Floor Pan Opinions?

[Ridge911]

1964 Valiant Convertible

I've owned this car for all of 2 months. I pulled the front seat to crawl under the dash. When I stepped in, the floor pan flexed inward, and when I stepped off it sprung back. SO, now concerned with the integrity of the pans, I pulled the seats and carpet. The following is what I found:

The view from the driver's side. The pans have clearly been given some previous attention. Notice the sheet metal that has been riveted into the floor of the back seat footwell area. This sheet metal seems excessively thin, and this patch job of poor quality
View attachment IMAG0178.jpg

The floor pan again View from passenger side, the front areas look okay, I guess?
View attachment IMAG0182.jpg

A Closeup of the patch Thoughts?
View attachment IMAG0180.jpg

I know next to nothing about body work and would like to hear some input on this. I will be taking the car to a body shop in the near future, hopefully to get media blasted, patched, and painted.

(I have no idea why these other 2 pics attached)

 

[ESP47]

It's your call. Sounds like with the seat in, no one will be able to step on it so it depends on whether or not it bothers you enough to go through with replacing it. I would leave it alone myself unless I was doing a total restoration.

 

[1968FormulaS340]

If that patch is aluminum riveted over steel I would replace it. Aluminum + steel leads to galvanic corrosion and that will make your problem worse.

 

[fanofpetty]

floorpans should never be rivited in, and is illeagle in some states. ( A car will fail in our state if this is found) They should be welded in with the correct gage steel

 

[Ridge911]

Thanks for the input guys.

 

[73_Dart]

I would say get new metal and have it welded in if you can get it done.

I wish I could have told the previous owner of my car that "repaired" my floor board that. My floor is a wooden board over rusted out metal (board is now starting to fall out), and then over the board is a bunch of spray foam, then on top of all that is a "slow children" street sign riveted down. Now I have to tear all that out one of these days and cut the bad out and weld the new in. Pain in the butt for what someone could have fixed better the first time it was done.

 

[BillGrissom]

I second the "don't worry about it for now". Until you fix the rear leak that caused the rust, anything you do will just rust again. At least you have a drain now under the rear seat. In the front, don't do change it unless you are ready to do it right. Welding can cause other problems like weld splatter can ruin would windows or dash, or even set the car on fire. I would touch it unless a total restore.

Some people over worry. Do motorcycles have floor pans? Will a few holes threaten your life? Actually they can if they allow exhaust fumes in, your exhaust pipes leak, and your engine runs rich.

 

[norshorblufish]

If you're going to take it in for body work soon wait.

If it's going to be awhile have some metal welded in.
You probably don't know what the metal looks like under the patches.

People forget that these cars are unibody . No frame so to speak and all that metal in the floors are part of the structure and frame of the car.

 

[Ridge911]

A new pan from auto specialty (.com?) Is only $120. I will have it replaced when I get the body work done, but I will just wait until then. Thanks to all for your help. I'll post the website when I get home as a reference to anyone who may be interested.