30-JUN-2012
Rusted floor removed after blasting
The floor is cut out after the sandblasting and ready to make some patterns.
30-JUN-2012
No more rust!
With the rusted floor cut out, the blaster was able to remove the rust from the rusted body supports.
30-JUN-2012
Primed complete tub after blasting
I wanted to get a couple good coats of epoxy primer on the bare metal before I started sweating all over it and making it all rusty again!
30-JUN-2012
A nice coat of primer looks way better than rust
I feel like I have made a huge accomplishment just by removing the rusty floor and with a couple coats of primer sprayed on it looks 100% better.
30-JUN-2012
Paper patterns of the new floor
Now that the tub is primed I can touch the area and not worry about sweat and oils messing up the rust free tub. I used some poster board to make patterns for the new sheet metal for the floor.
01-JUL-2012
New floor panels laid out
I transferred the patterns to some nice clean 16ga sheet metal.
01-JUL-2012
Cutting the new floors
These electric cutters worked great for cutting the new floor pieces. They cut the 16ga sheet metal like butter.
01-JUL-2012
Both floor pieces cut
I had both pieces cut out and ready to go. I now need to make a trip to a friend's shop to use his brake to bend the couple inches that go up the firewall.
04-JUL-2012
Sheetmetal reinforcment
I primed the bottom of the new floor pieces first then I welded some galvanized uni-strut for stiffeners to reinforce the metal.
Since I will run mufflers right underneath the seats under the floorboard I'm going to use the uni-strut with some uni-strut nuts to mount a heat shield on each side. This should help to keep the heat down on your feet.
04-JUL-2012
Painted and ready to weld in
I put a fresh coat of paint on the bottom of the new floor sheetmetal so I wouldn't have to lay under the Jeep and paint it after it was welded in.
04-JUL-2012
Paint on frame before welding
I thought that it would be a good time clean and paint the frame under the floor panels before I welded the floor in. I also re-welded a couple brackets that someone else welded on the frame that I will use when I make a new trans mount. They welds looked like some had stuck gum on there!
04-JUL-2012
New floors tacked in and ready to weld
I did a 4th of July 5K run in the morning then came home and tacked in both floor pieces. I sometimes cease to amaze myself, both pieces fit in almost perfectly with very little grinding to make them fit. I tacked them in with a TIG welder but I will be welding them in with a MIG. I would hit little pockets of crap in the metal and the tack would get messy. Everything needs to be close to perfect when TIG welding or the weld can really get ugly.