New/old 67 convertible project....
03-22-2009, 05:23 AM
#1
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 345
New/old 67 convertible project....
Hey guys
I need some advice and help with a project that I've shelved for about 7 years now. Here is the info on the car:
https://mustangforums.com/forum/new-...ml#post6046596
Now have any of you done a floor pan and rocker job before? This is what I'm undertaking.
If you've changed out full rockers, pans, etc then any advice you give I'd appreciate. I was thinking about taking it to a shop and having them do the repair but the more I look at it the more it seems that I can do this. I also would be happy to forgo the $3,000 cost of them doing this job. I have all new sheetmetal that I purchased from NPD and I want to sell the two full pans I bought from them and buy the full one piece pan with the tunnel and all thats thicker gauge. (if any of you need pans for a 67-68(maybe 65-66 will fit too?) then I'll make you a deal
)
Please chime in guys and let me know your experience/advice. I will try and get some pics up later today or so.
I need some advice and help with a project that I've shelved for about 7 years now. Here is the info on the car:https://mustangforums.com/forum/new-...ml#post6046596
Now have any of you done a floor pan and rocker job before? This is what I'm undertaking.
If you've changed out full rockers, pans, etc then any advice you give I'd appreciate. I was thinking about taking it to a shop and having them do the repair but the more I look at it the more it seems that I can do this. I also would be happy to forgo the $3,000 cost of them doing this job. I have all new sheetmetal that I purchased from NPD and I want to sell the two full pans I bought from them and buy the full one piece pan with the tunnel and all thats thicker gauge. (if any of you need pans for a 67-68(maybe 65-66 will fit too?) then I'll make you a deal
) Please chime in guys and let me know your experience/advice. I will try and get some pics up later today or so.
03-22-2009, 08:41 AM
#2
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 1,839
EZ, welcome to the forum!
Replacing the entire floor pan on a convertible is one of the most difficult mustang sheet metal projects. Not to turn you off to the job, but it with the inner/outer rockers is basically the frame of the car. Unless you are very handy with a mig welder, experienced at this kind of work (appears you may be), and have a lot of time you may want to farm this one out. Particularly if you got the car for $1,000. Another $3,000 is still a spectactular deal.
If you plan to proceed yourself, my advice is to replace the rockers first. Take detailed measurements of door openings, diagonals across the interior, and other dimensions. Record these on a table and each time you remove and replace a component take all the measurements again and record them in the table. You will need to brace the car (weld steel tubing in place to lock the rest of the sheet metal in position) and remove as much stress from the chassis as possible prior to removing the rockers and do one side at a time. Kind of like in home construction when you remove a load bearing wall, you have to build a temporary support structure.
Once braced and suspended properly, remove the inner and outer rocker from one side as a unit. Get the fully assembled rocker that is prewelded and weld the new rocker in place front and back, but not to the floor. Repeat on the other side and then remove the floor and weld the new one in place. If you braced everything and maintained your measurements, you should be good to go. Of course, this assumes you didn't have any saggin of the body from the rust damage.
Good luck and post a lot of pictures.
Replacing the entire floor pan on a convertible is one of the most difficult mustang sheet metal projects. Not to turn you off to the job, but it with the inner/outer rockers is basically the frame of the car. Unless you are very handy with a mig welder, experienced at this kind of work (appears you may be), and have a lot of time you may want to farm this one out. Particularly if you got the car for $1,000. Another $3,000 is still a spectactular deal.
If you plan to proceed yourself, my advice is to replace the rockers first. Take detailed measurements of door openings, diagonals across the interior, and other dimensions. Record these on a table and each time you remove and replace a component take all the measurements again and record them in the table. You will need to brace the car (weld steel tubing in place to lock the rest of the sheet metal in position) and remove as much stress from the chassis as possible prior to removing the rockers and do one side at a time. Kind of like in home construction when you remove a load bearing wall, you have to build a temporary support structure.
Once braced and suspended properly, remove the inner and outer rocker from one side as a unit. Get the fully assembled rocker that is prewelded and weld the new rocker in place front and back, but not to the floor. Repeat on the other side and then remove the floor and weld the new one in place. If you braced everything and maintained your measurements, you should be good to go. Of course, this assumes you didn't have any saggin of the body from the rust damage.
Good luck and post a lot of pictures.
03-22-2009, 09:51 PM
#3
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 345
EZ, welcome to the forum!
Replacing the entire floor pan on a convertible is one of the most difficult mustang sheet metal projects. Not to turn you off to the job, but it with the inner/outer rockers is basically the frame of the car. Unless you are very handy with a mig welder, experienced at this kind of work (appears you may be), and have a lot of time you may want to farm this one out. Particularly if you got the car for $1,000. Another $3,000 is still a spectactular deal.
