Replacing entire floor 1966 Barracuda

POPS6T6 · Dec 1, 2008

Ok so as some of you know I am working on 1966 Barracuda that I was just going to do some minor work and get it on the road. Well that has changed a bit so now it leads me to the next question. I have seen and read quite a few posts regarding replacing floor pans, front and rear but what I am wondering is how hard is it to replace the entire floor pan from front to rear including the hump and all? The reason being is that the original car is an Ohio car with quite a bit of undercoating and rust (no holes, just rough but not sure what is under all that undercoating!) and the new car is clean with no rust at all.

Is it possible to replace the entire pan? What would I need to watch out for? Does anyone have a good picture of the underside of an early A-body that would show me what I need to cut around? Is there any framework or anything I need to leave/replace also? Would I be better off just cutting smaller panels and replacing sections? I'd like to replace the entire thing and just have a fresh clean floor in there.

Thanks for any advice and guidance!

John

GTGrinly · Dec 1, 2008

I have the floor out of my 65...what you need to do is get a spot weld cutter and locate and drill all the spot welds out, at the point where the floor meets the cowl, down the frame rails to the torsion bar crossmember and across the crossmember, at the rear of the pan in front of the back seat and down both sides. I would go out to the garage and take a picture for you but that would require moving a lot of junk to roll the car over, I hope to work on it this week, I'll try and remember a picture for you....remind me if I forget, got that oldtimers thing goin on some days...

Dave

yooper822 · Dec 1, 2008

I have to agree with all above, I did the whole pan as well on my 66 cuda . Drilled the spot welds prepped everything and plug welded everything back in. My pan was cut in half across the hump for ease of installation, the hardest part was pulling the old out for me but using a large enough spot weld drill will ease removal.
Joe

65Val · Dec 2, 2008

Here's my '65 valiant with the floor out. Kinda hard to see, but I did just as GTGrinly did.

POPS6T6 · Dec 2, 2008

Wow, now that looks like fun! So do I have to worry about the body of the car shifting when I pull out the old floor pan? I would like to do the entire thing, but I'm a little concerned about any body shift and throwing the alignment of the entire car off?

Thanks,
John

GTGrinly · Dec 2, 2008

As you can see in the picture your rear floor is still connected side to side, torsion bar x-member is still connected side to side, cowl is still connected side to side, no reason for it to shift...I wouldn't jack up one corner or another, let it sit either on it's on gear or on stands.

65Val · Dec 3, 2008

Here's a better scan...

GTGrinly · Dec 3, 2008

I didn't realize the Valaint and the Dart shared the dash setup...or is that just the Canadian version that does???

yellowdartdave · Dec 3, 2008

Somebody forgot to mention that it is a lot easier to do a full pan on a covertible compared to a hardtop!!.....ever try to get into the back seat with a box in your hands.

OldVart · Dec 3, 2008

GTGrinly said:
I didn't realize the Valaint and the Dart shared the dash setup...or is that just the Canadian version that does???

In 65 and 66 the CDN Valiant was actually built on the US Dart model, with the Valiant trim installed. Had something to do with the Autopack agreement between the two countries, if I recall correctly.

POPS6T6 · Dec 3, 2008

Thanks for the info. I will let you know as soon as we get started. Right now I am trying to collect as much info and read as much as I can so that when I get started hopefully the questions are a minimum.

I did luck out and started dating a girl whose brother has a 5,000 square ft shop with a pressurized painting room and a car lift... Might be a keeper! =P~

65Val · Dec 3, 2008

OldVart said:
In 65 and 66 the CDN Valiant was actually built on the US Dart model, with the Valiant trim installed. Had something to do with the Autopack agreement between the two countries, if I recall correctly.

Basically, yes, but the Canadian cars WERE built in Canada, but do use the US-style Dart dash. Canadian Barracuda's use this same dash, as well. here's a link to more info on Canadian A-bodies.

http://www.valiant.org/canada.html

GTGrinly · Dec 3, 2008

yellowdartdave said:
Somebody forgot to mention that it is a lot easier to do a full pan on a covertible compared to a hardtop!!.....ever try to get into the back seat with a box in your hands.

That thought had crossed my mind also, since I also have a convertible. I'm thinking it'll just squeak out and back in with the rear windows down and the doors open if not off...off would probably be better...

