Greetings all,

Anyone out there with experience on repairing/replacing the floorboards and other structural chassis areas on a 444/544?

I recently bought the car and knew going in that it had floorboard issues. This past weekend, I spent a couple hours underneath the car scraping off layers of undercoating (which hid many sins). I found rust in the left front floorboard, which I expected. I also found extensive rust in the chassis underneath the driver's side. The passenger floor, rear floor and trunk all look good.

Before I do anything else on the car, I want to get the rust issue repaired. Past pictures and advice would be appreciated....as would suppliers of the sheet metal required for the repair.

Many thanks,

Wayne

This is a photo album of my floor pan replacement with both before, during, and after pictures in no particular order (sorry). I had to redo front and back on both drivers and passenger side including one of the two seal support channels. I also had to replace door bottoms, skins, rockers front and back, drivers side cowel (from a donor panel) and fabbed up a new spare tire bottom. Yea, pretty much replaced everything that was within six inches of the bottom of the carcass.

dean

I always seem to have problems with photos here. Lets try this instead:
dean

http://s1303.photobucket.com/user/deanandcarolv/library/Volvo%20pv544%201961/floor%20replacment

Hi Dean,

I cut and pasted the link to your photos and they pulled up fine. My car and yours looks like twins...same rust, same places, etc. Guess all the old ones look this way. The support pieces under the floor pans are rusted in my car as well. The drivers side is toast, passenger side not too bad. One bad seat support bracket.

Are you going to use the stock seats or retrofit with something a little newer (Amazon)? I'm going to put in new seat rails for sure and might add the newer rails if they will fit both the older and newer seats. Just a thought.

did you spot weld? MIG?

I'll post some pictures of mine this weekend. I'll set up an account at one of the sharing sites.

Thanks again,

Wayne

I drilled holes and plugged them with mig. I used a screw in every other hole to hold them in place for the first round of plug welds. I gave everything a coat of por-15 when done and then applied the grey seam sealer you see in the photos. The rockers were gone....I replaced outer rockers front to back and repaired the inner rockers which weren't so bad.

All the channels underneath were fine so I lucked out there.

Havent decided on seats. I might try finding some seats out of a Miata so I can have a headrest but wanted to maintain the original seat rails in case the next owner wants to revert.


dean

Dean,

I plan on using the same technique with screws holding everything in place and welding every other hole.

I know I'll probably get a lot of criticism for wanting to replace the front seats...with something a lot more comfortable and supporting. Mine are pretty shot and need spring work and of course all new upholstery. And...keeping the originals in storage. I haven't even started looking around to see what might look good and fit easily. Perhaps others have already gone down this road and found a good replacement? Late 60's early 70's Volvo? Another make entirely?

Wayne

One thing about the original seats is the way they angle in when the backs are pulled forward. This greatly improves rear access when you're "large" or creaky. Can't think of any modern seats that do that but I believe original Beetle seats do the same and the overall design is very similar. A Beetle seat was on the passenger side of a Duett when I bought it and it was similar, and frankly a bit more luxurious.
Miata seats are nice but I believe the seat back lean forward angle is limited. I think I read they fitted fine in an 1800 but no one could get in the back without pushing the seats right forward. Being an 8 year old also helped!

I was going to start with Miata seats if and when I ever have time to visit the junk yards ...

dean

I have done almost a dozen floor pans and done the way I prefer takes a lot of time.

What you have to remember when doing large floor pan repairs on unibody cars is that the floor is an important part of the structure of the car.

I am just finishing a large patch on a drivers floor pan on a 122 wagon. I had to expose a large section of the main stamped steel frame, the entire stamped steel side support.






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Eric
Hi Performance Automotive Service (formerly OVO or Old Volvos Only)
Torrance, CA 90502
hiperformanceautoservice.com or oldvolvosonly.com

Hi Eric,

Looks great. Did you have to put the car in a jig before doing the welding?

No jig or bracing is required on small patches and on individual floor pan sections in most cases.

The rest of the structure determines whether you need bracing.

If the rockers, stamped steel frame sections and floor supports are in good shape and if you do 1 side at a time, you shouldn't have to use any bracing.

Bracing was required when I worked on a P210 that had Swiss cheese for front and rear floor pans and badly rusted rockers. The front door were removed and bracing across both door openings were installed and then tied together with additional braces while the rockers were replaced, then the floor pans were done with the bracing removed. While the floor pans were being replaced, a section of the transmission tunnel was modified so a M41 overdrive transmission could be installed.

--
Eric
Hi Performance Automotive Service (formerly OVO or Old Volvos Only)
Torrance, CA 90502
hiperformanceautoservice.com or oldvolvosonly.com

Hey Eric,

Understood...floor pans are OK to replace on their own. I figure my rockers are in bad shape, so the advice about removing the doors and doing a lot of cross bracing is great. If you have any pictures of the rocker repair, that would be a huge help.

I may also take your advice about making the transmission tunnel mod to fit the M41 transmission.

Wayne

Forum;

Eric's method may take a lot of time, but it is the PROPER AND CORRECT RESTORATION METHOD: Rust cut out and replaced with new metal (either preformed replacement panels or panels fabricated from sheet) welded into place. This method retains the structural strength, rigidity and safety which a unibody design is based on and gives. Nice job Eric!

Suggest you contact following about rust repairs: Beth-AlanAuto

3m makes a 'panel bonding adhesive ' it is a two part product , saves from welding and setting car on fire . find a metal mart or similar supply house and get a heavy gauge galvanized sheet metal that you can work with ... cut all the rust away and fit in the new from interior.. preferably - also bond clean metal to clean metal.(very important part)!!!

Many thanks for the info! I'll post some updates in a few weeks.