----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, June 26, 2002 4:28
PM
Subject: RE: [Chevelle-List] Trunk Floor
Replacement
I
replaced the floor in my 71. It was a p.i.t.a. But since I think I
have more time than brains I went about this method. Here is a
link.
How
I did it:
1. Remove old.
2. Buy new 3 piece kit paying attention to
price.
3. Fully welded all butt/overlap seams.
Spot welded every 2 inches all points where the floor layed over a
supporting brace.
4. Fabricate extra pieces to cover holes on
each side next to the wheel well housing, from trunk floor up and over to the
seat back.
5. Lots of grinding on imperfect
welds. I think my wire feed welder is a POS.
6. Some bondo and sanding to make it look
smooth.
7. Seam sealer.
8. Trunk paint.
9. Probably spent 80 hours on it. I could
not make a living fixing trunk floors.
How
I would do it again:
1. Remove old.
2. Buy new kit that extends further
up the back wall and further up and over the rear axle hump. Don't worry
if it costs $100 more it will be a better and easier fit, it will look better,
and even if your time is only worth $5 an hour it will still pay for
itself. (When you buy quality - what?)
3. Tack all butt/overlap seams and do not
worry about 100% of the joint being welded. Spot welded every 2 inches
all spots where the floor layed over a supporting brace.
4. Grinding really bad welds
but don't worry about the rest. If you buy a welder buy a good one.
Borrow a good one from a buddy and try it first. (When you buy quality
you only cry once.)
5. Dont bondo. Go around the new
panel seams with seam sealer and leave it.
6. Trunk paint.
7. I estimate this would only take 40
hours to do a trunk. and would look very good to 95% of the population.
It is not unusual to see seam sealer on joints on cars and I think it would
slip by most people. Of course this would not look as perfect and you
would still know etc... I would do it this way if I were just making a
neat car really nice.
The
biggest problem you might have is the fact that all the original metal you
weld may be 1/2 rusted away. You take nice new weldable thicker
trunk panels and try to weld them to this thin worn out stuff and you might
burn through every inch. Maybe my car was to rusty for this to be
easy.
When
it is done it is nice to have a trunk floor that stuff does not fall through
:)
Good
luck,
Mark
71
SS
Howdy
How difficult is it to replace the trunk floor in a 66 Chevelle ?
Time and material wise ?
Thanks...John
