Sorry to discourage you but replacing these floor pans is a fairly complex
and difficult body working job (BTDT). I would HIGHLY discourage pop
rivets, and to do it *CORRECTLY* requires a spot welder, and either a gas
or MiG welder for seam welding the area around the drive shaft tunnel. The
floor pan was originally a one piece affair that included the tunnel
section. The replacements are two pieces, without the center tunnel
section, so that area of the old pan needs to be trimmed to match the new
replacement, and (butt) welded in place. The central floor outriggers,
just in front of the seats, also have to be replaced or the old ones
re-used (easier to just get new ones and weld in place). This would be
something that would be done to a car in the process of restoring it, as
most likely the paint work will be affected by the grinding/welding
required to replace the floors. And I would be willing to bet that one or
both of the outer sills is starting to rust through (small bubbles along
the bottom front or rear edge of the sill (rocker), requiring these to be
replaced as well. This is an even more complex job, as doing these
incorrectly can affect the structural integrity of the car, not to mention
the alignment of the doors etc. The sill structure on Spitfires and (GT6's
to a slightly lessor extent) are also structural members adding rigidity to
the whole assembly and must be done correctly to insure a safe, reliable
vehicle. There are probably several body shops that could do a decent job
(can't recommend any off hand) but you'll bay big bucks, reflecting the
amount of work involved. This isn't a job I would recommend, especially to
someone that has never done any, or only minor touch up body work.
Barry Schwartz (San Diego) bschwart@pacbell.net
72 PI, V6 Spitfire (daily driver)
70 GT6+ (when I don't drive the Spit)
70 Spitfire (long term project)
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