My '63 Valiant Signet Convertible Resto
Ok, update time!
We have a big cruise/cruise in here every year before the fourth of July, so I wanted to get the car ready because it's this Friday.
I managed to get plates welded in around all the seat mounting holes, they were the inner holes (beside the hump) on both sides were about the size of quarters because of rust.
We cut some 3X4 inch plates for all the holes out of 12 gauge steel then drilled and welded them in. Attached the seats with some 1 1/2 stainless carriage bolts and big washers on the bottom. The seats aren't going anywhere now.
The drivers side was a mess, there were three bolts there, but in reality only 1 bolt was holding the seat in! Not only that, the pan had a 6 inch split that ran parallel to the rocker panel. There it split was just inboard of the drivers seat bracket, there is a groove there which apparently filled up wth water and rusted thru. I can't believe all of this wasn't taken care of by the previous owner when he did the front pans.
Anyhow, we welded the two halves back together then cut a 6X20inch, 12 gauge plate to cover both seat stud holes and overlap what is essentially now two panels. It was not at all what I wanted to do, but I didn't expect to find such a mess underneath. It is secure now and once the carpet is in it'll be impossible to tell.
While my dad was doing some welding (happy fathers day, thanks for the help) I managed to put my other trunk lid on. It's not at all the same color, but it's rust free and looks 100% better than the rusty one.
I also bought a passenger door a few weeks back and it finally arrived from California. I haven't unrapped it yet to see how dented it is, but I don't see any rust so I'm doing way better than I was.
Sorry for being long winded and sorry for the photo quality, camera phone was all I had.
New trunk lid on!
Dad welding
New door in the back of my daily driver
Ok, update time!
We have a big cruise/cruise in here every year before the fourth of July, so I wanted to get the car ready because it's this Friday.
I managed to get plates welded in around all the seat mounting holes, they were the inner holes (beside the hump) on both sides were about the size of quarters because of rust.
We cut some 3X4 inch plates for all the holes out of 12 gauge steel then drilled and welded them in. Attached the seats with some 1 1/2 stainless carriage bolts and big washers on the bottom. The seats aren't going anywhere now.
The drivers side was a mess, there were three bolts there, but in reality only 1 bolt was holding the seat in! Not only that, the pan had a 6 inch split that ran parallel to the rocker panel. There it split was just inboard of the drivers seat bracket, there is a groove there which apparently filled up wth water and rusted thru. I can't believe all of this wasn't taken care of by the previous owner when he did the front pans.
Anyhow, we welded the two halves back together then cut a 6X20inch, 12 gauge plate to cover both seat stud holes and overlap what is essentially now two panels. It was not at all what I wanted to do, but I didn't expect to find such a mess underneath. It is secure now and once the carpet is in it'll be impossible to tell.
While my dad was doing some welding (happy fathers day, thanks for the help) I managed to put my other trunk lid on. It's not at all the same color, but it's rust free and looks 100% better than the rusty one.
I also bought a passenger door a few weeks back and it finally arrived from California. I haven't unrapped it yet to see how dented it is, but I don't see any rust so I'm doing way better than I was.
Sorry for being long winded and sorry for the photo quality, camera phone was all I had.
New trunk lid on!
Dad welding
New door in the back of my daily driver
