Rusty floor surprise!

[slow_90firebird]

Well I decided to pull back the carpet a little today and tackle a little rust issue. I had noticed from underneath that the outer floorpans had become rusty and were seperating from the inner rocker. I had only planned on welding in some angle iron from lowes to reinforce it, and was just pulling back the carpet to keep it from burning...

Well, here is what I found! Welcome to new england... this truck is my daily so I decided to micky mouse it a little to try and hold me over a little untill I can someday afford a 2nd gen



Well i had to get out the die grinder and start nibbling away to try and find some semi-solid metal


This was the quick patch I made up for it...


Then I moved on to welding the angle iron into the corner of the floor to give it back support...


Here is the top view...


I also went and got some smaller steel pieces, because the strip where the screws go from the sill plate just about fell out too, and I decided to put a piece of metal to simulate the pinchweld for the weather seal. I decided not to tackle the outer rocker yet, maybe at a later date. Noone really steps on that, and the door seal will hide most of it.

Here is it seam sealed and ready for paint...


And the bottom ready for the 2nd coat of paint...


Tomorrow I gotta get up early and see what the driver side has in store for me... hope its not much worse!

[oldestof11]

Bet ya $10 that it is. The vent for the drivers feet nearly always leaks. Good luck!

[Mark Nixon]

The truck I'm currently working on is less than half that bad and I'm considering junking it.
We don't have inspections here, but I hate driving rust so much, something like that would give me fits, especially when I have the CHOICE not to!

Mark.

[Richie O]

Your lucky it was not worse. My 92 is ready to fall off the frame.

[PToombs]

My '92 the cab mount was gone. I pulled back the carpet and it had a hole like yours but it went right thru to the ground. No way I was fixing that, I bought a donor truck and replaced the cab.

[slow_90firebird]

Well got up this morning expecting the worst... and found it

This sides floor was rotted a little worse, but the inner rocker and pinch were a little better. Still not great for welding too, but I made done with it (that what seam sealer is for) oh and there was a hole in the boxed section I plated in too...

Heres the pics its pretty self explainatory:

[dazedandconfused]

I'm looking for a rust free cab to restore and put on my little truck. It's got some rust around the window and the previous owners hacked the sthi out of the floor in it over the years swaping transmissions.

[slow_90firebird]

My '92 the cab mount was gone. I pulled back the carpet and it had a hole like yours but it went right thru to the ground. No way I was fixing that, I bought a donor truck and replaced the cab.

Ha ha thats funny because I just bought a set of captains chairs off this dude I know, he is gonna be junking a truck that he converted to 4wd, then changed his mind and bought a 2nd gen 2001 with a blown 24v and put the 93 motor in with a p-pump. He is scrapping the rest of the 93 but the cab is pretty mint I think. When he was dropping off my seats he said someting about wanting to sell the rest of the cab too...

I could never do that. Too much work. I know what I did isnt exactly a repair, but I hope it will hold me off for a year or 2. After driving the truck tonight, wow, there are alot of interior squeaks and rattles gone!

Also just so you guys know, this truck wasnt like this when I bought it 2 years ago. I believe that this damage has been caused because the previous owner had a new windshield installed right before I bought the truck, and they used a poorly fitting seal or there was rot starting on the windshield pinchweld. For about a year and a half, the truck would leak so bad it would literally soak the leg of my pants just on the way to work in the rain.

I had them put a sealer on the inside of the seal between the rubber and the glass and it almost completely solved the issue. I also ran a bead of 3m along the top of the seal and the front drip rail, and put on a visor to hide it... I still occasionally get a drop but is is alot better. But I guess 2 winters of salty water leaking in almost nonstop will do some damage...

Also, worth noting, my town has switched from rock salt in the winter, to that green stuff. And the state CT DOT trucks are using alot of liquid deicer on the freeways even when it is not snowing! I believe that both these things will rot out any vehicle in short order!

[Mark Nixon]

I'm looking for a rust free cab to restore and put on my little truck. It's got some rust around the window and the previous owners hacked the sthi out of the floor in it over the years swaping transmissions.

Got a perfectly rust and dent free 1991-1/2 4wd standard cab here, it's a 5 speed with all the instrumentation.
Even have the pedals, hydros and all of the wiring.
I realize you have an auto 2wd, but just fill the holes in.

I'll make you a deal on it.

Mark.

[dazedandconfused]

PM me Mark what you have to have for it. I really just need a gutted cab so I can have it media blasted and ready to paint and install all my interior in. Right now main goal is to get her on the road and out of this guttless gas guzzling Chevy I'm driving at the moment. The manual gauge cluster and steering colum would be nice when I stick in the floor shifter though too.

[PToombs]

That green stuff is salt with magnesium chloride on it. We have it here too, great for the body shops!
I have a thread about how my new window leaked. I'm sure it was the window that rotted out my floor. It was leaking around the pinchweld and the glass after I put in the new one, and that was with a factory replacement gasket too.

[Mark Nixon]

That green stuff is salt with magnesium chloride on it.

Bastards!

Mark.