I'm not doing this just yet, just asking to learn. If the quarter panels and associated metal were already welded in and replaced, could the floorpans (front and rear)be replaced with the body up on a rotisserie or should they be done with the body still on the chassis? I know the floor braces are hard to get to with it still on the frame. Just curious.

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1970 Chevy Custom El Camino (http://www.dreamelectric.com)
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1987 Chevy Caprice Coupe (spare car) (http://www.dreamelectric.com/caprice.html)
Other Restorations - 1967 Sears Custom 600 Tractor (http://www.dreamelectric.com/1967Sears.html)

Any metal replacement needs to be done on the frame, especially not on a rotisserie. The floors are a big structual piece of the car and if you cut them out with the car on a rotisserie I can promise you, you will have a big mess on your hands. The braces are hard to get to but all you need is to just lift the body high enough off the frame to remove them and weld them back in, dont remove the body from the frame. I just lifted mine up high enough for 4x4 to fit inbtween the frame and the rockers. Just put 4x4 under the cowl and right before the rear wheel wells dont lift the whole thing.

Trust me on this one...Eric

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1970 chevelle
1970 chevelle SS455 not a typo its a buick baby
1949 and 1972 chevy trucks
http://briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/sevt_chevelles

So I take it a rotisserie is only used for painting/blasting/undercoating removal. With the 4x4's they would go underneath all the body mount areas right? Good idea, thanks for the help.

i second that.

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I couldn't repair my brakes, so I made my horn louder.
www.EINSTYN.com (http://www.EINSTYN.com) updated 8-6-02 TC#1460, VCEA#2
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I replaced them on frame, tacked them really well so the body couldn't "flex" then finished welding them once I had the car on the spitz. If you try it with the body off the frame the body is going to flex/twist these bodies are not very ridgid when you start cutting large sections of the metal away.

Also, I nearly screwed this up. Remove and replace one section at a time, don't cut the whole thing out then start putting the panels in. If you do your likely to have it move on you also if your replacing a lot of the floor. I did the entire trunk up to the center of the hump between the trunk and rear seat, one inner fender, part of the other and one side of the interior and the pan under the rear seat. It got kind of hairy when I had the trunk, rear seat area and the inner fenders out. with those mounts loose you could spread the quarters and flex the rear section slightly if you were not careful. (BTW I had all of the glass out of the car also.) I was lucky and got everything lined up and in without any problem, but I could see how you could get the body out of alignment very easy with that much of the structure loose or removed. Take your time, it is not a bad as it seems at first.

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72 Chevelle and a 70 Chevelle with a crushed roof
ACES # 4051 MCC # 448
TC # 1549 81/70 Cruisers

Shawn if you look though my link on the bottom and look at the file named 70 project i believe i have some pics of my floor replacment. If I dont have tons of pics that I could email you so you could see what am talking about.

I second what professor said replace one section at a time if you dont you will have many headaches. I did that on that 70 car and it was pain in the a$$ to fit it back together. I tried to speed up the floor replacement by just cutting out the whole thing then fitting all together. It didnt work. All the other floors Ive done I did piece by piece its a slow and tedious job but yeilds the best results. Learn from my mistake and go at it by piece by piece...Eric
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1970 chevelle
1970 chevelle SS455 not a typo its a buick baby
1949 and 1972 chevy trucks
http://briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/sevt_chevelles

[This message has been edited by sevt_chevelle (edited 08-14-2002).]

Thanks for the help, I can see how someone could be tempted to cut out all the bad metal first with the cutter already in your hand. Did you replace them with one piece replacements or with the separate pieces (3pc)? I'd guess the single piece units would be easier to install. I know Goodmark makes a pair.

I used the three piece unit and it worked well given that you usually find that you'll have to replace the braces by the time you get the pan out. Using the three pan unit I could get everything lined up and tacked on the two out side pans then drop the center one in. The one piece looks nicer when in but seam sealer and a good coat of trunk paint hide the seams on the 3 piece. Remember to install/weld on the spare tire loop before installing the pan (if not you'll forget it until after the gas tank is in and then it's too late, don't ask me how I know) and I suggest coating the entire pan an teh braces, both sides, except right where you're going to weld it, with corless (sp?) or other rust resistant coating. Also, (I screwed up here) find the pans that go up over the trunk/rear seat area hump. Mine only went up the edge of the hump a few inches so I had to fab metal in next to the rear inner wheel house. If your pans are gone, most likely the area I'm talking about is gone also. One pan manf has a set of pans that go up into this area and will save you a lot of work. I'm at work so I don't have my catalogs with me, but I'll take a look tomorrow for you if you want.

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72 Chevelle and a 70 Chevelle with a crushed roof
ACES # 4051 MCC # 448
TC # 1549 81/70 Cruisers

Thanks again- yes I will have to fab up a few pieces- mostly on the edges of the pans by the kick panel area since the ledge that would be there to weld them to is gone.