Began tear down Monday at noon

Our winter project: 1964 tuxedo for a customer (his father) is original owner, 28,000 miles full resto with mods...here we go.

http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g396/CleanCarShop/oliverteardown.jpg http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g396/CleanCarShop/oliverteardown2.jpg

 

Realized today that the floors are worse than we thought. I have been searching the net for prices and specs. Anyone know who has the best fitting and most reasonably priced floor panels? will post more pics soon. tub will be blasted next week.

 

Too bad you are so far away. You could really use my rotisserie.


I bought my floor panels from Classic Enterprises. They're on the web. Fit was OK. I bought the passenger side and decided to bend up my own panel for the drivers floorboards. I used their hat channel and it seem pretty sturdy. Plan on the hat channel being wasted when you get a good look at them. They were designed to rust out. I drilled some drain holes in mine and peened the holes down so water will drain out better. Shoot the inside of the hat channel with weld proof primer and it will last another lifetime. Also, invest in a spot weld cutter for taking the old panels apart. Harbor freight has them and all welding supplies will too. Buy a couple of them. They're cheap. Looks like you have a nice big shop to work in. Have fun. By the way, plans are available on this website for the rotisserie. Search for Tommy B's Rotisserie.



If you want to see what I went through with my tub, check out this album. You will probably find some rust between the dash support pillar and the tub. The rear body mounts have weep holes that usually get plugged up and you get rust there too.
http://rides.webshots.com/album/576218102KQZQVB

 

oops

 

Thanks for the great info, we built a "dolly" out of 2x4 lumber. It will be converted next week to rotate, for now it is just nice to get it up off the floor and movable so we can still work on other cars and projects. I have been searching this site and the web, have yet to find any floor panels that look stock or anywhere close to it, and to be honest the customer and I really don't care about that. I am just wondering about fit. decided (based on info found on this site) to go with salvaged front fenders, so I am looking for two...Anyone?

The plans are for: body work, stock color (tree bark brown metallic) new suspension, zero lift but new softer springs, 15x8's with 31 10.5's, disk brakes & dual master, after market under dash heater, roll bar with 3 point seat belts, new wiring harness, HID headlights, HD alternator, new seats customized to fit owner who is 6'4". minor things here and there...looking into the power steering conversion. will keep posting pics as we go along

 

Given the size of your customer, you should consider doing the wheelhouse notch.
You can find more info on this site about the notch. Looks like this:


I gained 2 inches of leg room. More can be had if you try.

 

Updated, back from sandblast, little worse than we thought, but not much more work that we had already accounted for...started repairing rusted panels and damaged panels...getting the spot weld cutter to fit in and around the tool box was a pain. Bolted the tub back on the frame and used a come-along to pull the drivers side damaged "foot well" area forward a few inches before we cut the damage out, used a few c-clamps and some 1/4" flat stock to sandwich and squeeze the lower fire wall back close to original, before bending the edge back over where it belongs, now we just gotta fill in that triangle we cut out, so far so good, never done this stuff before so any help or ideas would be great.



http://s1099.photobucket.com/albums/g396/CleanCarShop/

 

Nicely done!

 

Thanks, any tips on how to tackle the floor and hat channels? I intend to leave the trans hump in place. thinking Im gonna replace the step up brace/ floor riser first then add in the new floor panels. kinda back to front.

 

When every I have done any sheet metal repair I have grinded the spot welds out. Work on the side of the metal that will be replaced. Take a drill and drill at the spot weld, just enough to mark the spot weld location. Grind on the metal at the spot weld where you drilled removing metal. Then I take a stiff blade putty knife that I have sharped and put it between the two pieces of metal and hit it with a hammer and separate the two pieces of metal. After a few spot weld this went fast and did not have to do any touch up welding on the metal that was staying.

 

That's the way I used to do it, before I discovered a spot weld remover/cutter. Available at Harbor Freight, most welding supplies or maybe Home Depot.