If you plan to proceed yourself, my advice is to replace the rockers first. Take detailed measurements of door openings, diagonals across the interior, and other dimensions. Record these on a table and each time you remove and replace a component take all the measurements again and record them in the table. You will need to brace the car (weld steel tubing in place to lock the rest of the sheet metal in position) and remove as much stress from the chassis as possible prior to removing the rockers and do one side at a time. Kind of like in home construction when you remove a load bearing wall, you have to build a temporary support structure.
Once braced and suspended properly, remove the inner and outer rocker from one side as a unit. Get the fully assembled rocker that is prewelded and weld the new rocker in place front and back, but not to the floor. Repeat on the other side and then remove the floor and weld the new one in place. If you braced everything and maintained your measurements, you should be good to go. Of course, this assumes you didn't have any saggin of the body from the rust damage.
Good luck and post a lot of pictures.
Replacing the entire floor pan on a convertible is one of the most difficult mustang sheet metal projects. Not to turn you off to the job, but it with the inner/outer rockers is basically the frame of the car. Unless you are very handy with a mig welder, experienced at this kind of work (appears you may be), and have a lot of time you may want to farm this one out. Particularly if you got the car for $1,000. Another $3,000 is still a spectactular deal.
If you plan to proceed yourself, my advice is to replace the rockers first. Take detailed measurements of door openings, diagonals across the interior, and other dimensions. Record these on a table and each time you remove and replace a component take all the measurements again and record them in the table. You will need to brace the car (weld steel tubing in place to lock the rest of the sheet metal in position) and remove as much stress from the chassis as possible prior to removing the rockers and do one side at a time. Kind of like in home construction when you remove a load bearing wall, you have to build a temporary support structure.
Once braced and suspended properly, remove the inner and outer rocker from one side as a unit. Get the fully assembled rocker that is prewelded and weld the new rocker in place front and back, but not to the floor. Repeat on the other side and then remove the floor and weld the new one in place. If you braced everything and maintained your measurements, you should be good to go. Of course, this assumes you didn't have any saggin of the body from the rust damage.
Good luck and post a lot of pictures.
Hey.....dont I know you from somewhere? You look familiar and your username seems it too. Are you on one of the gun boards that I'm on???? If not my apologies!Well I do know my way around a MIG and I have done some fab work but nothing this complex. Also I dont have a MIG in my shop but a regular stick welder but I can use it and am pretty good atc spot welding with it. I dont know if there is any reason I cant use it but if so I could borrow a MIG if needs be.
One thing is I did buy the inner and outer rockers as full length one piece units. I'm also planning onselling the two piece floor pans that I have and going with the one piece heavy gauge unit that NPD sells.
I have some angle iron crossmembers welded across the doors to prevent flexing. Would I need to build stands or something to set the car on? I was thinking of removing the rear wheels and chocking up that part with the axle still in place then remove the front and chock that side up as well.
From there replace the passenger rocker unit and then do the other side. But then heres the thing. How about the torque boxes? How do these come out and where does it contact the floor pan and become the toe panel? Also I am not quite sure how much sagging has taken place over the years. Is there a book of dimensions somewhere or can someone give me measurments? How about that body manual that NPD sells? Is that any help????
Should I go with the doorjamb and doors as a guide? I'm wondering how much sagging has affected those.
Sorry I didn't get pics today, I will try and get some tomorrow.
03-23-2009, 03:23 PM
#10
Banned
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Maryland
Posts: 1,049
ok
-First Step
*Prepping for Removal of Inner Rocker Panels*
To remove the inner rocker panels first you must thoroughly brace the car because these are the main support of the car, this means taking the car off any of it suspension and supporting it levelly with four jack stands, best places for these are just fore of the leaf spring shackles, and just fore of the front torque boxes, this puts equal pressure and "balances weight" off of the rocker panel. Next, you will want to install a door brace, these can be made or easy had from cj pony parts for just over $200, normally this is over kill if properly supported, BUT, since your are doing a full floor and tunnel you have to do both sides at once, and its is a MUST...
Shown Here is a Brace you would need if you weren't replacing the tunnel, available at cjponyparts.com
But since you are replacing the tunnel, you will need to find or make a set like these
or....
These would be best for you
^ These are available at http://www.accessiblesystems.com/udb.php
If you feel like I am dwelling on these braces, you are mistaken because they will maintain integrity of your car, I failed to use these the first time around, and my doors no longer fit... and had to re-do a lot of work.
