Rusty floors ... Advice please ...

uk66fastback

uk66fastback

Club Member
Well, one side anyway. I will have a look at the other side but it's the driver's side it's failed the MOT on (LHD)





After a bit of advice. Do you think this warrants a half floor replacement (and are they available) or should I try and get some patches made (to the right shape and profile obviously)...

I think floors are available if I'm right but not sure about any other floor repair panels. Have replaced full floors before on cars but not had anything with just a few holes like this. Normally the floors are mostly gone! Frame rail seems solid enough ...
 
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Question : how do you expect to 'patch' that ?

Kepp/increase the value of your Z AND its longevity and replace the whole floor - always looks better than a patchwork quilt.;)
 
When I say patch it - I mean replace essentially from the seat riser backwards ... are these panels available? I don't fancy buying both full length floors to use the back half of ONE ...
 
uk66fastback said:
When I say patch it - I mean replace essentially from the seat riser backwards ... are these panels available? I don't fancy buying both full length floors to use the back half of ONE ...
Click to expand...

So get someone proficient to cut and weld a replacement (self-made) panel - the car is worth it and shouldn't cost more than sourcing the floor panels from Canada (or pmac if available ?) !
 
Perhaps buy a full panel and cut it to suit.

I'm shocked (even after so many Z years) by that amount of rust in a car that looked so good at the start of the Thread.
 
IMO if it's only as localised as it looks then just replace that section. Replacement floors never look as good as the original ones so if the front section is good then leave it be.
 
when you chip off the sound deadening at the front you'll find pin holes, just through trapped moisture. Have a look, do inside and underneath, see whats what. You'll end up with full floors i'd guess. Lots of options for floors, depending on how accurate/strong you want pressings etc.
 
Thanks guys, appreciate your replies in between the present opening .... !

The rear piece of the bitumen sound deadening came off more or less in one after I'd made a cut at the thinnest point ... It goes further up the tunnel side than I'd thought. I think the damp has got in there, settled at the lowest point, then festered ... I think while I'm here, I'll be looking at the other side as well ... I think it's wise. MoT fail only mentioned near side ... It wasn't have as bad from underneath when I looked, but once the seat was out you've gotten find the full extent of it.

I think I'll buy the full set after seeing what pmac has, goes he import them, fabricate them himself etc?

Have a nice time today, everyone .... !
 
Pmac has them fabricated here in the UK. They are nice pieces and fit cleanly based on people's past experience. They come with the underfloor rail sections as part of the set. I had a set a while ago which I was passing onto another forum member for Pmac. :thumbs:
 
The problem with the sound deadening bitumen is that it is bare metal underneath and it only needs a small amount of moisture to make it go rusty over a long period.the seam where the bulkhead panel joins the floor panel can hide rust aswell.I made templates of the sound deadening before removing mine so I could replace with an exact copy after repairing the floors.I then used an epoxy primer before refiting the new sound deadening.you will find a heat gun will needed to help the sound deadening to bend and to fit into tight areas.
The thing with welding is that when it is done it wants to look like it has not been welded .
 
While you're there it would be worth stripping it inside and out, front to rear as you will find holes/pinholes over the rest of the floor, you really need it bare metal though as the bitumen will be in the pinholes making it look solid.

You can then sit happy knowing its done. If you don't find any then you'd be able to get a repair piece made?

I had to do a couple of much smaller bits, you really can't tell where, even in bare metal



 
I've had a look at the inner sills and they look fine. I think this rust on the floor happened a LONG time ago - early in its life. The thing has only covered some 4000 miles in the last 20+ years in Texas before the owner simply became too old to drive it - it didn't go out in wet weather is what he told me anyway ...

I've had a look at the passenger side - and where the bitumen was loose on the driver's side (and consequently rotten underneath) it is fine on that side. That isn't to say there wasn't a hole in the top of the frame rail (as there was) ... so the passenger side I am leaving after having cleaned it up, except for welding a plate over the frame rail hole and filling the frame rails with some Bilt Hamber stuff I've used a few times ... the floors and rails will be fine for me to use it for a bit.

I've been underneath and inspected the passenger side floor and it is solid compared to the other side.

In an ideal world, I'd redo the floors NOW over the winter, but for a few reasons, I'm not going to do that. I sold my last classic as it spent all its time being looked at and rarely being driven - it was a bit of a garage queen so I am not taking this one off the road (I have had it since July and it isn't even MOT'd yet) ... it's all down to time which I don't have ...

Working too many hours etc it'd be lucky to be done for next summer so I'd rather mend what I can for now, get it on the road and use it for at least a summer before perhaps doing the floors in a year or so's time ... not the way a lot would do it but that is what I'm going to do. If I have another summer where the missus moans about the car not being used when we could be out using it, I'll go spare. I bought this to be driven - says he, six months on from importing it ... the last car sat gathering dust, I'm not letting this one do the same.

Anyway ... some more pics.

Driver's side now cut out for a pattern to be made ...



Passenger floor - see frame rail rust



Passenger side frame rail



OK Nissan label found under the seat - what would this have come off? The seat itself (underneath?)



The reverse of the OK Nissan label ...



Interior



Gratuitous rear end shot ...

 
moggy240 said:
I then used an epoxy primer before refiting the new sound deadening.you will find a heat gun will needed to help the sound deadening to bend and to fit into tight areas.
The thing with welding is that when it is done it wants to look like it has not been welded .
Click to expand...


Where can you buy this bitumen-like sound deadening (new)? Edit: a quick google comes up trumps ...

I'll try and get the floor looking as much like an original floor as I can ... before eventually replacing the whole lot inc rails in the future ...
 
I agree with your reasoning- fix it well enough to enjoy the pleasure of driving it. Sometimes in pursuit of perfection one can end up with show quality trailer queens which in many cases equate to zero enjoyment ( except at show and shine events). So hopefully you will have this back on road early next year and enjoy the driving experience.

PS- love the white interior, works well with orange exterior.
 
"ok " sticker

Just to answer the question regarding the ok sticker, it would have been placed on the rear quarter window and sighned by the guy from the quality control dept, once the car had it's final inspection off the production line.
 
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