Thread: 48 Plymouth floors

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I am repairing the floor in my Plymouth and got a little stalled. Should I weld in panels that I have made from some 18 Gage sheetmetal or pursue replacement panels or find a rustfree floor from a donor? I have been known as being a perfectionist. Money is an issue, I want to be a good steward with my finaces. What are your thoughts?

I made new panels for my 50 Plymouth wagon. The ones you make can be cut to fit and then stitch weld them in. Then from underneath, put a good bead of seam sealer on and that will help prevent leaks.
Finding a donor car without rust will be hard to do......... make the new ones.

Yes,I hear you on the "perfectionist" issue also. You have to be happy with the end result and even if it is the floor hiddened under carpet etc.,you want it right. I would manufacture your own patch panels and slowly weld them in with a butt weld then dress well with the grinder. finish with a good body sealer both sides and then underseal the bottom.

A sheet of 20ga. and a bead roller will fix a lot of floors!

Dave, you mentioned a bead roller, that is one of my concerns. I don't have one and just putting some sheetmetal down I fear the floor will pop when it is stepped onto.

Sometimes a bit of heat or a shrinking hammer/dollie will tighten up the sheetmetal and prevent the oil canning thing. Even a slight break in the panel with a sheetmetal brake or even the edge of the bench will also add a lot of strength to the panel.

This guy's got new ones if you want to go that route.
http://plymouthdoctor.com/

Falconvan,
I checked into plymouthdoctor.com, it seemed pricey to me when I can lay in some 18 gauge sheetmetal for a tenth of the price. There is another place with replacement panels cheaper - c2cfabrication.com. I bought a center floor from them it fit good, but $300. Considering almost the entire floor needs replaced, money quickly became a factor. I was checking out the work you have done on your Plymouth and it looks good. I can only hope to achieve the same results.
I guess the question I need to answer is am I worried about originality, resale and appearance?
Originality - I am not going for a concourse resto. It is hotrod and not all orginal.
Resale - is always a concern, but will original stlye floorpanels increase the value above having sheetmetal laid into the floor? I am not sure.
Appearance - Is a concern. I do not want a thrown together a hotrod that looks like it was "thrown together".
I think I need to pry open the wallet and buy a bead roller and just make my own floors. Then I will have the tool for future projects.

Yeah, I wouldn't pay that much, either. I got really lucky that I had a good sedan floor to work with or I probably would not have original metal. I think making your own is a great idea. The old Mopars dont have a great resale value as it is plus as far as hot rods go, the builder gets to call the shots.