Author Topic: Floor pan majorly rusted out in my 75' Chevy Silverado.  (Read 30161 times)

Offline Chevytruckfanatic2009

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Floor pan majorly rusted out in my 75' Chevy Silverado.
« on: March 14, 2008, 12:06:56 AM »
 Hello, my name is Ryan and I'm 16. I'm inheriting my dads' old truck that he bought new in 1975. For the past few years he's let it sit up and rust pretty badly. The driver side cab corner is completely rusted out, but we have plans of fiber glassing it? I'm not completely positive that this is the best method of repair, but it's what my dad says we should do. The floor pan is in horrible shape; the passenger side is totally rusted out. Where the floor pan and rocker panels connect, it's rusted out there as well on both sides. The rocker panels seem to be just fine surprisingly. I'm just here for some advice on what y'all think should be done in my situation. I've been trying to find a website or place I could buy a complete new floor pan, but no luck thus far. If it would help, I believe I could post some pictures of the damage, Thanks,

Ryan
1975 Chevy Silverado LWB 396ci/TH400; project

Offline Redneckchevy

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Re: Floor pan majorly rusted out in my 75' Chevy Silverado.
« Reply #1 on: March 14, 2008, 12:34:57 AM »
Well replacement panels is the way to go...In the time it will take u to fiberglass and sand....u could just welt in the new stuff and be done...cause if u dont get rid of the rust...It will come back...And then u will be pulling out chunks of fiber glass....
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Offline Dragon

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Re: Floor pan majorly rusted out in my 75' Chevy Silverado.
« Reply #2 on: March 14, 2008, 12:39:24 AM »
Tell your Pop that you would like to fix it the right way, so that you and anyone else who rides in it can be safe!!!  Chris(Forum Owner, and who also has several 73-87 Projects of his own) sells these through the Forum Store(Found in the Above 73-87 Parts Link)
http://store.73-87chevytrucks.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=7&Product_Code=1001&Category_Code=C1
Here is a Link to the Installation/Repairs another Forum Member Wrote on the subject...
http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=5661.0
Aside from these kits, the only way to get these pieces, is in sections, unless you go to a Salvage Yard and Have them Cut you out a complete floor(Most won't do, if the Cab is in decent enough shape, as they could sell the entire cab!!)....
Dragon
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Offline hotrod24

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Re: Floor pan majorly rusted out in my 75' Chevy Silverado.
« Reply #3 on: March 14, 2008, 12:48:25 AM »
trust me these guys know what thay are taking about i was going to do the same thing you want to do but i found this site and i am glad i did. It has taught me alot.

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Offline Bitzer!

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Re: Floor pan majorly rusted out in my 75' Chevy Silverado.
« Reply #4 on: March 14, 2008, 07:01:11 AM »

If a jobs worth doing - do it properly the 1st time! Replacing the metal may take a little longer but it keeps the strength in the panel far better than any fibreglass.

The guys on this site have hundreds of years experience (if you add 'em together!) and very helpful. Even if you ask a silly question, as I have been known to (!) they don't yake the wee    ;)
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Offline Blazin

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Re: Floor pan majorly rusted out in my 75' Chevy Silverado.
« Reply #5 on: March 14, 2008, 07:38:30 AM »
Leave your wee out of this Bitzer ::)!
 First off welcome to the site, from New Hampshire.
 You need to do this correctly. Fiberglass is for boats, or getting something through for one more year. If you don't have a mig welder I would suggest getting one. They are not that expensive for what you can do with them. ( fix moms lawn furniture, dads lawn mower, if ya know what I mean ) I don't care who you are or what you plan on doing in life it is never a bad thing to know how to weld. Do a search of the forums you will find tons of threads with pictures on allot of them about floor, cab support, rocker, cab corner replacement.
Some people are like Slinkies. Not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs

Offline Chevytruckfanatic2009

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Re: Floor pan majorly rusted out in my 75' Chevy Silverado.
« Reply #6 on: March 17, 2008, 12:46:59 PM »
   I talked to my dad about what y'all said, and he told me that he was going to fiber glass it from the inside. He's gonna use the rusted metal to shape it, then he's gonna sandblast and remove all of the rust from the cab corner. Personally I would like it to be metal, because then the truck would feel a lot more original. And be alot stronger in that section. But he seems convinced the fiberglass repair would last longer than stated. My dad has never really done a major removal of sheet metal. So he's obviously wanting to stick to what he knows how to do. I have pretty much all summer to fix the cab, so time isn't an issue here.

   And as far as the floor pan goes; I looked at the Cab Repair Kit link that was posted. My entire floor pan needs replacing, so I'm assuming I'd have to buy two of these kits?

