1971 Cutlass Ep 05 A-Body Floor Replacement at Home!

This video started out as removing the dashboard, seats, carpeting, and interior to swap in new parts I purchased. In doing so, I uncovered rust holes in the driver's side floor, which was caused by rust holes around the windshield, A-pillars, and cowl. The problem was exacerbated by shoddy repair work done many years ago. In this episode I cut out the rust, and replaced the driver's side floor pan.
Parts used: Summit Racing Equipment:
Auto Metal Direct Floor Pans 405-3468-L "Floor Pan Patch, Full Length Floor Pan Half, Driver Side, Steel, EDP Coated, Buick, Chevy, Olds, Pontiac" (18 gauge, .048" thick steel) $130
POR-15 Rust Preventative Paints 45404 $64/quart
SEM Products High Build Primer Surfacers 42013 $35/can
Welder: Lincoln Electric 140HD Weld-Pak Mig welder with Co2/Argon gas. I used voltage (heat) setting "B" (second lowest) and a feed rate of between 3.5 to 4.
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[@zefdin101]

Great job Bob. Really ballsy digging into that. I’ve been there with mission creep and it’s a horrible feeling when you’re getting sucked further and further in…. The good news is, stay level headed and take it in chunks. Awesome!

[@CobblerBob]

Thank you! Yes, “mission creep“, haven’t heard that term in a while!

[@mcshea847]

GREAT video Bob! Man you’re really going down a rabbit hole with this car. I love your tenacity & “can do” attitude. You are truly an inspiration. Thanks for taking your viewers on your journey. Can’t wait to see your next video. Take care.

[@CobblerBob]

Thank you so much, I appreciate it! I think I’m over the hump now, as I’m starting to put things together and not just tear them apart. LOL.

[@Super50calbmg]

It always makes my Friday when you post your videos.
The Olds restoration videos are fun.
It’s always a challenge to “Cleveland proof” a car, salt is a cars worst nightmare.

[@CobblerBob]

Thank you! Yes! The previous owners owned the car for 22 years, and said the car never saw rain once. The car had just under 80k miles when they bought it around 2001. I believe them, but I think it was shoddily repaired some time in the 1990's or 2000's. Although it's been out of the elements and was stored in a heated garage, those first 80,000 miles is plenty of time to create all of the rot I'm finding.

[@SanjanaRanasingha]

A new transformation! I think I love this more

[@smash72cutlass30]

You are old school looking at the car security anti theft system. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I’m currently restoring a couple 72s I’ve falling victim of have the money don’t have the time. I’d like to sell the one which has a 4K custom interior.

[@messylaura]

upto 5:06 at the moment, looking at the stamp on the screen "ppg" is that a replacement one?
hope you didn't crap up the screen with the grinder sparks, i've done that before, something you only do once!
6:08 lol nevermind
Robert,
looks like you needed to turn up the heat power on the butt welds on the floor panel
if you worried about blow through get some copper and put it on the backside of the weld area, it will minimize blow through, if it does you can use the copper to weld against and re-mig the hole up
using old copper water pipes from the home or just buying a small section then flattening it out will be great, i even have a pair of the pinch weld vise grips with copper backs it i need to weld up some thin sheet.
a bit of an advanced tip on the pich weld replacement sections, where you would normally cut the outer skin between two spot welds i usually drill out the top spotweld in the normal way with a spot weld drill so it only goes through one side and i'll do that with the plan to have the panel butt weld line go right through the middele of that last hole, i'll then do the same to the new section so when both both are together i'll have a butt line across the outer panels to be welded and the pinch seams will have a half a hole on each side to make one full hole, i find this does two things, allows for the weld to be nive and hot to the lower panel and not have it pop or blow out and welds both sections to the lower panel, i also fine walking that weld to the edge of the lip is alot easier
when you just have the straight line cut it can blow out the tip layer or burn up the edge of the lip.
i know this vid is 4 weeks old on my timeline but try the copper weld thru spray, the zinc ones are mostly for spot (resistance) welding where as i find the copper one is alot sweeter for mig welding
end result looks decent though
(edit) i see from you roof vid you already know the copper trick :)

[@CobblerBob]

Thanks for the tips! I didn't know there is a copper weld through primer. This is a new welder to me, so I am still learning the heat & feed setttings. I figured it was much better to learn on the floor than on the outside of the body.

[@tomd6989]

Do you have your welder plugged into a extension cord? From the sounds of your video the welder is pulling down. Use a heavy gauge extension cord if you are.Slow your wire speed a little bit and it will weld better.

[@CobblerBob]

Yes, I had to use an extension cord to get it to reach the car, but I used a very short very heavy guage cord. I appreciate the tip!! I'll try that!