Ole Yellar rust repair

[1Gary]

Previous owner pounded the wheel well down for more foot room and tore the wheel well.Being it is a Florida van,he left it that way to allow the mat under the rubber mat to wick the moisture like a sponge creating a rust situation.The rest of the van is still a rust free van.

The cut out from the tare:





Given the 3" pipe lift,this needs to get the same flush repair as a outside panel because it is very visible.The thought is to build a curved flanged patch panel to drop into the hole with the flange to the inside under what will be the carpet.

The water soaked mat:



The floor pan was also damaged:






This is hard to get to on the bottom because it is to the inside of the sub frame





There is more........hang on a minute:

[1Gary]

It is somewhat a sensitive area because the back of the needed repair panel is over the middle sub frame mount





The good thing is the panel directly above the frame mount is is reasonable good shape,but will require a very accurate cut out.



Because of all that-the floor pan repair is going to have to wait until I drop off the sub frame for the V8 swap.I have a second sub frame that I will build up to put on the van.That way I can cut and weld as I need to.

One cool thing I figured out was if I lift the van with a floor jack first I can them fit my bumper jack under it to lift it up very high making working on it tons easier.



I shot it with weld through primer to hold it where it is for now.Not POR,but the operative word is yet and I will be using that on both sides when I need to.

[MountainManJoe]

Way to go, Gary. Back in the saddle.

[1Gary]

Well thanks.I am and I am not sort of.The mental anguish of this left hand and typing this out is kind of tough and hard to work with on the van.It remains to be seen how well I can still weld too.Not doing well with the stent.Just got off the phone with the doctor to go back on Friday for a stress test.What little I got done,man I'm worn out.I'll never give in or give up through.7yrs I have invested into this.................


Thanks for your thoughts.

[CaptSquid]

Holy Mackeral, Kingfish! That's some kinda rust! Good thing we don't have that up here.

I feel for you, Gary. Even with crutches, I can't muster much more than a mincing gait. And some customers feel that I appear that I am being inconvenienced by going to get their merchandise. Gee, can't they see the crutches???? ARE THEY BLIND????

[doyoulikeithere]

Gary, Thats an awesome lift! Is it high enough to be usefull in swapping the subframe out?
Wow, thats a bit of rust eh? might be easier to use another, or is that pretty good for your neck of the woods?
My 87's are nowhere near that much rust.

[1Gary]

I do think the pictures make it look worse than it is.As I said the rest is rust free.Good thing is I caught it now.

The lift is under the sub frame,so to use it to swap out the sub frame really isn't very useful.I have a new cherry picker.I don't like the way those work because when you lift off the body off the sub frame you end up having the picker in the way of rolling out straight forward the sub frame.I am passively looking for a A-frame gantry lift with a chain fall.That way I can lift the front of the van and just roll forward the sub frame.

When I get ready to do the BIG job,I might try to enlist a New Haven helper with gas money and lunch.

[lockdoc]

I have a new cherry picker.I don't like the way those work because when you lift off the body off the sub frame you end up having the picker in the way of rolling out straight forward the sub frame.

Really? You put jack stands under van after you lift it.

[1Gary]

Well Bill you "could" come up and show me how it is done......... Beer would be supplied.

[doyoulikeithere]

Really? You put jack stands under van after you lift it.

Thats kinda how I had to go about it as well. I had to use a P handle dolly laid down to rest the back of the subframe on.
I used some big honkin arbutus tree blocks and some stands to support the body while I pulled the subframe forward.
You can see the new bend in the ol Phandle dolly...Of course, dont get under it!! I put a chain thru the P-handle, and pulled it straight out most of the way, then I Undid the chery picker, & pulled the S-Frame the rest of the way out, then set the body down on just the stumps.
Its comin along there Gary.

DSC02651.JPG

[1Gary]

Well of those of you know me I have been distracted with Rufus as a daily driver/shop truck.I am about two steps from having the truck covered mechanically.Yesterday I was under Ole Yellar doing some work and noticed aside from the minor rust work I have posted that the only thing that is truly rusty is the sub frame and that is being replaced anyways.Sure did once again inspire me to take it apart and start the process of the build up.Ideally to have it on a rotisserie would be the way to go because of how nice the bottom looks for the minor rust repair/clean-up/rhino line/undercoat/minor body work.That way I could move it around while I do work on it while it doesn't have a sub frame under it and or no rear-end.Yrs ago I had a design in mind for a rotisserie.I would want to add a 220 Mig to the tools for the shop to build one.I been passively looking for a decent used one because of other projects I have on hand.One thing for sure,once I start taking the front end apart to take out the sub frame(god how many times have we seen that?).......................it's on for the build up.

Hey Dean.........Might want to call out to Ben and you for "that road trip"the day I am ready to drop the sub frame.

[1Gary]

View from the bottom:



View from the inside top:



The wheel well construction paper template.That panel is going to be hard to make because it is curved with weird angles.It has to have tight seams for a butt weld.

[1Gary]

Once the sub frame is out and out of the way,it should be do-able to weld from the bottom to the body's frame and from the top to butt weld to the existing floor pan.Very repairable for the floor pan.

[doyoulikeithere]

Hey Gary, Ya think there might be a van at the P&P that you could cut a nice floor pan outta ?
Weld it in in pieces or whatever....

[1Gary]

That's my back-up plan.I'm not that bad of a fabricator.What I lack is a good brake and English wheel.I am kind of reluctant to buy those HF cheap junk ones.I know that is I could acquire those two items I have other work that I could use them on.We'll have to see how it plays out.