Thanks,

Ryan
1975 Chevy Silverado LWB 396ci/TH400; project

Offline Captkaos

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Re: Floor pan majorly rusted out in my 75' Chevy Silverado.
« Reply #7 on: March 17, 2008, 01:02:01 PM »
Yes if both sides are gone you need a left and right side.

Fiberglassing the cab corners won't last very long though...

Offline JJSZABO

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Re: Floor pan majorly rusted out in my 75' Chevy Silverado.
« Reply #8 on: March 17, 2008, 02:28:21 PM »

If a jobs worth doing - do it properly the 1st time! Replacing the metal may take a little longer but it keeps the strength in the panel far better than any fibreglass.

The guys on this site have hundreds of years experience (if you add 'em together!) and very helpful. Even if you ask a silly question, as I have been known to (!) they don't yake the wee    ;)

...yake the wee  ???   :D  :D

Love the Britts ;D
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Son regained interest when truck was almost completed

Offline Blazin

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Re: Floor pan majorly rusted out in my 75' Chevy Silverado.
« Reply #9 on: March 17, 2008, 03:54:26 PM »
Bud, tell your dad you want it right.  By the time you two get done screwing around you will have wasted more time than doing it right. Plus unless he is a contortionist with very very small hands he is not going to reach down inside the cab corner, let alone do any work in there!! Oh yeah and sand blasting will blow fiber glass away just like it does rust!
« Last Edit: March 17, 2008, 05:41:54 PM by Captkaos »
Some people are like Slinkies. Not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs

Offline VileZambonie

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Re: Floor pan majorly rusted out in my 75' Chevy Silverado.
« Reply #10 on: March 17, 2008, 03:57:39 PM »
try duct tape and paper towels. Or paper mache  :D

Blazin is right, the $ and time you'll waste on all that crap you could put towards a welder and do it right. It's a good investment. Fiberglass is a temporary fix for a ride you'll be sending to the bone yard not one you're gonna fix up and keep.
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Offline Bitzer!

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Re: Floor pan majorly rusted out in my 75' Chevy Silverado.
« Reply #11 on: March 17, 2008, 04:12:05 PM »

If a jobs worth doing - do it properly the 1st time! Replacing the metal may take a little longer but it keeps the strength in the panel far better than any fibreglass.

The guys on this site have hundreds of years experience (if you add 'em together!) and very helpful. Even if you ask a silly question, as I have been known to (!) they don't yake the wee    ;)

...yake the wee  ???   :D  :D

Love the Britts ;D

Ok Ok I was tried yawn lol       ;D
1979 GMC CrewCab  C20 1t
454 750 Holley,TH350, 14bolt diff fully floating
Why aren't there 8 days in a week!
A K5 rolling shell *new addition*

Offline Chevytruckfanatic2009

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Re: Floor pan majorly rusted out in my 75' Chevy Silverado.
« Reply #12 on: March 17, 2008, 04:36:13 PM »
   I greatly appreciate y'alls input on the matter. You're right, it should be done correctly and not 'half way' like he's wanting to. My dad is a performace guy; he really has never done much body work, only engine and performace work. In the next week or so I'm gonna try to order 2 of those kits and go buy a MIG welder. Also thinking about buying a plasma cutter for cutting out the sheet metal, considering we don't have much of anything to cut stuff with. I'll post pictures of the damage later tonight.

Thanks,

Ryan
1975 Chevy Silverado LWB 396ci/TH400; project

Offline Blazin

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Re: Floor pan majorly rusted out in my 75' Chevy Silverado.
« Reply #13 on: March 17, 2008, 05:07:36 PM »
A cut off tool works fine for cutting. Spend the money on other body tools. Plasma cutters are great but not a must have tool for doing nice body work. Tell dad that fiberglassing the cab corners would be like fixing a cracked block with JB Weld. Ask him if that would be OK to do? Nows his chance to learn along with you about body work. Go to a book store and get or order a few books on doing sheet metal fabrication, rust repair, body work etc.
Some people are like Slinkies. Not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs

Offline VileZambonie

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Re: Floor pan majorly rusted out in my 75' Chevy Silverado.
« Reply #14 on: March 17, 2008, 05:12:05 PM »
I have a plasma cutter and use my sawz all, mini air saw, and die grinder 95687694759674 times more than my plasma cutter.
,                           ___ 
                         /  _ _ _\_
              ⌠ŻŻŻŻŻ'   [☼===☼]
              `()_);-;()_)--o--)_)

74 GMC, 75 K5, 84 GMC, 85 K20, 86 k20, 79 K10