New build 62 Impala SS

[oldskydog]

Use the plasma on the spot welds. Turn it down to stun and draw a circle around the spot weld. It should only penetrate the top panel……then pop it loose with the separator blade. Worked for me.

 

[CASHguzzler409]

Hey Jim did you look in my trunk... yes there's hatchet there. lol
While I was doing some cutting on the rockers, I had a funny feeling
that something was burning, thought it might be my drill was getting to
hot, so I looked around and saw smoke coming from the front cowl area, I had just cutout the front floor board, and got it hot enough to cause the firewall installation material to smelter, kind of made me
think some.

 

[Phil Reed]

That could do it!!

 

[CASHguzzler409]

Ok, I did borrow my friends Plasma Cutter, haven't used it yet but will start tomorrow.
Im still not understanding how the new complete floor that all ready has the brace's attached, gets welded in, and how much of the rocker's do I take out? all the way back to
the wheel well? I've seen that there are a few spot welds at each end of the doors, on the sill, and quite a few more along the inside back seat floor window area and I know 'll have to drill out the spot welds in the back seat and the cowl, are these the only welds that are going to hold the floor in place?. I do better with pictures, cash

 

[R63ss]

Cash,can you post a pick of your new floors and rockers,especially the front and back of the rocker.Paul has some great photos of where the floors are welded to the engine cowl,and trunk filler panel.He has it down to a system.I learned a lot from his photos.The rocker goes into the A piller and is welded to the b piller.It is what ties the two together.The floor braces are spot welded to the inner rocker.The floors are spot welded to the braces.Once you cut the old rockers and floors out both the A and B pillar are hanging,and can move,that's why bracing is important.You pretty much want to box it out,with some cross braces to keep things from sagging or racking,especially if the body is on a rotisserie.It is helpful to have your bracing inside the body so you can hang your doors to make sure all your gaps line up before you weld everything in.If you have full rockers than they do go all the way to the rear wheelhouse.Happy cutting,don't set to much undercoating on fire.
Rick

 

[R63ss]

Dennis has some good photos in his build thread of the metal work happening on his car as well.

 

[303Radar]

While shopping on the internet I found a repo company that sells sheet metal and they have the wheel well replacement panels. My question is when replacing the floor with my new original one, with all the braces and rockers attached, will I have to separate the rockers at the front and back of the door, and will I have to continue on and open up the quarter to the wheel well panel to install the complete floor with rockers. I've watched
many video's as to where I should remove the spot welds, across the cowl, across the back
seat, my rockers on the car are rotted beyond repair, but the new ones are very good. Any advice of how to weld the floor back together would be a great help, as I am as green as grass, and its my 1st time welding. thanks cash.

Which company did you find?
One way to find a good/better deal is to take the manufacturers part number and check on Summit/JEGs/RockAuto. I did this for all of my panel replacements on the 59 El Camino and was shocked to see the price differences and which vender considered which parts freight/drop and the shipping prices.

 

[CASHguzzler409]

Thanks for the ideas, I shouldn't hav4 much trouble with undercoating, the sandblaster should take most all of that way, and I did spend a week or more removing all the undercoating on the body before buying this floor. What I bought was a one piece complete 63 Impala 4dr. floor (hope this will work) that was cut out from the cowl all the back to the area where the spare tire sits. It has all the rockers, and brace's still attached. I haven't got my floor back from the sandblasters yet, so when I do I'll send pictures. So I guess what your saying is I"ll have to remove the spot welds by the A & B post of the door, then cut out all the remaining rockers back to the back seat. With the new floor, I'll have to re-spot weld it to the A & B pillars, plus up the sides and across the back seat and cowl area. More or less any where that it was spot welded before.

 

[CASHguzzler409]

I've been learning to use the Plasma Cutter, to me it isn't as easy as they say. I have the floor cut from the toe board to the front of the back seat, and the bracing in. Today just got back the complete floor I bought from the sandblaster. Its a 4dr floor, so I hope this will work, if
anyone has used one, any hints on what to cut would help. Here's some pic's. thanks cash.

If I try to install the floor with the rockers, will I have to cut out the quarter section behind each door? Im way over my head on this project, only a professional welder builder, or a
fool ? would try this. Any guessessss... which one I am

 

[La Hot Rods]

Mount some door on it when you line everything up.