While you have the floor out you can clean, check, and rust treat the torson bar x-member on the inside, and the back side of the rocker panels, I found rot on the back side of one of mine, so thats something else you'll need on hand when you start is rust converter and POR 15...or your choice...and don't be surprised at the unexpected....

The spot weld bits are available at Harbor Freight for $4.99...3/8 inch..thats the one I used...I did see in the recent Eastwood catalog that they had several sizes...don't remember how much though and can't put my hands on the catalog right at the present...wait I found it....they have 3/8 and 1/2 inch
$19.99 to $69.99...

Dave

POPS6T6 · Dec 3, 2008

Dave,

Thanks for the info. I am looking into getting some POR15 as we speak. I know my car has rust on it, and I might as well invest in stock in that company right now! Where is the best place to purchase it?

I'm guessing I am going to have to cut the floor pan in at least 1/2 to get it into the car. I'll be sure to photo/document it as I go.

Thanks for the tip on the bits at Harbor Freight. They are begining to recognize me in there also!

Shishaldin · Dec 3, 2008

Wow, did I say I LOVE :love7: this site? This is EXACTLY what I have to do to my '65 convertible's floorpan, but I was scared silly that I'd end up tweaking things by drilling out the spot welds and removing the pan. I am scared no more :-D. A question about the spot weld bits from Harbor Freight, though. How long do they last? Should I buy a half a dozen there or invest in a more expensive bit? I've seen some that were almost $100!

FABO rocks because of it's members. Thanks guys! YOU ROCK 8)!

GTGrinly · Dec 3, 2008

I bought 5 figuring I'd go through them, but they work great...the end flips over so when one end dulls you flip it over and keep going. I broke a tooth off on the second or third weld until I got the hang of what speed to run at and how to start, and stop cause you only want to cut through the top metal. Once you figure that out it goes quick and easy. I'm still using my first one and I've cut alot of welds.
I don't know the "best" place for POR15..I got mine from Eastwood. Their in PA so shipping isn't much I don't know how that would affect you on the other coast.

POPS6T6 · Dec 4, 2008

Did you buy the POR 15 from Eastwood or did you use their rust encapsulator?

In a perfect world when I take this car next week (hopefully) to get soda blasted, he clears off the undercoating and I find out that I don't need to replace as much as I thought. I am more or less preparing for the worst case scenerio and hoping for the best case scenerio!

I'm thinking about treating the entire undercarriage with rust encapsulator or POR 15. I know it will be a bit pricey, but in the long run I'd rather know that I have years without having to worry about it.

GTGrinly · Dec 4, 2008

It's their 2 part rust converter and rust encapsulator...was pricy though...

Good luck with the soda blasting, hope ya don't get too many surprizes...

yooper822 · Dec 4, 2008

POPS6T6 said:
Did you buy the POR 15 from Eastwood or did you use their rust encapsulator?

I'm thinking about treating the entire undercarriage with rust encapsulator or POR 15. I know it will be a bit pricey, but in the long run I'd rather know that I have years without having to worry about it.

I did the whole floor pan (both sides) in Por 15 Chassis coat.The can was small but covered well, I also had enough to do the trunk pan both sides as well! 2 coats each. Did the rocker inners as well as the crossmember. the extra hardened up even though I had a good seal on the can as directed.
its fairly expensive so I'd use it as fast as possible once opened to prevent waste.

** Also I've been using a product calles "safest rust remover" the company is stabilizing the "Miss Belvedere" with it. For those who dont know that was the car that was burried in Tulsa for 50 years. Opened up in 2007 to find out the crypt it was in filled with water and killed the car!

Anyway it does wonders and works as advertised, little pricey. 100.00 for 5 gallons but I have learned to degrease and wire wheel as much as possible to prolong the use of the stuff. its better than sand blasting and has worked miracles on the front end componants!
Joe

65s · Dec 4, 2008

We did the front frame, torsion bar crossmember and floor pans in a '69 Valiant. Not much different than the '66 Barracuda, just a bit wider. We used the pan from a Dart which was longer, but the extra length is just a piece of floor pan that we removed at the back where the rear seat is. The seat belt holes and seat brackets were a little different too, so we had to do that. The front pans were new.

We marked things well with black sharpie and too measurements too. Had the car levelled on jack stands before we started and made sure the jack stand locations stayed the same. At first we left most of the hump in place, then slowly it out after the frame was in. Por-15'd everything.