I Need to Hear It Again - Floor Pan Issue

Not to wear out my welcome on this issue, but...

I now have the rear section (from crossmember back) of a new steelcraft floor pan (thanks Bill, it came today).

I got into this because three of the driver's seat mounting points on my current pan are rusted away, with rusted-through cracks running a few inches forward from the rear holes. All other areas of the pan are fine. I had been considering simply installing a heavy steel plate over the rear half of the floor pan by adhesive or welding.

After getting a lot of feedback on this forum, and learning that I could get my hands on the rear section of a new floor pan, I decided to go conventional. That is, remove the entire rear section of the floor pan and weld in the new rear section.

But now that I have the new piece in hand, it seems too thin/flimsy to support my 250# butt. I don't think it's any thinner than the original, but it's hard to believe that thin piece of metal is going to be strong enough to keep me and the seat from hitting the ground when I apply a few G's at the bottom of a hill at 50 mph...even though the rusty one had been doing just that.

Tell me I'm worrying too much about this...

You are worrying too much. The cross member and solid welding at the edges gives the strength. '72 MGB

You're worrying too much, wait until it's welded all round, it won't flex.

Your worrying too much. Once the piece is secured by fusor or plug welding, it will support your weight.

Larry, I'm not sure , but I think the consensus is that you're worrying too much. :D

lose some of that weight? :)

Thanks Guys!

It seems I worry too much. I think I've heard that before.

...I've also heard before that I should lose some weight. RE-INFORCING THE WHOLE CAR would be easier than me losing weight.

I'll hush now and go pan welded in place. ...but if I wind up sitting on the ground, it'll be your fault! :D

wyattlo Wrote:

I've learned that I can be hungry or heavy.

I waiver somewhere in between.

But, congrats for your progress.

Hey Larry, you'll be fine, just cut out the old pan and weld in the new piece. The cross member plus the stampings in the sheet metal will be more than adequate to support the weight.

Look at it this way. If it doesn't support your weight and your butt ends up going through at the bottom of a hill, you'll end up loosing weight, just in a slightly different way.
Problem solved! :)

Chris

You're worrying too much. Besides, if no one ever pushes the limits, how will the rest of us know where the limits are??
Apologies if someone above has already stated this sentiment as I didn't read the string.

As everyone else has said, you'll be fine. I do sympathize with you on your body weight. I'm in the same boat. During my recovery time from surgeries I ate too much after the second one which was a shame because of the hospital weight loss, and after the third one I cut back on the food but started drinking too many real Cokes. When I was getting ready to go back to work, a lot of my shirts didn't fit, so now back to diet coke. The clothing issue is a problem because I have to wear untucked shirts with a tail long enough in the front to hide the tail end of the ostomy bag. If only I could have held to the weight loss from surgery, but...I look pregnant with the"alien" stuck to my front.

Reproduction floor pans are thinner than the original floors you have in your car. We had this discussion a while back, and I stick to my claim in this regard.

However, they do the job once secured properly.

Larry, I installed the steelcraft pans in a friends B last year and once they were installed they didn't flex at all. I'm over 230 and could easily stand in the center of the rear section without any movement. They might be slightly thinner gauge than original, but still plenty strong for the job. One thing though, the pans didn't come with studs for the wiring loom/gas line installed on the passenger side, had to fab those from carriage bolts and no nuts welded for the front seat mounts. I also had to fab drain hole covers and drill the appropriate drain holes.