 

I guess I just wondered what the "best" way to start on the floor is, I think I can handle it, not too worried...I do have some spot weld cutters and they are working great, more concerned about maintaining the proper location of everything, and the tub flexing or moving when the floor or step panel is out. we made a brace and welded it to the dash/windshield area and then to the tubes for the soft top. I see that most projects on this site do not do anything like that. I was told by two very respectable automotive restorers to do this. I figured it can't hurt. My plan is still to remove the step brace or riser panel and replace it from side to side and along the top of the rear floor, then i will remove the remaining front floors one at a time and replace.

 

Sounds like you are on the right track. You definitely want to pay attention to keeping it all square and level.

 

I replaced the floor on my 75....





Luckily I did a fit check because the hat channels did not come close to fitting on the brackets. I removed them and moved them to where they needed to be....



When I was finished, about the only thing on the tub I reused was the cowl and the rear floor.... when I mounted it to the frame, the 4 original holes in the back lined up fine... the rest were match drilled so it really wasn't too bad.... Probably not the correct method, but that is what we used....

Gasseous

 

Thanks for the replys guys...It's nice to have this site to see and read what others have done...makes it seem easier? This is my first attempt at anything like this though I have been around this type of stuff my whole life, may have some updates by the end of this week, things are delayed, trying to get some scrap 18 gauge and waiting on the step channel to come from classic enterprises...also have an apartment that I care-take for and it has to be ready for a new tenant on the 1st of feb. thanks again and thanks for the great website! The Clean Car Shop... "resto-mod 68" aka Johnny K.

 

Been awhile since an update:

Had to remodel an apartment, and also had to go help my team win the Soo I-500 snowmobile race again, then I was sick for a week or more. Anyhow...here is where I am at with OLIVER...

Most of the body damage is repaired and waiting for filler and sanding. The floors are in and need some final grinding, the frame is currently at sand blast / powerd coat. The floors are my biggest issue, warping on the drivers side, and the butt welds are kinda ugly, my lack of welding experince is holding me back some. I enjoy the fabrication, but the welds are hard to get right. the step brace went well and fit like a glove, mounting holes were dead on. The forward hat channel on Classic enterprises driver side floor support was way off, had to cut it off and make my own, made my own on passenger side so no biggy.

Mocked up the dual master cylinder kit, had to grind an 1/4" off the inside of frame to get things to line up right, impressive kit though! have new engine and trans mounts on the way. waiting for a local spring shop to get back to me. disc brake conversion kit from R&P will be ordered next. axles are sandblasted and will be painted when brake kit is finalized.

http://s1099.photobucket.com/albums/g396/CleanCarShop/

I have a few questions:

1) Whats the best option for a brake light switch, now that there is none on the master cylinder?

2) Painless vs. EZ wire harness?

3) Vaccum lines are no longer needed can I just "plug" off at the manifold, and pump?

 

Looking good! It's difficult to butt-weld sheetmetal. When I replaced my floorboards, I bought a flanging tool (air) from harbor freight and overlapped the edges and welded them that way. You can put a brass "T" in one of your brake lines and screw a pressure switch in that. I have a pedal mounted brake light switch from a later CJ, but I have swinging pedals, so that was pretty easy. Through the floor pedals that probably wouldn't work well. Your project is really coming along.

 

http://s1099.photobucket.com/albums/g396/CleanCarShop/


I think it may have just taken me longer to upload photos of this rear corner repair, than it did to fab up and weld in. I was not going to replace this entire corner..But I couldnt help myself...turns out it was the right move, the old repair was covered by about 1/2 of filler. Things should move along quickly now. chassis may be a roller again soon...suspension parts have been delayed due to lack of speedy postal dilvery of funds...New leaf springs,bushings and R&P disc kit are on the way.

 

2) Painless vs. EZ wire harness?


I used an EZ Wire Harness with no problems. Worked great. I found it for less $$ on e bay than their own website.