
I picked up a respirator (the dust masks weren't cutting it for me) and I'll try getting the seam sealer loose with some heat...
I'm going to cut a little closer to the extension-pan joint and see if I can then find the spot welds and drill them out...then finish it off with a straight cut.

[TexasStroker]

Sorry to keep this hanging so long but I just haven't had the free time to really make significant progress

I did heat up the RH side seam sealer...at first I just thought it was going to be a lost cause but it finally came up a bit...Not like butter but it is atleast up...

Also got some detail work done on the inner frame rails...I'm hoping I can get a solid 2 days in on the weekend...

Landmark update...I know 

[TexasStroker]

Did have one question come up tonight...The small holes in the bumper support mounts (wedges) are they a factory item or something someone did along the way??  You can see them in both of the previously posted pics.  Anyone know? 

[Hemidog]

Did have one question come up tonight...The small holes in the bumper support mounts (wedges) are they a factory item or something someone did along the way??  You can see them in both of the previously posted pics.  Anyone know? 

those holes are original

[TexasStroker]

Cool!  You don't happen to know the logic behind them do you?

[Hemidog]

no really  access hole for paint/primer, draining... I do not question mother mopar!

[Hemidog]

pic of my trunk after replacing it.

[TexasStroker]

nice trunk shot!

I was just curious on the holes, you can never know too much about your Mopar
I'm just glad it isn't the relic of an early 80s air shock install 

Did you replace your trunk lock support/tower or was it still solid?

[Hemidog]

solid enough to be saved.

[UFO]

TexasStroker, If you want to hide the seam over the axle hump make your splice over the shock brace.Just make sure your replacement panels go that far BEFORE cutting.

[TexasStroker]

Glad you got lucky and were able to salvage your trunk lock support...
Guess 68 guys luck out with having better access with the tail lights in as opposed to 69-70s...Although you do have the tail light mounting bracket coming up to deal with, guess it is about an even trade...

I will definitely consider making the splice there...

I am still debating that part actually (you can do that when you don't get much time in working on the car...just knit-pick everything you plan to do to death)...
The last few nights I've been contemplating setting the new pan in over the old pan (maybe where the jump becomes parallel to the ground).

When I got the car it had a fuel cell, and I'm probably going to keep it that way...I was wanting to go the route that would provide the best rigidity for the trunk floor (and yes I'm going to essentially build a sq tube framework for the fuel cell).

Not sure how that will go over with everyone...haven't been on the board long enough to know if members are diehard factory spec or willing to live with modifications (although from the number of stroker engine builds I've skimmed it can't be TOO bad  )

Nothing is really set in stone till I actually get the time to make it happen, so good advice or me dwelling on it without getting to work on the car might sway things.

[TexasStroker]

I got in some time on Sunday (Sat was a cruise night  ).

Cut a little more out and spent alot of time sanding in the frame rails, and other hard to reach places...

I've got to ask though, does anyone have shots of their trunk area looking at the package tray, upper wheel well housings, and the likes?  I'm also curious as to the brace and box area...I thought mine looked pretty rough, but cleaned it up very nicely!  It has rusted thru just to the LH side of the brace...
I have heard horror stories from guys that just needed a center section or other simple repair to their floor and when they were cleaning up for paint started messing with this and really regret it...My question is, should I just coat it and leave it, or should I put some sort of a patch on the box?

Would it be best to put the patch inside the box and or on the outside?  Or should it just be left as is?

[TexasStroker]

Trimmed quite a bit more...Got a few questions...

First, can I go from inside the wheel well and drill out the spot welds to get rid of the flange from the factory pan?  It seems like I'd have more access and better sight of the spot welds this route, plus I wanted to clean up the undercoat and paint the wheelwell anyway.

Also, when installing the new floor as opposed to spot welding the flanges of the trunk floor to the extension can it just be tacked along the seam instead?

I swear my RH side is done that way...hence why I had so much trouble with getting the "seam selaer" off...It was just a trashy tack job that was laced with sealer...LH side was no trouble at all....It also explains why I couldn't see the spot welds on the flanges there...Idk if this is something someone did back in the day to cover a gap or what...Anyone heard of the factory doing it mix n match this way?

I'm thinking with a solid two day weekend I should be able to get everything trimmed out to my liking, coat the frame rails, and have the new pan trimmed and drilled out for spot welds...Now if I can just get the two day weekend 

Thanks in advance for any help!

[TexasStroker]

FINALLY, got some time back in on the floor...I've got about 95% of the old floor trimmed out (just waiting on the wheel well area, should be quick, and the bumper supports).

Due to the poor conditon of my floor brace and the floor around it (previous owner had laid down some nasty, water retaining shag carpet under the fuel cell) I didn't get to examine it well...Should the brace overlap this far or is it to be flush with the inner frame rail?  Not a big deal, just want to do it right...

[NMike]

i'd make it flush, the extra bit does nothing for strength, plus it is more hard to reach surface area for rust to start on.

[UFO]

here's an original one.

[TexasStroker]

Thanks for the insight...I will definitely trim a hair off both ends (well actually a little more, lol).

UFO, do you have a picture of your splice (I'm assuming it was above the shock tower).  I am now debating whether to make mine there or go all the way.  I've got time though, started in earlier tonight on the wheel well undercoating...hoping to knock that out during the weekdays after work.

[UFO]

No, I don't have a pic.
If your replacement pce goes all the way to the factory joints then I would do that.

[TexasStroker]

yeah, I'll get the bumper mounts/latch out of the way and see how far up the tf goes...Hopefully it'll be complete, if not I'll splice.

