Rotting Floor
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
From: Oswego,Ny
Rotting Floor My girlfriend has a 1995 firebird and the floor has completely rotted out...I am determined to fix it for her one way or the other. Does anyone know where I can buy a whole new floor pan, or do I have to buy patches? Thanks in advance for any info...
Well, when I was a broke college student my fix was
aluminum sheet, window screen and roofing tar. And
it worked well enough that I stuck with it even after
I wasn't broke anymore. Pop rivets to hold it in place,
screen & tar (in layers, let it dry) to make it sound
and waterproof.
But you probably want to look into "why?" - likely a
water leak. Though road salt & sand -could- have
done it from the outside in, or just saturated the
carpet & pad from foot-slush and done their work
over time.
Laying up a few layers of fiberglass with a couple
of stiffening ribs in it is another way to go. Cheap
enough, will cure faster than the tar, may pop loose
as the surface ages underneath.
I also like that silver tar for roofs as an undercoating,
inside or out. The aluminum content seems to fight
rust nicely.
aluminum sheet, window screen and roofing tar. And
it worked well enough that I stuck with it even after
I wasn't broke anymore. Pop rivets to hold it in place,
screen & tar (in layers, let it dry) to make it sound
and waterproof.
But you probably want to look into "why?" - likely a
water leak. Though road salt & sand -could- have
done it from the outside in, or just saturated the
carpet & pad from foot-slush and done their work
over time.
Laying up a few layers of fiberglass with a couple
of stiffening ribs in it is another way to go. Cheap
enough, will cure faster than the tar, may pop loose
as the surface ages underneath.
I also like that silver tar for roofs as an undercoating,
inside or out. The aluminum content seems to fight
rust nicely.
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 555
Likes: 0
From: NearHouston, TX
Jimmyblue fix is prob the way I'd go. But I've heard of expert fabricators welding entire bottom floors from newer cars in there making new seat options even work. Obviously not everyone is capable of this, and if we found someone to do it would be expensive, but just saying keep an open mind when looking through the junk yards and salvage yards.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
From: Oswego,Ny
Thanks for all the suggestions guys. It just so happens I got hired on in a shop where we do full restorations....I can have my boss weld in the floor after i do all the tear down,,,,thanks a ton again....Mike
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