floor pan

[busteddrum]

What thickness sheet metal would you suggest for a floor pan that will be welded under the frame and perimeter welded to the body? This is for a '26 Tudor that I would like to get the seating as low as possible. Or would sheet aluminum screwed in be better?

Thanks

 

[Rusty Creek]

The Floor

Let's answer the aluminum part first. No. Myriad of reasons, not even worth going into.

Thickness of the STEEL ........ I don't go less than 16 gauge steel that has been planished and bead rolled for structural rigidity. Planishing stretches the metal just a little bit by flattening it, then bead rolling it uses the excess metal to create the ridges that make it stronger than all get out. Oh yeah, do NOT use galvanized unless you plan on screwing it or riveting it in. Welding galvanized creates poisonous gases. They will make you sick and damage your lungs.

I have bought cars that have had MUCH thinner floors. I am curious at the way you stated your question. You stated that you were going UNDER the frame? Just out of curiosity, why not mount this to the of the frame and channel the floor down to the level you want? [S Much stronger and a lot safer that way. Another way to achieve a bit more headroom is to set a 2 inch block under the front of the seat. If you are making bomber seats - you're going to want 105 degree angle, not a 90. That gives you an extra inch or two as well. Hope that helps

Bruce

 

[busteddrum]

Thanks Bruce for the info.

My intention was to maximize the seat and foot well spaces to help determine the maximum chop while maintaining a comfortable driving position. I am using the dimensions from a Jensen Healy as a guide for the interior of my T Tudor. The engine and radiator will be at opposite ends of the car and I was thinking of running cooling lines within the frame or use the frame itself as the cooling lines.

Do you have any pointers for chopping the top and getting the rear panels to meet up?

 

[Jimmy Wallbanger]

depends on what youre chopping but my

my 44 gmc has about 6 inches top of my head to the ceiling and my seats are probably 4" high in the front to nothing on the back so they lean back. and thats with a 6.25" chop. the roofs buble on old cars and trucks gicing a little more room. and my floor is channeled a few inches too!. wish I wouldnt have since it wasnt needed. but still more room than a miata

 

[Jimmy Wallbanger]

a few chop pics

70fastback on killbillet.com did a clean job on a truck chop. heres a few of mine if they help. i have more of a step by step on the chop if you want it . also I used heavy duty shelving for the floor and tranny tunnel, a old hood for the shaft tunnel. shelves were about 14ga

 

[busteddrum]

Thanks Jimmy. I have to decide on how far I'm going to cut down the top before I can make a decision on how deep into the floor is necessary to put the seats. Your point is well taken about having the seat lower than necessary.

 

[Rusty Creek]

top chop

There are two schools of thought (choices) to take into consideration when deciding how far to chop.

1. Chop it til it looks really cool, then make everything else fit.

2. Build the car (or truck) from the bottom up. Take care of your chassis and cooling, build the floor, seats and pedals, then determine how much to comfortably chop the top.

The T Sedans drop almost directly down. Shouldn't need more than a couple relief cuts in the corners to match it all up. Remember to make the seat adjustable so that it can sold to more than just one person. I posted somethings I've learned along the way about chop tops and seating a few days ago on another post. Maybe it will help.

Bruce

 

[Torch]

If you want to avoid welding galvanized but still want galvanized check out ZRC zinc paint. it has such high zinc content it has true galvannic action. it requires being sprayed to clean bare metal and provides better protection than hot dip galvanizing as per the peace bridge example nigara falls ontario.
On that bridge the hot dip eroded from the steel, the ZRC has been on years longer than the hot dip was and is good as new.

 

[Torch]

I used to think the zinc oxide was poisonous too. it isn't poison but it can mess you up.
It triggers something called metal fume fever.
check out the WIKI

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_fume_fever

 

[busteddrum]

Thanks again for the info

Bruce, I saw your post about suggestions for chopping. Great stuff. I will probably combine both schools of thought and start from the frame, suspension, and wheels/tires, while keeping in mind that I want to chop as much as possible.

Torchman, I will look into the zinc paint sounds like a good way to go. Rust/Patina will be the finish to start with and see where it goes from there.

I almost have my mind made up to make it a sedan delivery, add a rear door, and fill in the quarter windows. The roof is another decision. Either a foam and fiberglass top painted with black rhino liner to look like the original fabric top, or weld in a van roof. The header panel above the windshield is going for sure so there is 4" to start with. No visor. Channeled around the frame, and so on.


Thanks again.

 

[sgtpontiac]

Now we know......

I used to think the zinc oxide was poisonous too. it isn't poison but it can mess you up.
It triggers something called metal fume fever.
check out the WIKI

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_fume_fever

Now we know what has effected Tman.....METAL FUME FEVER.....!!!!! It causes you to go into a myriad of tyranical ranting.....sorry Tman...I'm done...

 

[Torch]

Hey busted drum... I wonder what it would look like if you painted bare steel with the zinc paint, then washed some off before it dried where it would get rubbed on so it would rust a little and get that antique handrail effect

 

[BillM]

Re; the zinc welding......reminds me of an old welding foreman I had YEARS ago....."watch the zinc fumes there sonny....breathe them and you'll en'd up with the zinc bends.........you'll think you are dying, and wish you were!"

 

[busteddrum]

Patina

Torchman, It would be interesting to try out your idea. I was also thinking about por 15 over the exterior and then polishing it to get that same handrail look.

 

[Rusty Creek]

Couple thoughts

You may want to take a second look at the zinc. Zinc is what they spray on a weld before welding, to keep it from rusting. So, I'm not so sure you are going to get your desired effect. If you want a rusty look, may I suggest a steel powder or shavings and then left outside. If you are looking for more of a green/moldy looking finish, copper powder will do that trick. There are also way to make something look aged with a combination of Vinegar and toilet bowl cleaner..... something like that. Read the article a few years ago from one of the websites. Had pics, looked okay.

Oh yeah, as far as that roof, If you are doing an A sedan, I have found a roof off a Jeep Cherokee (NOT the Grand) works incredibly well. If you cut it really close to the windshield, then flip it back to front, the curvature of the Jeep roof near the windshield matches the curvature of the rear of the A sedan quite nearly perfect, and you get some really cool ribs. Oh yeah, you are going to also want to cut along the inside of the big outside ribs of the Jeep roof. That'll give you 46 inches of roof, you only need 42 1/2. Found this out totally by accident. Been using them ever since.

Just a few more thoughts,

Bruce

 

[busteddrum]

Thanks Bruce. I have a '26 T Tudor and it kinda looks like I should cut the a-pillar just below the roof line, and the b&c-pillar just below the the window radii. As you suggested a couple vertical slits to match the rear chop. I was wondering if I took out a vertical strip behind the quarter window the same width of the offset so the area under the rear window matched, would the corners match up as well? Or at least be closer?

 

[billy]

hydrogen peroxide (the kind in your bathroom) and a propane torch
wet bare steel with it and get it hot with the torch
instant flash rust.

 

[Jimmy Wallbanger]

end on an age

all you guys making your car rusts arent gonna leave much for future generations haha. no telling how many cherry As have been cut up and rusted down . on the same note I find chopped and painted better gotta love thats 50s and 60s styling. to each there own. Im goin satin but not black!