car welding question

[rusty69bus]

i'm in a bit of a dilemma. i need to replace my floor plans due to someones previous patching ( i had three floors and the spring hanger wasn't attached to the chassis rail as the floor was floating).

my question is seeing that in general patern panels tend to be thinner than orignal should i use correct thickness sheet steel? although there would be no pressings in it.

 

[fingers99]

I'd see if you can get a "real" panel -- the pressings will contribute to stiffness (presuming you don't have a swage to put some in yourself), it'll be the right thickness and will fit better. Otherwise, a pattern one.

 

[rusty69bus]

unlikey to get a real panel as it's 30yrs old, trying to think of ways to produce pressings with what i have

 

[malcolm]

Is this the Morris Minor? Can't believe you can't buy new panels for them. I thought Charles Ware had even lined up new bodies at one point.

For replacing floors with flat (non-swaged) sheet I'd probably go one thickness up from original for a little stiffness. Though it is easy to knock swages into original thickness flat sheet using a 1/4 inch sheet with a swage shaped pattern cut out, and hammering the panel onto it with a rubber mallet.

 

[snowcat]

unlikey to get a real panel as it's 30yrs old, trying to think of ways to produce pressings with what i have

pressbrake, or make up some tooling for a flypress

 

[wallopadonkey]

malc i think he is referring to a volkswagon camper judging by previous posts he has made
dave

 

[andypocock]

I'm going to sound like an advert for Practical Classics but there is an article on hand forming the pressings into a sheet to make unobtainable bits.

Andy

 

[rusty69bus]

it's the morris have used all four floor 1/4 panels before but found them thin by comparison they were hadrians i believe, if it makes a difference. i don't mind putting pressing in but i would like to do a 1/2 pan in thicker sheet

 

[wallopadonkey]

rusty do you have a camper?
have i dreamt it all lol

 

[rusty69bus]

i have a camper and a morris minor traveller which will hopefully be a christmas present for my misses if i can sort it out.