-Step Two
*Removing Inner Rocker Panels*
First you will have to acquire many 3/8" drill bits, a reliable drill, an air chisel with various metal cutting bits.. you'll need it,
there are well over 300 spot welds that have to be drilled out to remove what were once inner rocker panels, fairly self explanatory but a few pointers are to start with the seat riser, this is a large majority of spot welds, get that up, then move along to cutting the bulk of the floor up and gradually drilling the spot welds that keep it down to the various frame bits. Now that the seat riser and the floor is out, start drilling along the row of spot welds top and bottom holding the inner rocker in, also under your fenders, on the torque box, there is a tab of inner rocker bent over and welded. Now is also a GREAT time to replace toque boxes if they look the least bit shoddy. Also removing the torque boxes makes the job quite a bit easier. so once you have the inner rockers and optionally the torque boxes out, move on to the next step.
-Step Three
*Install Floor Pan*
Yup, this comes before the rocker panel, because of the pans directly under where the seat riser were, the lip on the floor pan tucks over that, then the rocker goes between that lip and the outer rocker panel. then can be welded together, my floors did not include the tunnel so I am not much help here. But there is plenty of info available for replacing floors, onwards...
-Step Four
*Installing New Rocker Panels*
Before even putting them in place drill holes about every one inch, you can use the 3/8" from earlier, or slighter small if you wish, if you chose to go smaller, place them 7/8" from each other, now if you have the torque boxes out you cant slide them in from the front and get them to where you need, if not, well I'm actually not sure what to tell you =/, get this all welded up, put your torque boxes back on, finish up any welds for the floors, and be glad you finished before your 90th birthday =P
This is not for the faint of heart, and if you do not have the skill, time, will, motivation, tools, space, and devotion to do this, it may be better off left to the professionals....
Please PM with any questions, i got lazy towards the end of this, but you lucky i made it this far, any one on here knows I am not one for long responses like these =P, oh well another convertible fan is a friend of mine....
heres some more on inner rockers
http://www.midcomustang.com/frameandfloor.shtml
Oh yeah one more thing, i couldn't have written this without listening to The Who so this is to them.
-First Step
*Prepping for Removal of Inner Rocker Panels*
To remove the inner rocker panels first you must thoroughly brace the car because these are the main support of the car, this means taking the car off any of it suspension and supporting it levelly with four jack stands, best places for these are just fore of the leaf spring shackles, and just fore of the front torque boxes, this puts equal pressure and "balances weight" off of the rocker panel. Next, you will want to install a door brace, these can be made or easy had from cj pony parts for just over $200, normally this is over kill if properly supported, BUT, since your are doing a full floor and tunnel you have to do both sides at once, and its is a MUST...
Shown Here is a Brace you would need if you weren't replacing the tunnel, available at cjponyparts.com
But since you are replacing the tunnel, you will need to find or make a set like these
or....
These would be best for you
^ These are available at http://www.accessiblesystems.com/udb.php
If you feel like I am dwelling on these braces, you are mistaken because they will maintain integrity of your car, I failed to use these the first time around, and my doors no longer fit... and had to re-do a lot of work.
-Step Two
*Removing Inner Rocker Panels*
First you will have to acquire many 3/8" drill bits, a reliable drill, an air chisel with various metal cutting bits.. you'll need it,
there are well over 300 spot welds that have to be drilled out to remove what were once inner rocker panels, fairly self explanatory but a few pointers are to start with the seat riser, this is a large majority of spot welds, get that up, then move along to cutting the bulk of the floor up and gradually drilling the spot welds that keep it down to the various frame bits. Now that the seat riser and the floor is out, start drilling along the row of spot welds top and bottom holding the inner rocker in, also under your fenders, on the torque box, there is a tab of inner rocker bent over and welded. Now is also a GREAT time to replace toque boxes if they look the least bit shoddy. Also removing the torque boxes makes the job quite a bit easier. so once you have the inner rockers and optionally the torque boxes out, move on to the next step.
-Step Three
*Install Floor Pan*
Yup, this comes before the rocker panel, because of the pans directly under where the seat riser were, the lip on the floor pan tucks over that, then the rocker goes between that lip and the outer rocker panel. then can be welded together, my floors did not include the tunnel so I am not much help here. But there is plenty of info available for replacing floors, onwards...
-Step Four
*Installing New Rocker Panels*
Before even putting them in place drill holes about every one inch, you can use the 3/8" from earlier, or slighter small if you wish, if you chose to go smaller, place them 7/8" from each other, now if you have the torque boxes out you cant slide them in from the front and get them to where you need, if not, well I'm actually not sure what to tell you =/, get this all welded up, put your torque boxes back on, finish up any welds for the floors, and be glad you finished before your 90th birthday =P
This is not for the faint of heart, and if you do not have the skill, time, will, motivation, tools, space, and devotion to do this, it may be better off left to the professionals....
Please PM with any questions, i got lazy towards the end of this, but you lucky i made it this far, any one on here knows I am not one for long responses like these =P, oh well another convertible fan is a friend of mine....
heres some more on inner rockers
http://www.midcomustang.com/frameandfloor.shtml
Oh yeah one more thing, i couldn't have written this without listening to The Who so this is to them.
