FAQ 03

Question: My floors are rusted out. Should I replace/repair them myself?

Answer: It is work, but you can do it. You'll have to buy a wirefeed or MIG welder. Don't bother with cheap stick welders - they burn sheetmetal. I'd recomment just getting a decent MIG (wirefeed with argon or some similar inert gas). Wirefeed is better than a cheap AC welder that uses welding rod, but plain old wirefeed still has flux in the wire, and the flux leaves slag on the weld. The flux also make a LOT of splatter. Save yourself much time and effort (all the slag has to be removed) and just get a MIG with the gas cylider. I've got a Campbell-Hausfeld stick welder and the quality is good at a price about 1/2 of a Lincoln. Cost for the MIG and small gas cylinder (perhaps included with the welder should be less than $400. There are instructions in one of the back issues of Hot VWs or VW Trends about floor pan replacement. I'm not sure which, and I'm not sure which issue. Both have email/web sites listed at: http://laudeman.com/bug_links.html Oh, you'll want to have friends to help lift the body off the car. Where will you store the body? Under a tarp is probably ok. You'll probably need to buy a few tools besides the MIG. Cutting the old pans can probably be done with a reciprocating saw, instead of a cutoff wheel on a grinder. It is a big job, no doubt. This makes me wonder how much a pristine floor pan that someone else had restored would be. That solution might cost extra, but would not require welding. I have seen pans used advertised for between $100 and $400. Is your body is good shape? No point in restoring the pan and leaving rusty hole in the body. Call someplace like Kymco and see what they advise. Also BTLMex.com may have restored pans. If you do it, let me know how things work out!

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