c130nav

Well, got the motor and tranny out this weekend. In another post, somebody said i needed to support the car better. So whats the best way to do this??? Have a picture of what i've got now (circled in red). Im sure this isn't the best place for stands, especially with everything cut out like it is.

[ Red Arrows ] Im not sure what these are called, but can anyone tell from the pics if they should be replaced?

I guess while here on this pic, can you'll point out anything else that SHOULD be replaced. Do I need the complete floor pan, or is the center floor piece look to be fine?

Thanks for the input. Trev

[IMG]local://upfiles/29155/6CBF12820ED9459EB70583B47EBA7C38.jpg[/IMG]

mayh3m

i would say put the wheels back on. when i cut out my floor i just left the wheels on and all is well.

taylorjones

in regards to replacing the floor, you can't really get a good look with the pictures. you are going to have to look at the floor, does it have holes in it? is it rusting? does it look weak? can you poke a hole through it? if you said yes to anyone of those you'll need to replace that part of the floor and if most of your floor is like that...then id suggest the complete floor pan.

GypsyR

Just my opinion but I would be happier seeing your jackstands placed where your red arrows are. That's the "inner rockers" you are pointing out. Replacement is per your inspection. I would try to repair any minor damage, removal will suck as they are the actual basis of the car. How you would support everything with one or both complete rockers out I don't know. I do know that people have had to do so though, usually on convertibles for some reason.
When doing stuff like this I put a jackstand at each end of each rocker. When Mustangs were being assembled they rolled down the production line being supported at these four points. When I was doing stuff I felt structurally important I leveled the car on the stands fron to rear, side to side, and crossways. Maybe not necessary but sure seems a good idea to me.
I can see right through your floorboard to the right front brake drum. I take this to mean you don't have a passenger side "torque box". I highly recommend adding one even if your car didn't come with one originally (like mine). And if/when you do, fit it before you put in the toeboard and then the toeboard before you actually weld either one in. Learned THAT the hard way. If one's slightly off, the other can be an SOB to get to fit right. Put them in together and it should be duck soup. I believe I see the ramains of your left torque box too. Might as well buy them as a pair. NPD sells "cheap" versions and better quality versions of their torque boxes (or did when I was buying them). They highly recommended buying the better ones. I did, and was not disappointed. I've heard from other folks that this was indeed the right way to go. The little you save buying the lesser ones apparently isn't worth the trouble of trying to fit them.
Good luck.

RSRXION

I may well be the forum member who advised you to X brace the body. What I mean by X bracing is to weld some 1-1.5 inch diameter tube in the major openings of the body. The doors, floor etc... This will support the areas which are currently missing their panels. Think of your chassis as a box. If you cut the top and bottom out of your box, it really isn't too sturdy is it ? When the doors are removed and the floor pans are removed you have significantly reduced the rigidity of the uni-body platform.

Before welding any panels back in make sure that you have installed the underhood export bracing and install an aftermarket Monte Carlo bar. Is the radiator core support still on the car? If not install one before moving to the main body structure. This will solidify the front end. Put the deck lid back on it and close and latch it. This will help the rear of the car. Weld the bars in an X fashion across the opening of the doors. Don't get carried away here with the welding. A nice little tack job will do the trick and remember you're going to have to clean the welds off before body and paint.

If the center trans hump is in need of replacing... Make sure that you X brace the floor pan BEFORE you cut the hump out. That means weld a piece of tube from the left front rocker to the right rear. then weld from the right front rocker to the left rear. Where these bars cross, weld them together. That should sufficiently strengthen the floor of the chassis and with all other bracing in place you're on your way to a nice solid repair. I would strongly encourage you not to support the chassis with its' wheels and tires on the ground. If you choose to do so the unibody will sag in the middle. The severity of the sag will be a direct reflection of the bracing you've installed. Rather I'd advise you to support the chassis with jackstands on the rockers. You would also be well served to put a pair of jack stands under the front frame rails and another pair out back where the spring shackles bolt up. Take your suspension stuff off front and rear so that the added weight doesn't add to the movement of the "box". I'm also assuming the engine and trans is out as well.

With all of this said I hope you have great success. I have seen cars built without bracing and turned out fine. I have also seen cars that the doors fit horribly and the windshield cracked at every big bump. Building the uni-body back is kind of like prepping a car for paint. The fit and finish will reflect the quality of the work in the rebuild. If you don't spend adequate time sanding it shows up in the paint. If you don't spend adequate time bracing and welding, it shows up in misalignment and fit . The bottom line is that it's your box... how nice do you want it to be ?

The Mach 1 pictured below had the entire floor pan, trunk pan and trunk drop offs replaced using this method. The doors fit like a glove and open and shut easily. There is no wind noise from poorly fitting windows and it does not leak water. The work was done by a professional and I would strongly encourage you to enlist a well experienced body man in your efforts. Pay him a consult fee of you have to.

Good luck and I hope this helps. Dean



[IMG]local://upfiles/26494/D72B672F370E4C81B80EBBFA69977710.jpg[/IMG]

slickman

Every time I see stuff like this, this far gone I can't believe it... My 66 had a new complete floor pan installed back when the resto was done around 2002 (prior to me).. Good speed to you...

Soaring

It appears you are at the point of needing a rotisserie. Espeially since it appears that your frame rails are pretty rusty.

GypsyR

Some good points made, particularly RSR's bracing thoughts. I though I should add that I did my work with a much less radical approach. I replaced my pans a piece at a time in an otherwise fully assembled and functional car. IE, I yanked the seats, carpet, fuel line, etc. and went after the driver's front floorboard. Completed that and moved on to the driver's rear floorboard, etc. At no time was the car so disassembled that I had to worry about panel misalignment or body distortion. Nor did any occur. Happily my car was quite "straight" when I got it. Your car is already in such a disassembled state that such distortion problems may already be a real concern.

RSRXION

Atta boy Gypsy ! Foresight is a wonderful thing. By replacing the panels one at a time you minimized your risk of chassis movement. Unfortunately I'd guess that we are looking at a full pan replacement on this little pony and he's "pot commited" as they say in poker. It just makes me sick to think that I have sent cars in so much better condition to the crusher over the years. Not just Mustangs but all makes. 25 years ago, these cars weren't worth squat and were parked on every corner. Now, we have to drag them up out of the mud desperately searching for something to build. Best of luck to both of you. Dean