Technical Fixing rusted floorboards

[smahaley]

Piecemeal or buy new pre-made floorboards?

1978 124 CS1- and I’m slowly addressing rust issues. I’ve started on the floorboards and would like some opinions as to my next best step. The video is of the passenger side:

Thanks in advance!

 

[Slotman]

If you havnt yet, take a look at the Eastwood company, they have an awesome selection of the tools and supplys needed for your task at hand...

 

[Twink80]

If you havnt yet, take a look at the Eastwood company, they have an awesome selection of the tools and supplys needed for your task at hand...

Can I also recommend something like this rust treatment. You can either brush it or spray it then spread it with a brush. Seems to work really well killing rust (doesnt fill holes tho ) thx ebay!

 

[Slotman]

It's like por15 that we have here...I swear by it, it strengthens thin metal and drys ceramic hard..

 

[Slotman]

Here's what it looks like in my 55 chevy, have it in my spider as well under the dynamat.

 

[smahaley]

Update: so….. we attempted some welding. It was rough going. My buddies helped - which was great - but in the end we wound up cleaning more, cutting holes to good metal, cutting plates of new metal, forming to fit, using JB Weld and self tapping screws and will follow with seam sealer. It was ugly work! But - it will all be more solid than it is, and will be covered up.

 

[Slotman]

When it comes to jb weld use the "marine weld" version, it's the best! I've fixed cracked blocks, and body holes and it never gone bad yet..

 

[Twink80]

View attachment 474346
Update: so….. we attempted some welding. It was rough going. My buddies helped - which was great - but in the end we wound up cleaning more, cutting holes to good metal, cutting plates of new metal, forming to fit, using JB Weld and self tapping screws and will follow with seam sealer. It was ugly work! But - it will all be more solid than it is, and will be covered up.
View attachment 474347

If you are struggling with welding you could practice on some of the bits you cut out. Start off setting the wire speed and leave that. Too little wire speed and too much heat/current the wire will melt before it gets to the weld. Too much wire and low heat the wire wont have melted. Just experiment with the settings until you get a steady crackle. Support the torch with your left hand/forearm and with Mig you push the weld along the joint. Watch the weld pool and if it looks like its puddling just release the trigger monentarily. Then resume. There is a lot in technique and it varies person to person.
What you are repairing needs to be structurally sound. Self tappers may be ok before you tack weld but dont rely on them for strength. As for JB weld if you cannot weld the parts it is unlikely JB weld will bond the parts
Practice Practice and you will get there!

 

[Slotman]

Yes, as Twink80 said, don't use JB weld for anything structural...., structural areas need to be welded...practice, flip what you just welded upside down and check for penetration, if you burn thru a critical spot figure out how to fill it back in, your welds dont necessarily need to be pretty but need good penetration, with JB weld I've filled pin holes in autobody , and a cracked marine engine block, as well as drilling and tapping it, and in stripped bolt locations with great success , I was just pointing out the marine version is a great deal tougher that the regular version, I was given a lecture about it by a movie stunt driver who said they use it all the time to fix stuff on the set.
As far as the argon/ Co2 you should be ok, I'm not an expert welder but I've chopped a top, done custom body work, and lots of general patch panels with good success with it, I've never had the opportunity to use anything else but i wouldnt mind trying straight C02...dont give up , practice, if you can find some old body panels close to the thickness of your spider in a friend's back yard, cut pieces and weld them back together, in time you will get it! , a lot of time you will be doing tack welds, practice that a lot, it's pretty easy , tack pieces of scrap every half an inch , this is often how you start with a patch...develop a pattern with the tack welds to get the patch in, and avoid warping, giving the spot time to cool in-between welds, then come back to fill in .
Often you can add plates in areas for additional strength especially if it's a spot that doesn't show..one thing you might consider if you live near a community College, sign up for an evening welding class for one or two quarters, if you make friends with the teacher not only will you learn how to mig weld , but they may let you bring your body in to work on...ask me how I know

 

[Slotman]

Just an f.y.i. there's a set of front floor pans I just noticed listed on ebay today, but it's a ridiculous price, however it springs hope someone is making these and if you shop around you might find a pair for a reasonable price..

 

[bugsymike]

Please don't repair a classic car with JB Weld.
Cars are built using spot welding etc. If manufacturers thought they could get away with glue they would have done it years ago!!!
Yes I know they are gluing aluminium sports cars these days, but it is done with highly computerised technics.
When I was foreman of a garage and also an MOT tester I would fail that immediately!
You or someone you love may be in that car one day, how would you feel if you had contributed to their death!
I am sorry but I feel very strongly about it.
Spend a bit of time learning how to weld properly, it's not that hard, I can do it.

 

[Slotman]

Please don't repair a classic car with JB Weld.
Cars are built using spot welding etc. If manufacturers thought they could get away with glue they would have done it years ago!!!
Yes I know they are gluing aluminium sports cars these days, but it is done with highly computerised technics.
When I was foreman of a garage and also an MOT tester I would fail that immediately!
You or someone you love may be in that car one day, how would you feel if you had contributed to their death!
I am sorry but I feel very strongly about it.
Spend a bit of time learning how to weld properly, it's not that hard, I can do it.

Yes sir! Agreed, welding is a fun skill to learn , hate to date myself here, but I remember my first welding experience in the mid 70s in metal shop class in Palmdale CA, after school metal shop class, first thing the teacher did was give us 2 .100 thick plates , and an oxygen acetylene welder, showed us how to light it, and adjust it, and showed us how to make a puddle, then told us we get " no rod" weld the plates together...next came the red Lincoln arc welder everyone had...good times ! But mig works pretty dang good