Won't idle + floorpans

So it's looking like I might be picking up a '74 Midget later tonight. It doesn't idle as it sits, unless you crank the choke way out. Then it'll idle fine, but at about 2k-3k. It seems like it pops sometimes when you let off the throttle too. Could it just be a simple adjustment, or does that sound like grounds for the carbs to be rebuilt?

Also, there's some holes in the floorpans under where the seats mount up. The drivers side has 4 holes where it looks like the seat mounted up at one time. Am I right in thinking that I can just cut out that flat section of metal, and weld in a sheet of steel? There's not much for contour or anything, so what do you tihnk? Maybe just weld it OVER the original floorpans? Also where's the cheapest place to get a new top?

Welcome. I will say best to weld in new floors remember unibody car. But I am no seeing how good or bad they are. 1st I would do is tune up. Points, conderser, cap, and wires. They reason I say this I assumed once my carbs were out of tune. Messed with them and made matters worse. Points were bad. Then had to redo carb. Good luck

But if I was to cut out the old stuff and weld in new "plates" of steel, it'd be no different than buying the proper floorpans and welding those in, right?

Ryan,

I just replaced both, entire, floor pans on my 72. It is a big Job. You have to drop the rear end to do it. The floor pans do (or should) have some "fluting" in the area under the seats. This gives them more rigidity. Important for the unibody design.

I wouldn't weld new steel over the old pans. This will create a spot for water to collect and speed the rusting of both the old and new pieces.

You could just cut out the spots where the rust holes are and weld in new pieces there, if the spots aren't too big. Use a heavy gauge steel and cut a few inches beyond the holes in order to get all the rust.

Or, if the rest of the floor pans are good, except the part where the seats mount. You could buy the new floor pans (can't buy just that section) and just cut out the part you need. This would save you from having to drop the rear end. the new floor pans are about $140 each (drivers side and passengers side), plus shipping.

I would also wire wheel/sand the rest of the pans, spray a rust converter on any rust, and paint with a rust encapsulator. Then paint them.

I hope that helps. Let me know if I'm unclear, or if you have other questions.

You will need a good angle grinder, and a mig welder.

Bryan

Here's the pictures of the floor:







Those are the only holes in the floors. Upon closer inspection of the drivers side, it's pretty toast. It looks like there's more holes in other spots, but it's just rat poop and debris. We could probly cut out the round holes to be squares, and just patch them with little pieces of steel. Either that, or just cut out one big square and weld that in there.

The passengers side just has little holes in it, except for the one hole in the footrest area. I think those could be easily fixed, no? Although easily is a pretty subjective word. I think I'm gonna go peruse the scrap bin at the metal shop today. I'm trying to avoid spending the $300+ for the floorboards, but we'll see I guess. As far as I can tell, there's not really any rust on the bottom of the floorboards, and if there is, it's just surface. So after seeing pics, what's the thoughts?

Ryan,

Most of the time they do rust from the inside. Due to rain getting in with the top down and then getting in the carpet and just sitting there. The bottoms are pretty well protected from the factory.

I don't know they're pretty rough. If it were me, I'd probably replace them both.

You may get away with spotting in at the holes (but there are a lot of them), and eventually it will need new ones. Depends if you want to spend the time and money now, or later.

My 2 cents. Hopefully, others will speak up with their opinions.

Bryan

mg man 75 Wrote:

I do not know that I would recomend the sidedraft. There are only two people on the planet who know how to tune then and they are never around when you need them. That said, I have one on my car and will keep it!

If the car has been sitting for a while, changes are the carbs are gummed-up. My method for doing the re-awaken:

DO A COMPRESION TEST. Really, this is the core indicator of your engines health.

Ignition tune-up, points, plugs and condenser. Use a dwell meter if possible. Check the distributor for shaft wobble. Make sure that the vacum advance mechanism is not seized. Get your timing right.

Now move to the intake side. If the carbs are original, chances are the throttle shafts are worn to some degree and causing a bit of a vacum leak. Your need for high idle indicates that the engine is having trouble pulling fuel out of the jet: cloged jet or vacum leak.

If you do the trouble shooting in a methodical way, the thing will start to work. It is subject to some fairly simple rules of physics. Really!

Pete