trunk floor removal help

[Brightyellow69rtse]

im going to remove the trunk floor this weekend hopefully.i know its spot welded,but for the life of im im staring at the floorpan and i cant see any evidence of spotwelds. dont know where to drill because of this. any help would be great as i hope to get the car going this year after a 2 year hiatus   

its a rolling shell right now so i can get at it from every angle. all the body panels are on but everything else if pretty much off.

[randr]

You replacing whole floor pan? Or a semi full pan you piece in? Take a grinder and hit lightly up and down floor pan where frame rails are under you should then see spot welds show up. There is about 1 every 1 1/2 or so. Also don't forget a new brace if it's rusted. Had to add nice pic! 

[Brightyellow69rtse]

ok ill try that. im probly gonna buy the 2 piece kit. im pretty sure the brace is ok. there is almost no rust on this car anywhere. the trunk is the only bad thing. everything is original and looks great.

[TexasStroker]

Yep, just clean things up a little and look for the depressions that match up with the frame rails.

I wouldn't skimp on the spotweld cutter either...go ahead and pick up a Blair...4-5 in and you'll be glad you did.

This is something that will take awhile as it is your first time, but once you FINALLY get it done you'll prob be able to get it done in fractions of the time...assuming you ever have to do it again.  Be sure to pick up some new weatherstripping and check the window channels and trunk gutters etc for any traces of leaks.  Good luck!

[Brightyellow69rtse]

is the spot weld cutter something i can get locally? if i cant find it and have to use drill bits what sizes do you reccomend?

[chargerhunter]

You can buy the blair any any bodyshop supply, use cutting oil or WD-40, motor oil--something for a lubricant when using the spot weld cutter. I found it was easier to drill a small hole in the center of the weld for a guide. A punch will also work. Take your time.

I have also seen guys get them out with a air chisel. I have never done it but it should just about jump out with an air chisel on it.

[Brightyellow69rtse]

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPM1085931601P?prdNo=2

is that the cutter your talking about?

i also have an air chisel but id imaging ill have to hack out s good amount of the floor so i can get the chisle between it and the braces.

[chargerhunter]

That would be it, Do you have a pic of your trunk rust? It may be less work to just cut out what is bad if there is still alot of good metal there. My '68 just has a section cut out for the sumped fuel cell and that is all I'm repairing.

[Brightyellow69rtse]

no i dont and im at work now anyway. its jjust full of small holes. its a 69 rt se 4 speed dana 60 car so id just rather replace the whole thing and do it right. that way ill never have to touch it again as long as im alive lol.

[chargerhunter]

If that is the case, I would do a 1 piece AMD. Are you sure the rear valance and tail panel are 100% solid? Grafting in a piece and butt welding is not half-assing a job. If done right and finished properly a guy would never know. Keeping as much of the oe metal on any car would be best imo.

[Brightyellow69rtse]

sorry if it sounded like i was saying what you were doing is half assed. that isnt what i meant. reason i figured i would just replace the entire thing is so its just all new looking metal. im sure some of it is still good though. it just really seems to be the center section of it thats crappy but i really havent checked the whole trunk over really well as of yet.

as far as the 1 piece goes i thought i remember reading that you have to remove the rear quarter to get in? is that correct or is there another way to do this?

[chargerhunter]

The one piece will slide in if you remove the rear valance and tail panel. (this what I was told) someone else may chime in.. You can very well hide the seam in the middle if using the two piece with some metal work and a tiny bit of filler. NO filler if you are really good. I finish my welds with a DA sander and if you take your time you can do the same.

[Troy]

You can use a regular grinder to knock down all the welds. If you use a spotweld cutter you'll have to grind whatever is left over any way. If the floor is trashed to begin with, I just cut out sections that have nothing underneath with my body saw so I can see where the rest is attached. Using a chisel or a flat screwdriver you can find the welds easily by prying up on the floor where it attaches. When you find a spot that doesn't lift there's likely a weld. Use the grinder in the center of the spot while prying and it will pop when the metal gets thin enough (without you grinding down too far into the frame rail). If you have an air chisel this goes a lot faster since it will blast right through the thin metal. Don't overdo it though!

The full floor pan requires tail panel, dutchman panel, or quarter removal which ***I would NOT do*** unless those pieces need replaced. The two-piece trunk pan isn't exactly shaped correctly - but does fit through the trunk opening and can be made to look "good enough". Another option is to purchase the full pan then cut out only the middle section (say from frame rail to frame rail). If you do this, (carefully) cut out the old one along the line of spot welds on the inner part of the rail. The new one will drop in and sit on the rails so when you weld it in place you'll be welding to the frame rail and butt welding to the old pan at the same time. Once you grind that you won't be able to see it from the top or bottom. The rear weld can be done the same way (make sure you're inside the bumper brackets and, hopefully, the lock support) but you'll probably have to use a butt weld in the front. Find a flat section so you don't have to weld all the contours.

Troy

[Brightyellow69rtse]

thank you guys great info. i wont be removing any body panels as everything is in real good shape. ill remove the old pan and see what i need but i, pretty sure just the 2 piece floor will cover it. ill give it a shot without the spotweld cutter at first. if i need to ill run to sears and pick one up.

[69*F5*SE]

The one piece will slide in if you remove the rear valance and tail panel. (this what I was told) someone else may chime in.. You can very well hide the seam in the middle if using the two piece with some metal work and a tiny bit of filler. NO filler if you are really good. I finish my welds with a DA sander and if you take your time you can do the same.

A full one-piece trunk pan will fit through the opening of the lower rear valance once removed.

[Brightyellow69rtse]

i used a sawzall and an air chisel and i got most of it out. i didnt wanna go nuts cuse i wanna see the new pans before i really go crazy. i dont wanna cut stuff out if the pans arent gonna cover it.. everything looks really good and solid on the frame if and supports.

[chargerhunter]

You may be able to use your old extensions too!

[HOTROD]

  Air chisel 

[NHCharger]

I just installed a new trunk floor in my 68. Where the floor is spot welded to the extensions, valance and wheel wells you might want to go with the spot weld cutter. The air chisel is great for blasting the floor off the frame rails but it is very easy to damage the other panels if your not careful.
I also took the time and sand blasted the inside of the frame rails, painted them with SEM rust inhibitor then applied a coat of rubberized undercoating.