Now owning a vehicle, I am ESPECIALLY interested in getting parts built. Why? I don't necessarily want to scour junk yards for the next few years, and in particular, trying to cut out metal floor pans. It's not about "being lazy", it's about saving time and energy. I have been involved in the pinball machine hobby for the last ten years, and I have made repro parts - which are happily scoured up.
I stopped by my favorite metal fabricator this morning to talk about floor pans. I showed them pictures of my rotted front floor pan, and it looks like it is something that's doable. I have to capture drawings of it in AutoCAD, and send it forward. I was told the tooling would probably run several hundred dollars, and it would be amortized across a build of, say, 50 pans - since we're not stamping out thousands. I'm guessing at this point.
My additional motivation is as follows (correct me if I am wrong):
1) MOST folks don't have the tools/time/resources to cut out floor pans
2) MOST folks don't have the room or money to procure donor cars for this effort
3) Donor cars COULD potentially be builders, and the more that are cut up, the fewer cars are available
4) Donor cars are becoming more scarce
5) Our cars deserve parts just like the Camaros, Mustangs, et. al.
6) Fewer people get involved in these cars BECAUSE of the lack of parts
NOW - what are the thoughts here? Being honest, if nobody steps up, and/or shows enthusiastic interest, I won't throw the money away. I CAN'T estimate any pricing yet - and I KNOW that's the hot button. I will when I am able.
I would START with passenger fronts FIRST - not the whole floor, not the rear, not the driver's side. This has to be simple.
DOES ANYONE HERE have an interest in getting floor pans reproed? FEEDBACK PLEASE.
Chris
If I could get one for $250 or less.
Has anybody pestered Classic Enterprises yet? Or the people making those Mustang II pans?
Thanks, I was just doing a search and realized that the topic has been done to death, and I am the grim reaper in this case ;), but something HAS to be done. I'm tired of it. I realize anyone can tack a flat sheet of metal in their floor, but what of originality? Personally, I care about it.
Chris
Floor pans are always number one on my list, at least till I get them welded in. Every car I've had has needed at least one. I just bought a set from the site a while ago, and while they are original, I don't know how crucial every nook and cranny in the designs are 100% necessary. I'm fairly certain many people have welded in the proper gauge steel in a flat piece and gone ahead from there, but a piece made to fit would certainly be better. I'm interested, and would definitely spend the money if I need them.
Excellent. I can't say these would be 100% identical (and I'm not trying to flounder, just being realistic). The goal is to mimic all the channels so that appearance from beneath would be maintained; I do not think I would add the drain hole/plug ONLY because it is complex, serves no function, and sits atop another support channel, so it cannot be seen from the underside (I am referring to 1976 pans in this case).
Chris
Well, I think I got my answer. In eight hours, 2 people responded. I find it interesting how threads of most any kind get lots of views, and very little participation. I guess I don't understand it.
People want repro parts but....
Chris
i personally dont need them, but i think its a great idea. coming from the rusty city of cleveland, im used to the clear floors. lack of repopped panels is one of the reasons i wanted a southern or western car. what is the rough price on these?
bob
well i just went out to my most rusty car sure that this one had to have the rusty floor boards that every one talks about..... i pulled the carpet...... there very solid some surface rust but i stabbed with a screw driver hard ever-were but no cancer. but if i had to replace them it dose look like i could build them with just a plasma cuter and a a brake out of flat steel with mild ease. if i need to go all the way to the seat that would be harder. i would need to find a templet for the seat bulges and heat up a second pice and hammer it over the templet then spot weld it to the floor board or find different seat rails. tis dose not look to be very hard to do.
this is just what i saw looking at it.
with that being said would poeple be interested in pre cut and bent ready to weld in floors out of good steel?
All:
My apology - I suppose this request was redundant, and only intended to spark interest. I had already posted a poll some time back - that was pinned - and there was some very valuable feedback. I am sure this is why there's a lack of responses - folks have already done so.
Regardless, I am going to forge forward on:
1) Floor pans
2) Instrument cluster white crumbling piece
...to start. Thanks for your support, there are many numbers of parts to consider.
Chris
Ever thought about a short run of repro dashes using something like Alumilite?
Trouble would be that the molds are slightly too flexible.
Nice idea. I have used Alumilite quite a bit in the past for model making. Great stuff, durable, heat resistant, resilient, can be sanded/tapped/painted/colored. A core of alumilite over a metal frame with some padding and vinyl would be nice. Alumilite by itself covered with vinyl would be too hard.
Chris
Chris remanufacture of floor pan's cost to much when their is so many good floor's that are going to be crushed. I have 5 Arizona rust free 1's that I going to have crushed and I have more I can pick up. I found that street sign's work well, aluminum beet them senless into shape silicone in and after carpet instaled with heavy under coat it look's all original. Fred :)
What with the price of EVERYTHING going up I used the side panels from old computer cases. To strengthen the panel I put a number of dimples in it by using a socket (about 1") on the bottom and then a slightly smaller one on the top. The difficulty is in aligning them up, but basically I just hit the top socket with a 5 pound hammer and it made a nice round dimple. I was going to put 12 in the front Passenger panel I replaced, but I slipped a socket and did the finger holding it no good. :'( Thus, I stopped at 7.
Tom
My point of view on this issue is simple - I live in Ohio. We grow corn, beans and rust out here. If I could buy pre-formed floor pans of a good quality I would buy a set or two just to have them for the next project that comes along. I'm not concerned about the proper channels in regards to their appearance from below - I can't get my big head under a car anyway, and anyone who sees the underside of my car has already been run over, thus their opinion will be somewhat biased at that point. :cheesy_p: In truth, unless a Pinto ends up in a Concours style show where it really counts, I don't know how many folks on this board would demand going to that extent of originality for a part that is all but impossible to view, and out here, tends to be very necessary in repairing a car. Especially a thirty plus year old Pinto. Could be that I'm way off base to feel that way, but I can't weld yet either...
If by chance someone can pull it off and manufacture the things though, count me in with no hesitation at all.
Quote from: FlyerPinto on July 02, 2008, 03:22:04 PM
......I can't get my big head under a car anyway, and anyone who sees the underside of my car has already been run over, thus their opinion will be somewhat biased at that point.....
ROTFLMHO!
Bill
Sorry Bill, couldn't help it. I was being serious though, can't get la cabase grande under the car without a ramp...but I do want those floor pans!
Bill, Acronomia is such a small country that many Americans just can't justify learning the Acronym language. Oh..., some like to fake it with their PDQ's and BTW's but really these people can't really carry on a conversation with an Acronoid.
I've met a few Anglo-Acron's in my life and when they try to be bilingual the strangest things come out of their mouths. :smile:
It is much easier to converse on the list using "Whole Word English" which is not to be called WWE.
I, of course, hope you know I'm joking. I just couldn't resist. And now back to our regular schedule show: "Floor Pans - the Missing Episode."
Tom
as there seem's to be an interest i will buy the steel and bend up a dozen or so this winter. as i was going to buy steel this week any way. how big do u want them. like i said i haven't had a pinto with bad floor boards yet. but ive only owned about 200 (most for parts(dam hot rod projects!!!)) so far.
i dont know how much these will cost most likely with the high pice of steel about 75-150 a set
Personally, not knowing exactly how to weld these things in (yet) I'm not sure how big they should be in terms of being somewhat oversized. I would think an exact fit would be best, but I'm not the authority here by any means. Folks with experience?
what portion of the floor do yall need?
I could use rear floor pans. It is wierd that my front ones are GC but there is a hole thru the passenger rear floor pan. I would buy them at any reasonable price...
Thanks,
James