Hawk floor replacement

[Mark Plucenik]

I have a 64 GT and I am getting ready to do the body. I have hade the body off to restore the frame. I just re attached the body and rehung the doors to replace the floors and trunk. I purchased full floor pans, inner/outer rockers, hough troughs, trunk floor etc, bascilly everything from Classic Ent.. My question is from anyone who has been down this road what order works best in this sheet metal replacement. I will be doing 1 side at a time watching the door spacing .
Any advise will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks , Mark

[52 Ragtop]

It is NOT just the door gaps! You will need to fit the 1/4 panel too! If you don't, you "might" end up with either a very wide gap or a very narrow gap. Measure the opening FIRST, then once you have the old floors cut out, and the new ones fitted, use sheet metal screws to hold them where you think they will go, check all your gaps and fitness. once happy with the way it fits, start welding in the panels. Go slow and check the fit periodically. It is much easier to move things around if you screw things together first. Be sure to use a weld thru primer on both pieces of the parts you're welding. Then use an etch primer and a 2 part epoxy seam sealer. Once primed, also be sure to paint the surfaces, as primer is NOT waterproof!

Jim

[jclary]

To add to what Jim wrote, if you have rust and rot to replace that has compromised the body's overall dimensions and how the pillars mount to the frame, doors, etc. It would be good to button the car up, brace everything to appropriate "fit" and then take angle iron and tack weld it across the inside to keep everything together while you work.

It is nearly impossible to hang parts in mid-air and expect the get them back together in correct relationship after welding in patch panels. Once you have the floors, frame mounts, and pillar areas back together, you can remove your temporary bracing.

I have done enough of this to comment, but not claim to be an expert. My results are far less than perfect, but I would hate to see what it would have looked like without doing it this way.