To Start Over or Not?

To Start Over or Not?

  • Fix Existing Work That Looks Like $hit

    Votes: 11 19.3%

  • Do It Right...Replace the Floors w/ a 1-Piece Pan

    Votes: 46 80.7%
  • Total voters
    57
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T

TopBanana

A-Body Fanatic!
Joined
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Location
Conowingo, MD
OK...here's the deal. I had a local guy do some metal work on my 73 Dart Sport a years ago...trunk floor w/ extensions, inner fender well, and 3 of the 6 interior floor pan sections. When you look at the trunk and floor pans from the top, everything looks great. When you look from underneath however, it looks like total $hit..especially the floor pans. Huge gaps between existing and replaced metal (he ended up doing each section individually), BIG sections not welded, rough torch cuts, etc, etc, etc. Basically my buddy and I did a MUCH better work as teenagers 20+ years ago replacing the rear frame rails in this car that this "pro" did on the floors...scary!

So my question is...do I try and fix up what is there, and put in alot of work to get is back to so-so? Or do I start over, remove EVERYTHING in the floor that he did, and replace it all w/ a 1 piece pan from AMD? This is NOT going to be a concours show car when it's done, but it will be nice.

Thoughts everyone?
 
If it is structurally sound it should be ok. Then It would come down to if you could live wth it or not.

But ya. We need pics.
 
Sounds like it might be less work to actually do it right. You could spend days trying to fix his mess and still not be satisfied. If it is not about $$, then buy the pan...
 
Nothing worse than a HACK JOB I know all about it.Start over that is the only way you will be happy.and dont buy the YOU GET WHAT YOU PAID FOR STORY just a cover up..................
 
if it's sound then undercoat and go. if not then redo but we need pics
 
I went ahead and ordered a full floor pan from Stephens today and will pick it up @ Carlisle next week. I'll try and post some pics tonight too and you'll see what I'm talking about. This is no undercoat and go deal...otherwise I might have left it alone. Like I said, HUGE gaps in some places of ~1" and nasty torch cuts, etc, etc, etc.

If you are in the Bel Air, MD area...DO NOT USE JOE BON AUTOBODY ON RTE 543 @ RTE 165...HACK!
 
You say he used a TORCH on a floor pan? I guess he didn't have a plasma cutter or a spot weld drill, or a cutting disc on an air tool? Sounds like he's heavy into field cultivators or dozers.
Small Block
 
Sounds like replacing it is the right thing to do. Sometimes when you replace a section and over lap them you do end up with a gap between panels. What I do in that case is put seem sealer between the to panels in the gap and then close the gap up with a big Fning Hammer, LOL. Then I spray it with rubberized under coating.

The 1 piece panel is going to take a lot of time to remove all the old spot wels and fit the new panel but it will be worth it in the long run.
 
TopBanana said:
I went ahead and ordered a full floor pan from Stephens today and will pick it up @ Carlisle next week. I'll try and post some pics tonight too and you'll see what I'm talking about. This is no undercoat and go deal...otherwise I might have left it alone. Like I said, HUGE gaps in some places of ~1" and nasty torch cuts, etc, etc, etc.

If you are in the Bel Air, MD area...DO NOT USE JOE BON AUTOBODY ON RTE 543 @ RTE 165...HACK!
Click to expand...

Bummer about the buy from stephens, you could have saved a bunch of money buying an original pan from me. Been advertised in the for sale section here for a few months. I have two of them currently.

Good luck with the replacement.
 
I assumed you had a chance to look over his work before you hired him to do yours? Whos recommendation were you working off of when you hired him? I like fitting metal. It just takes time if you want it to look like something other than hammered s*#t.
Small Block
 
I voted for you to do it right. There's only one thing I can't stand and thats a half-arsed job. I mean, I don't care what people do to their cars or what work they have done.... but do it right ya know? Hope you get it fixed soon.
 
Snake said:
Nothing worse than a HACK JOB I know all about it.Start over that is the only way you will be happy.and dont buy the YOU GET WHAT YOU PAID FOR STORY just a cover up..................
Click to expand...
Did you have your floor pan replaced when your car was painted?I,m trying to figure out if your car was a ..running car when you bought it??
 
I kinda have the same dilemma. I am restoring a 72 demon and the pan over all is in good shape except where the pan sits on the frame and supports. Do I take off the old pan and remove all of the rust inside the frame and supports or do I make spot repairs and get all that I can and take my chances?
 
I've got an aquaintance who has a 64 Polara Convertible he's trying to sell. He says he has $7000. in replaceing the cowl, floorpan and paint. The car looks "OK" (the one front fender looks like it was run over by a truck and beat back out before they painted it) but the kicker is when you look under it and see the torch cuts and gaps it looks like total S__T! He says he'll use seam sealer and be done with it. Instead of using a replacement pan he went to a wrecking yard and cut up old gas tanks for pans. He's asking $ 15000. for the car which I think is ridiculous the way the floors look. He says you can only see it from underneath so what's the big deal. I guess maybe that's the difference between just turning the car for cash and restoring a car.
I bought a 4 door dart with a good floor pan and have drilled all the rivets to remove it and am putting it into my 65 vert in 1 piece, minus the little rusted part on the front of the pass pan. I didn't like the 4 aftermarket pans and all the piecing in that you would have to do to make them work.
I think its well worth the effort if you want it right.

Beaver Springs '08 043 Jeff Goss's 64.jpg
 
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