[TexasStroker]

Necropost?  I think not.  This will finally wrap the thread up 

Last left off 7-21-2008!?  Obviously wrapped things up since then.  Going little by little with what free time I had it slowly came together.  We had 3/4" of ice last night/today followed by 7" of snow, with 3" more to come...so I have time to post all this 

Milestones:

7-19-2009:  Trunk floor fully welded!  Shortly after coated.
8-9-2009:    Seam Sealer, Tail Panel Refresh, Primed Oil Pump, Plumbed 90% of the Fuel System
8-16-2009   Trunk Mat, Fresh Paint for Rear Bumper, New Charger Script Installed
8-19-2009   Restored & Installed Taillights
8-26-2009   Off Jackstands, On 4 Wheels
8-27-2009   Back on the Streets 
9-7-2009    Restored Tail light cover
Since         Rebuilt Carb, Replaced Electric Fuel Pump, Reworked Vavle Body, Drove thru Paint (present)

None of that really matters aside from the trunk floor related stuff.  Finally got it done and then you realize everything else in now an issue. 

That said here come the pics...Keep in mind, first major body work I've tackled.  And of course, thanks to everyone on here who offered advice and pointers for getting the job done 

Kind of where this left off...

Test fitting Pans...What a weird sight after all that time:


Prepped Frame Rail Surfaces w/ WTP:


Coated Inner Frame Rails:


LH pan plug welded:


LH pan plug welded and ground down:


LH, RH In:


Coated Floor:

[TexasStroker]

Seam Sealer...Nice and sloppy just like the factory     Went ahead and put some down the center seam for two reasons: 1) I don't want rust and 2) 90% of the seam is concealed by the fuel cell.

Overall:


Tail Panel/Truck Lock Support Tower:


LH Side:


RH Side:


Painted Seam Sealer:

[TexasStroker]

Bonus Tail Light Panel Stuff:

One final shot of the "as it sat" tail panel:


Prep on the tail panel:


Paint on the tail panel:

[TexasStroker]

Trunk Floor Mat (I'm a blend of resto and custom, what can I say...Purists can take some solstice in that):


Then went ahead and glued down the weatherstrip:


You can see the installed weatherstrip and trunk floor mat together and clamp free here:


Also prepped the rear bumper for some new paint:


Here it is installed on the car:


FINALLY time for the new tail panel "Charger" script:



Cleaned up the SS trim and installed it...Also cleaned up the back up light lenses and screwed them back in place:

[TexasStroker]

Bonus Wheel Well Stuff:

LH Blacked Out:



RH Blacked Out:


The LH side is shown in all its glory prior to getting basted with white oil based paint on New Years Day 2010    Such a short return to glory.

Tail Light Cover:

I opted to spruce my original up a bit:

Before, note the overspray:




Half-n-Half:


Complete:

[TexasStroker]

Fuel Cell:  Know there are better pics, just not sure where...


Tail Lights Installed:


Similarly I know there is a good shot of the entire finished product (shows the cell, mat, and tail light cover installed, it is archived somewhere).

I think that pretty much re-caps everything.  It took quite awhile and was a learning experience, but I think it turned out pretty good and I am happy with the results.  I have had no issues with anything related to any of the refurbishing so that is a plus.  Basically the trunk floor turned out to not just be a trunk floor replacement, but essentially a reason to re-do the entire trunk compartment, replace the floor, re-do the wheel wells, upgrade the fuel cell and fuel system, restore the tail lights, tail light cover, and tail panel, and a few more things I'm sure I have forgotten about.

Once I get the rear-end out of the car I will go ahead and clean it and the springs up and treat them to some new paint etc.

I know this isn't 100% stock and is far short of a concourse resto, but it is the way I wanted it done.  I'm sure the coating and fuel cell will tick people off, but hey, someone has to do it.  Thanks again to everyone who took the time to offer advice, leads, or send pics thru PMs and e-mails...that may not seem like much help but it really was and I appreciate it!  If anything can be said, the trunk floor is solid, the fuel cell and lines are clean, and things are definitely better off than they were when all of this started!  The pics don't show near all of the work or time spent between phases, but that would be too detailed and not many folks would care.  This covers most of the highlights.

If anyone is debating about tackling a trunk floor themselves I say go for it.  It really comes down to time.  Anyone willing to take the time and learn a little is capable of pulling it off.  Granted you will probably mess stuff up and spend time re-doing things, but that is part of the process.  In the end you'll have the satisfaction of knowing you did it yourself and that everything was done to your standards.  You can't put a price on that!

[tan top]

nice work 

[RCKSTR]

I know that car! It was featured in Mopar Muscles June 09 Young Guns. Nice to see your not standing in the trunk anymore, Nice work! 

[TexasStroker]

I know that car! It was featured in Mopar Muscles June 09 Young Guns. Nice to see your not standing in the trunk anymore, Nice work! 

Thanks for the compliments!  And yeah, that was me in the June 2k9 issue    I kind of kept it on the downlow.  Guess it is my 5 mins of fame or something.  Odd thing is when I had it out at a few shows/crusies this fall we would have out-of-towners come up and tell me they saw a car like that with some kid standing in the trunk in Mopar Muscle    I had two shots standing in the trunk floor, one in the AAM shirt and another in a cap and gown for graduation    After that I have one of me sitting the trunk floor welding, and finally the money shot standing beside the completed project!  Like the article said, once I wrap it up the plan is to get on the stroker