34 replies to this topic

[gaspen]

Hello

 

Shortly starting the bodywork and I have a dilemma. I bought these panels for the floor from M-Machine. 

 

The rear part of the floor looks solid I would like te keep it - the rear quarter pieces at least - but I don't know yet what is under the paint.

 

Should I replace the whole tunnel I bought or cut where it is necessary - around beneath the cross member ?

 

I feel that with a whole tunnel the floor would be more stiff (?)

 

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Edited by gaspen, 27 February 2024 - 11:38 AM.

[68+86auto]

If you replace the tunnel then the total length of welded joins is many times more than just cutting across. You could do something like bring the tunnel just past the handbrake.

[slidehammer]

I think you need to know what is going on under the cross member to start with. If all the back tunnel, floor, inner sills and seat belt mounts are fine I wouldn't disturb them.

Just replace the front floors and what you need to of the tunnel. I know that a lot of people tend replace the whole floor in one go as they say it is easier to do, in terms of time taken, the the panel is a lot of money to start with.

[sonscar]

Look at the heelboard end of the tunnel from underneath and then decide.It would be simple To use the heelboard cross member and toeboard to weld some temporary support to.Steve..

[Davidmt]

I bought just the front floor part and then lifted the crossmember. I then went back and got the full floor length as the area under the crossmember was also badly corroded. Looks like yours could be the same.

[sonikk4]

Also look inside the companion boxes as well. Hindsight being a wonderful thing, i should have replaced the complete floor on my lads car Project Erm instead of dicking around replacing front pans and parts of the rear floor.

[gaspen]

Finnally a purchased two half floors from M-Machine. I will weld them to the new tunnel for a new, complete floor 

 

As I see only Magnum produces the crossmember for the round tunnel floor, I guess also MM sells this 

 

I am right ?

[stuart bowes]

as the cross member is mostly flat pieces with 90deg bends can you not extract the existing one and clean it up, inspect, I'm sure a man of your skills would be able to repair that with his eyes closed

 

whether that's worth doing depends how bad it is ..  the rot is more likely to the floor underneath though

 

does look like you made the right call doing the whole floor though in the long run thats a better decision imo

Edited by stuart bowes, 20 April 2024 - 12:46 PM.

[gaspen]

Yes I think I will go for repair. I purchased two hinge repair panel from Magnum and I don't really like them, I bet the crossmember won't be better

 

Another idea to bend a simple "hat" form tunnel by a local company and then I could modify it for the floor's shape

 

 

And a language question : how do you say in english when a sheet metal has a stretch somewhere in the middle and therefore it "jumps" or "pops" from one shape to another ? It is like "oil-canning" on a body panel

Edited by gaspen, 20 April 2024 - 02:58 PM.

[stuart bowes]

Well yeah oil canning is a slang term for it but if we're talking about a change in shape caused by welding id say it was heat deformation (the part is deformed) or warpage (the part is warped)

Unless there's another technical term for that popping from one of position to another that I'm not aware of which is entirely possible

Edited by stuart bowes, 20 April 2024 - 03:17 PM.

[gaspen]

Sorry I wasn't clear enough 

 

It is more like a tension which remains in the panel after the manufacturing process. Both of the half floors have this attitude, I want to remove it before welding 

 

Here is a short video :

 

https://photos.app.g...ZDnzPzbqx83U8h9

[stuart bowes]

Ah I see what you mean, can't help there I'm afraid although I'm tempted to think it might not be an issue once all welded in ?

Would be nice to to see if anyone else has suggestions though just as a point of interest

Edited by stuart bowes, 20 April 2024 - 05:33 PM.

[gaspen]

I would be happy to align a good, straight panel instead of a warped one 

[sonikk4]

Oil canning / tin canning wording we still use even on metal skinned Aircraft.

 

Heat distortion or warping is different but still looks similar. Very difficult to remove and will require a shrinking hammer, however its a skillied thing to master. I gave it a good go with a cheap shrinking hammer and to be honest it was not good. In this particular case i should have bought a decent hammer but in the end i opted for a more expensive approach and that was to buy a Heritage Clubman bonnet.

 

Now you can spend sometime with a decent panel beating hammer and block to help tidy the various bits of distortion up as you weld things together. You may find the heat generated by the welder and knocking the welds back will allow you to dress things. I did that with my M Machine inner sill to first flute. Clamped eeverything in place using Intergrips, then tack welded. I dressed back as much of any distortion / warping then went on to fully welding in place. The trick here is if you are knocking the welds back flat, make sure you do not thing the metal out.

 

Also to prevent any further warping or to minimise it i used Frosts Cold Front. Bascially a clay type putty that is used as heat soak and also some flattened copper pipe, again to use as a heat soak but also when used under the area you are going to weld it allows you to butt weld thin metal like the floor without blowing holes.

[sonikk4]

This is the Cold Front Putty i sued on my Quarter panels