 

[blkblk63ss]

I can't really say on your floor cash since i have never done one to that extent,but Paul can probably help you there. I was wondering how you like the plasma cutter from east wood ?????

 

[pvs409]

Separate the 4 door floor pan from the rockers that are on it - drill out all the spot welds on the top both sides and the front cowl and decide how much you are installing at one time -see my pictures of the full floor pan -shown above on the saw horses -

your 4 floor pan should look like the one in my pictures without rockers on it
and it has to have the front flange on the cowl and rear flanges (over the brace or behind the back seat) clear of extra metal that was cut off when 4 door floor pan was removed.

Installing 4 door floor -how much to install - Does the under your back seat floor pan have to be replaced??

• to the back of the back seat ? drill out spot welds for extra floor to the rear of the car below package shelf
• or the front of the back seat ? drill out spot welds over the long brace --brace might have to be removed and replaced --or leave it on the floor pan

Its going to be very difficult if not impossible to install the 4 door floor from the bottom with the "crossed braces you have welded into the car( from side to side in the car)

The Inner rockers repairs have to be done before installing the floor pan with the braces is installed.

1. the 4 door floor pan will have to have the flanges on the sides bent vertically to get it in the car from the bottom -to lay on top of the rockers & so they can be spot welded to the top of the rockers(after the rockers are removed from the 4 door floor pan) -
2. see my pictures above - you can see the floor pan flanges that were bent on both sides of the floor pan to get it in the car
3. the entire floor pan section will have to be "tilted to one side" and lifted into the car above its final location at least 2 to 4 ft above the top of your rockers. You need at least 4 guys to do this.
4. I think your braces crossing above the floor pan inside the car are going to have to be removed to what I noted below

With a Hardtop I do not think you need the amount of braces you have inside the car (After the inner rockers are fixed) -
one brace on each doors & one brace from the front kick panel (below the dash) "on drivers and passenger side" -- to the rear panel below the rear window should be enough.

This will allow the full floor pan with braces to be lifted inside the car and set back down on the top of the rockers ( Then bend the floor pan flange back down after you get the floor pan inside the car ).

Paul

 

[Jim Sullivan]

Great description Paul.

 

[pvs409]

I missed posting a picture of the edge of the floor bend up + I added a closeup off the welding on top of the rocker after the flange is bent back down to the top of the rocker and the welding in the back seat (remember the back seat is a convertible -so brackets under seat are different and the convert top supports do not exist on a Hardtop).

 

[CASHguzzler409]

Great ideas, and I do appreciate them, as to the Plasma Cutter, it is not from Eastwood, its a
HyperTherm Power Max 190c, I did buy the Mig welder from Eastwood, and like it. Great thought on putting the doors back on, each idea helps. As for Paul, well he's on another
level, his willingness to help others, and the time it takes to write up his directions, is what
makes this forum so great. Even the smallest of idea's helps, or gives encouragement.

 

[CASHguzzler409]

Not much progress on the floors lately, have been working with Barry on the doors, fenders, we have them primed twice, their looking good, 1 more time should do it. We are going to do
each piece , then move onto the next one. Barry has decided to build a 409 engine, and a
Engine Run stand, he's been cutting and welding like crazy this past couple of weeks. I think
he is more comfortable in the paint arena. lol. Back in the day, he had a 62 Impala, 409, that
he raced, so he, as most of us, returned to those memories. Im building the car, he's building
the motor..... crazy huh? He's got some great questions for you old time race guys, like this
motor has been bored so far out it does not have the relief, he's using Jan's pistons that are
about 6 " long, weird looking things. Anyway.... just stories to tell. later. cash

 

[CASHguzzler409]

Sanded on the fenders and doors today, put 4 more coats of primer on, should almost be the last
primming? I used Barry's top loader today, and boy did it put on the material, I will admit to a
few runs, but as a apprentice, its allowed.

 

[CASHguzzler409]

Jim what you doing up at 3 am? or didn't you go to bed yet?

 

[Jim Sullivan]

6 am my time. I'm up about 5 am every day but Sunday when I sleep in until 6:30.

 

[Jim Sullivan]

By the way, you're making some nice progress on your '62 Stan.