Floor Pan 71 Duster

[HOTRODSATHER]

Hey guys, about to get started back up on my duster. First thing I have to do is the floor pan.As you can see from the pics its really bad. I know I am looking at some sub frame damage and the rail under the door are pretty bad. I have never done major body work before, can you please give me some advice about how to do this. I am really worried about keep the body straight and all that stuff, also how do I get the new pan in, through the door or back window? I know I have to drill out some spot welds and melt away the seam sealer other than than I am kinda charging into darkness here. I update this thread as I go with new question and such. The idea I have is to remove the pan, clean all the metal reinforce the welds and joints primer and rattle can the sub frame(except where I will weld the pan to that will just be weld through primer) then once I have it straight tack the seams till I have a solid seam weld,grind it down smooth and POR15 I am looking for the strongest permanent repair I can and I want to add as much rigidity to the body as I can without adding extra steel or structure to it.
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Thanks for any help.

 

[76orangewagon]

Get a spot weld cutter and cut out all the welds the new floor can fit through the door but without the quarter window or up through the bottom. If you look at the first couple pages of my build (linked below) there are several pictures of rust repair and panel replacement that might help you a little more.

 

[HOTRODSATHER]

Oh yah, I PM'ed you about your wheel tire combo. That's awesome thanks man. Is there a reason I would need a spot weld cutter specifically or could I use a normal drill and drill out the welds?

 

[76orangewagon]

A spot Weld cutter is obviously specifically designed to cut around the weld and not go into the underlying or secondary metal..a drill bit will always cut into the underlying metal due to the nose angle of the bit. Yes, you can use it but I would invest in a Blair or similar make spot weld cutter ...and buy a spare pack of cutting heads, you'll need them. An air chisel will help the process also.

 

[HOTRODSATHER]

Should I leave my engine and tranny in?

 

[crackedback]

If you are throwing the current floor pan away, cut the spot welds with a grinding wheel on a 4.5" grinder. There's a crapload of them!

It will take a lot less time to remove the current pan.