No adhesive what so ever especially at the rocker as others have said it's a structural piece integral part of the unibody. The only place you could use would be a small patch to a existing good floor.
Good tip about the butt weld bits. Didn't know them. I found this Blair set in Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002XML5HK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1UMBRA5ZTBCX8 Are those good?
Really strange that it should be chopped up like that (makes me think of The French Connection!), as the rocker itself doesn't appear damaged anywhere except the inside, and a hit on the outside that would have done the same to the inside would have been nasty enough that the rocker wouldn't look like that today - nor the car.
Makes sense - though why is 8115 touted to have a stronger tensile strength than steel?
Good points. Then it doesn't make sense. Could it be that they cut it to check for damage or rust? But if so, why cut it so much.
The epoxy has a high tensile strength, but the assembly will be weakest at the epoxy-panel interphase, which will make the whole joint weaker. Maybe that's the issue.
If I were to lap weld all around, what should I use to seal the lap joint? Some kind of silicone or similar?
Thanks found the Blair 11082 in Amazon.
How are your door gaps?
+1 for both the Blair 11082 and Hobart 140 MIG welder. I used the same cutters on the spotwelds of my car - AND the same welder to put it back together. You'll love the Hobart; it's nicer than the comparable Lincoln 110's.
Here is a picture.
Blair makes a good spot weld cutter but make sure you don't use the one with the center drill bit. you want the one with a pin in the center. Make sure you center punch the spot welds really good before drilling so the bit doesn't walk all over the place and break.
Thanks. These are very helpful tips. This is a very doable project. I can't wait to get going. I ordered the Blair cutter you recommended, #11082 w/o pilot bit. The panels are backordered at CJ Pony, but I still have ways to go before I start welding them together. I first have to remove some of the fiberglass to locate the factory spot welds, cut them, remove the seat risers, cut the old panels out, cut the new panels in, drill and then lap weld. After that I guess seal, paint, and enjoy!
I have a pair of used pans with the risers on them - the driver's side is not great, but it may be better than what he has now.
Thank you Kurt, let me know.
You will need to cut out any holes and weld in some patches.....couldn't tell from the pics sorry. If its where the lower seat cushion sits, I don't believe they make patch panels for that area??? I may be mistaken but im sure someone on here knows for sure!! If not get some 16 gauge steel and cut a few patches for that area. the smaller patches are a little easier to practice your butt welding skills if you would like or you can just overlap it....up to you.
Rip up the fiberglass. Do it once, and do it right.
Looks like someone in the past used rust bullet type stuff or undercoating type stuff on the pans...hard to tell from the pics. That will hide a lot! Grind, wire wheel it off and clean that area up. I usually cut the small holes out with a body saw or cutoff wheel and make them square. A hole saw might distort your new patch. ??? Since you will be welding in the floor pans you might as well weld in all the patches. My personal preference is to weld anything I can. One way to tell if the metal is too thin....use a screw driver and try to poke through it. If you poke through it....too thin if not then your good. Use good common sense and judgment. Those small holes I would cut a nice square hole out and butt weld it in place for a seamless look, but if your not comfortable with that, then by all means do a lap joint weld. With the sealer new meeting old..... just make sure if you use the stuff from a caulking gun don't just make a nice bead and leave it there. You always want to run your finger down it to make sure it seals well and gets smoothed out nice. Just like caulking windows or a shower in your house. The last pic is really hard to see. but if its a seam in the panels coming open then you will want to clean it up and try to pull it together with a c-clamp or self tapping screw if possible, then weld it shut and grind it to look nice. good luck!!!
Thanks for your responses. Here is a close-up but still not easy to see. It does not seem like coming apart. It just looks like the two panels were welded a bit a part. Teh gap is fairly consistent. It looks original or nicely redone. I just don't know if this is normal. I can try to add sealant and then close the gap with a clamp. If it is original welding it shut may not be the proper way.
