1969 Road Runner facelift

[Propwash]

looks like we'll be seeing some pictures soon i hope.

Yes!! Yes!! Lets see the new tin in action!

 

[northerndave]

workin on it guys.

I peeled the bad floor area up from the drivers side.

Some clean up on the frame flanges, measuring, trimming, welding.. Hopefully I can get the driver's pan in today.

 

[northerndave]

I placed my back cut right on top of the rear flange of the crossmember so it will be easier to hide a butt weld.

Tried to take the old pan out in one piece to help mark the new pan for cutting.

 

[Propwash]

Way to tackle the rot Dave!! Looks like something salvaged off the Titanic.

 

[northerndave]

Nice!!


Ok, I have a few more pics for show and tell.

These are all phone pictures, I appologize for that but it's the fastest way for me to get my photos uploaded and the quality is good enough for show & tell.

The old pan being used as a rough pattern. I cut a bit oversized so I could trim to fit.

I cut and trimmed the pan for a jigsaw puzzle fit with butt welds. I wanted my seams hidden from the underside of the car.

One of my final test fits before I started burning mig wire.

I located the back seam directly on top of the rear flange for the crossmember, this way the seam was totally hidden from the underside of the car and I had a nice backer for the long weld.

Tacking the panel into place (I painted the insides of the crossmember and forward frame rail before laying the new tin down)

The shifter hump to pan fit worked out really nice, I did my best to duplicate the stitch welds that were there from the factory. the butt weld seam from the shifter hump to the firewall was a really nice fit and easy to weld.

There we are all welded into place.

A slathering of POR15...

And on to the passenger side toeboard area.

Out with the bad...

In with the good..

Again it was a puzzle fit with butt welds, looks nice from under the car.

After some scraping of undercoat that someone put on the top side of the floor I slopped on some more POR15 and called it a day.

Next up is drivers side rocker repair and frame connectors.

 

[Propwash]

Good work! Another task checked off the list!

Just thought I would throw this out there.....I know this conversation has been all over the place and to each their own, but the Globe West set of sub-frame connectors I have came with instructions that specifically say to install them with the car weight on wheels and in complete configuration. Being I see so many folks install them off the ground or even on a rotisserie, I figured I call up Globe West and play stupid, like I never got the instructions. The design engineer was very adamant the car needs to be in a normal weight on wheels config in a driving/complete condition. Being it is a uniboby, the car flex's quite a bit more than people realize. If they are welded in and the car is out of its normal posture and sprung or unsprung vs. how it normally rests...well, that's the way it's gonna stay.

So, not saying anyone is right/wrong, just figured i'd let you know. Myself, i'm gonna take the guys advice so I don't have to sweat it.

Also, can't remember If I told you or not but those door handle reinforcement plates are 304 S/S. So, bright side, don't have to worry about rust, but you'll need to buy 309/309L wire to weld the C/S-to the S/S. Pretty easy stuff to find. Figured you would pick up on that once they came in but now you have a little bit of a heads up.

Keep up the good work. Good to see the tin chicken getting some love!

 

[northerndave]

I have the car on jack stands right now and placed the stands under the ball joint area up front and under the axle by the leafs in back and was planning on doing the frame connectors but I can see what you are saying with the full weight of the car being hung respectively... i will wait until the car is back together before I weld the connectors in. doors and front clip are off the car now, plus the seats are out... Yeah I'll wait.

Sweet, I guess I'll focus on the rocker repair then switch over to filler/primer mode.

 

[northerndave]

A little rocker work tonight.

I planned and cut the old outer for what I will replace. I also cut the repair panel.

I have a little trimming to do to the repair piece to make it fit perfect, I also need to pick up some more weld through primer.

I also need to bring the repair piece in to work and correct a couple of bends. You can see my sample slice of original compared to the profile of the repair panel.

 

[Ron 73]

Looking good Dave, thanks for posting these...

 

[northerndave]

panel thickness aint quite there on the repair piece but it's not as bad as my photo shows.

Grinder cut on the sample slice makes the original look extra thick, and the nibbler cut on the repair tin is... slimming.

:grin:

 

[detmatt1]

Looking good, nice work!

 

[northerndave]

I got the bends corrected on the rocker repair panel... but I just can't put that piece on my car.

It will bother me for ever, it's too damn thin!! Seriously, now that I look at it closer, it's 20 gauge and the original looks like 16 gauge.

I'm going to make my own out of 16 gauge.

 

[moparstuart]

I got the bends corrected on the rocker repair panel... but I just can't put that piece on my car.

It will bother me for ever, it's too damn thin!! Seriously, now that I look at it closer, it's 20 gauge and the original looks like 16 gauge.

I'm going to make my own out of 16 gauge.

:headbang::headbang::headbang::happy1::happy1: :happy1:

 

[Propwash]

Progress looks good Dave! I still have that 36" long hunk of AMD outer rocker if you want/need it. Just collecting dust in the garage.

 

[northerndave]

Thanks will, That would have worked if I didn't already cut 39" out of the car.

:grin:

We have a very cool fab shop at work. I think the guys can bang out a 40" chunk of outer rocker profile from a piece of 16 gauge CRS for me.

They sure can't do any worse than the canadian made chunk of rain gutter I ordered from ABS.

What do we do right Will?

Between professional glass installers and beer can rocker panels we just can't win.

:grin:

 

[Propwash]

Thanks will, That would have worked if I didn't already cut 39" out of the car.

:grin:

We have a very cool fab shop at work. I think the guys can bang out a 40" chunk of outer rocker profile from a piece of 16 gauge CRS for me.

They sure can't do any worse than the canadian made chunk of rain gutter I ordered from ABS.

What do we do right Will?

Between professional glass installers and beer can rocker panels we just can't win.

:grin:

No doubt brother...No Doubt! I'm stunned how thin that rocker is....stunned

Think I can get this made into a neon sign for the garage: :Groaner:

 

[northerndave]

That would be an awesome sign lol! I need one too!

 

[northerndave]

Outer rocker profile test piece.

Looks way more better than the chunk of 20 gauge rain gutter I got from ABS.

I'll have the shop guys form a 40" long piece of this profile out of 16 gauge CRS and I'll trim it to fit at home.

 

[roadrunnerman]

looks good on the floor repair dave.with the primer on after youwelded, you can't even tell where the two pieces meet.yeah, the rocker piece does look a little thin.Are you going to butt weld the new piece in also.Was up in detroit lakes,mn. yesterday picking up a load and was wondering how close that is to you. thought maybe i might see you out and about.

 

[northerndave]

Hey runnerman, you'd have to keep going north, stop about 10 miles short of canada.

:grin:

I'm happy about this new rocker piece with the correct bends and thickness.

Yes I plan on butt welding my replacement piece of rocker, the long top seam will be under the alum sill plate and the bottom where it meets the inner rocker will be drilled and plug welded.

I'll take pictures.