Thickness of car floorpan?

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Anyone like to guess at what it is?

Its Vauxhall, so not exactly a well built tank

The car needs a plate welding over a floor seam(not a main chassis rail), so would it be best to just clear the rust, and weld a piece of sheel steel over the hole from the outside(overlap joint) ?

Cheers

 

[malcolm]

0.8mm to 1.0mm would be my guess for thickness.

The aproach would depend on how long you want to hold onto the car. If it's not more than a couple of years just plate over. More than that it's worth cutting out anything that's rusty and then plating over. I often go for a butt welded repair, though a little overlap of 5-10mm would make the repair much quicker aqnd easier.

 

[irondarren]

funny you saying about cutting it out malcolm, years ago me and my cousin used to respray and flog the odd car or two.(when we were about 20) If it was a nice car and one of us was going to have it, every bit of rust was cut out new plate welded in, ground to perfection etc. That way you knew it would last. If it was something to make a quick couple of quid on, it was a patch over the rust, a quick dent in with a hammer and a skim off filler and a quick respray. You knew it wouldn't last that way but it was just being sold on for a couple of quid

 

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Im planning on holding onto the car for quite a while. And id prefer for the repairs to look good and not like patchwork,lol.
So its best cut out the rust into say a square/rectangle shape, and then butt weld the repair sheet in?
I was thinking it would be around 1mm thick, so it may need on/off stitch welds to stop it bending? Using mild steel sheet the same thickness as the original metal?

If i remember rightly car repairs have to be fully seam welded to pass mot?

 

[irondarren]

Chances are you can get a floor pan to weld in, might be worth looking at. if not then some 1mm thick sheet would be fine

 

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You cant get a repair section for the bit that needs repairing, so it'll be a hacksaw and a piece of sheet steel. lol
The seams at a 90deg angle too, so one section will need welding vertically, and the other either lying upside down, or maybe weld that from the inside of the car(so ive not got to lie under the section,lol)

 

[bump]

Not for a Nova is it?

 

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Not for a Nova is it?

Tis indeed mate.
You'll know me off png btw (lltn)

 

[bump]

Thought it was you.
Welcome Sir.

 

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Cheers mate.

If you fancy paying me a visit and giving me a few welding pointers please do, lmao.
Even tho you live quite a distance away.

 

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Ok, cleaned up all the hole that needs plating over now.

Would it be best to weld the plate from the Inside of the car? Which id prefer so i can be above what im welding.

Or the outside?(under neath the car)

 

[Rusty]

Ok, cleaned up all the hole that needs plating over now.

Would it be best to weld the plate from the Inside of the car? Which id prefer so i can be above what im welding.

Or the outside?(under neath the car)

Have you made the repair patch to fit inside the hole or are you overlapping the hole.

 

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Have you made the repair patch to fit inside the hole or are you overlapping the hole.

I haven't made it yet, got to pickup a sheet of 1mm steel tomorrow.
Im hoping to make it so it fits flush in the hole, and then seam welding it all the way round.

But if i decide its easier overlap it, then its probably best to weld it on from the outside to stop mud/water collecting in the gap between the new/old panel?

 

[bump]

If your overlapping it then I'd go from underneath for the very reasons that you've suggested. Then cover it in etch primer, give it a bit of top coat then cover in underseal.

 

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Think im going butt weld it, from above.
It looks a bit awkward to weld from underneath with the car on axle stands.

 

[malcolm]

Butt weld from above is probably going to be easier than an overlap from underneath. Good choice.

 

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Yep.

Ive just got to get a mate on "fire watch", keep an eye on the carpets