I'm new to this whole 'older' car thing, so bare with me.

I recently bought a '72 Nova, come to find out today that the entire floor is rusted and needs to be replaced.

I peeled out some type of pan from the top, but there is still another rusted layer underneath. The top piece was still intact with little or no rust so I kept it.

Really what I'm trying to ask is, is there only supposed to be one layer to the floor pan?

I'd like to replace the entire floor, tunnel and the entire trunk. Am I nuts? My mechanic sure thinks so, he wouldn't even take my money to fix it!

How much rust is too much? It LOOKS easy enough, weld in some replacement metal and TA-DA! But everyone else is discouraging me. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/frown.gif

This depends on many things...Is the car a keeper ?? Any collector value ?? I would guess 500 bucks minimally in new pans...And if the pans are THAT bad, how is the rest of the car ? It may be cheaper looking for another builder of the same vintage and keeping the cherry parts off this present car...Saving them for the next ride. Shawn

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DO NOT cut the entire floor out in one whack! Remove and replace the tunnel first, then the floor, or visa versa, but NOT at the same time.

You can remove the "Whole Enchilada" but you better put braces inside the body to keep it from flexing out of shape.


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Dale
Lowered '67 Elcamino
ZZ430HP / 4L60
"Canyon Carver"
www.chevelles.com/showroom/elkydriveway1.jpeg (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/elkydriveway1.jpeg)

What it sounds like is someone has tried to cover up the rusty floor by placing another piece of metal on top of it. As far as I know, floor pans aren't put down in layers. This being a unibody car, you must shore the body up before cutting the floor metal out.

Please excuse my ingorance, but what does shore mean?

I still have a lot to learn about frame and body, I've spend all my time learning about engines.

I will not ask for anyone to go into details about how the whole car is put together, I'll pick up a Haynes and go from there.

What I'm mostly worried about is, can the car be saved even if the rust is too much?

I know I could just use the money and buy a better car, but I kind of want to stick with this car and use it as a tool of education.

My goals are long term, so I don't think spending $20k-$30 over the next 5 or so years is unrealistic. I understand the car won't be worth squat to anyone else, but it will be mine and that's all I care about.

I'm just wondering if there is a point when the rust is just too bad that the car cannot be brought back. I really don't care if the car is a complete cancer case, as long as I can fix it all.

You probably think I'm out of my mind, but it's something I really want to do and I know in the end I'll have something that I've always wanted and having the satisfaction of knowing I did it all myself.

Thanks for the input.

btw, here are some pics to look at. Body wise it's pretty straight, it's the structure I'm worried about.

http://www3.sympatico.ca/petedam/

Any water leaking around front or rear window/windshield? Is the rust only at the floor pans and not around rear spring mounts? Have you checked around wheelwells and rocker panels visually and with a magnet for any indication of excess body filler? What about the subframe and its mounts?
The floor pans and trunk alone is repairable and even rust around the window/winshield but add any more rust problems beyond that and you will need lots of money and talent.

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Elcaminos are special!

I'd rather walk around with a Chevrolet hubcap in my hand than drive a Ford


work in progress
Big James Elky(AKA Ol Paint) (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/Big%20James4XL-Ol%20Paint1.jpg)
another shot of Ol Paint (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/Big%20James4XL-Ol%20Paint2.jpg)

I just went out to take another look at the car. I know it would be a whole lot easier to take pictures, which I will eventually, but for now I can only try to explain.

First of all, the right rear shock is completely gone and there is a hole in the trunk where the shock mounted at the top.

No rust around the windshield or anywhere above the floor for that matter.

A couple things I'm concerened about now which I don't really understand to begin with, but here goes.

When I was hacking away at the passenger floor foor area and got through, I found some type of frame that was rusted out. Is this the rocker panel or have anything to do with it? Follow that frame out to the back and it's rotted away there also. I have no idea what it's called.

Also, the rear inner wheel wells are starting to rust and some metal around it.

To me, it all look repairable, but this is my first project car and I plan to learn on it, so I could be way off.