Bugeye floor replacement

[apbos]

Today I flipped the B/E on it's side and began media blasting the floors. Well the driver side floor pan is rusted out at the level of the gas pedal. The passnger side has rust out near the seat area. Seems I would be best off to replace the floors. I have read that the single panel would be easier and would require less welding to get it in vs two single panels. Your recommendations?
Who would you recommend I source the panel (s) from?
Thanks for your input. Pictures of the stripped car later. Sounds like a coongressional scandel.

Regards
Paul

 

[mightymidget]

check ebay, fellow has both sides at 1/2 price, they are for a later model

 

[mightymidget]

here made it easy for you



https://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/FRO...fits=Make:MG|Model:Midget&hash=item2eb5b5d39c

 

[JPSmit]

ebay link

 

[tdskip]

If those are quality panels the price is certainly right - I sourced some from VB that were correct but significantly more than these.

If replacing the front make sure that you get the offset of the depression right (although not as critical on the passenger side due to it not having the gas pedal.

 

[markberry]

If those are quality panels the price is certainly right - I sourced some from VB that were correct but significantly more than these.

If replacing the front make sure that you get the offset of the depression right (although not as critical on the passenger side due to it not having the gas pedal.

The replacement floor pan I bought from the same Vendor did not have the floor depression offset. I had to make a small shelf for the Gas pedal to mount on.

 

[mightymidget]

If those are quality panels the price is certainly right - I sourced some from VB that were correct but significantly more than these.

If replacing the front make sure that you get the offset of the depression right (although not as critical on the passenger side due to it not having the gas pedal.

The replacement floor pan I bought from the same Vendor did not have the floor depression offset. I had to make a small shelf for the Gas pedal to mount on.

wish I could weld that pretty

 

[markberry]

If those are quality panels the price is certainly right - I sourced some from VB that were correct but significantly more than these.

If replacing the front make sure that you get the offset of the depression right (although not as critical on the passenger side due to it not having the gas pedal.

The replacement floor pan I bought from the same Vendor did not have the floor depression offset. I had to make a small shelf for the Gas pedal to mount on.

wish I could weld that pretty

thanks!

 

[apbos]

Thanks Everyone!
Looks like that will be the most economical method. Mark do you have any other tips on using those panels?

Paul

 

[Jim_Gruber]

Some of us may not weld pretty but we're experts at grinding and polishing.

 

[markberry]

Thanks Everyone!
Looks like that will be the most economical method. Mark do you have any other tips on using those panels?

Paul

No, I can't remember anything being too difficult after figuring out how I wanted to deal with the incorrect floor pan depression offset. I cut the inboard longitudinal seam to run just inside the transmission tunnel so there wouldn't be any visible seam in the cockpit floor. I chose to butt weld that seam but if you ran that seam further into the transmission tunnel you could use a lap joint and have the flange up inside the tunnel. I also had to remove the transmission tunnel aft support plate and replace it after the floor was in. I marked the spring bolt mounting holes from inside the spring perches onto the floor pan then removed it and drilled those holes. After the floor was all in I welded the floor supports in place under the spring boxes. As I recall, I used a big ratcheting cargo strap wrapped around the rocker panels to pull everything tightly together while I welded the outer flange to the rocker panel. the biggest pain with this job is drilling out the 3000 or so spot welds that hold it in!

Best of luck
Mark

 

[tdskip]

Hold on a second guys - you should not have to weld on an extension for the pedal unless the pan is incorrectly stamped or you are installing it wrong.

The pans came from the factory offset to the left/outside of the car. Centering the depression will result in the pan being incorrectly located.

Now this is your car and if that is where you want it no biggie, but if you are going for correct/original it needs to be offset to the left and the gas pedal will mount correctly without an extension.

 

[apbos]

Tom
I think you are correct. I think i might be doing a repair similar to what you did with your B/E. With the car media blasted and stripped down it should not be more difficult than replacing both pans. Still blasting when I get time. Lots of sheet metal on these little cars.
Paul

 

[apbos]

Thanks for the info Mark.

Pictures later, I promise!
Paul

 

[Gerard]

I have recently resumed restoration (it's only been waiting about 14 years) of my other Bugeye and have it inverted at the moment to clean up and repaint the floors/chassis. All sheet metal is original and rust free. If you need any pictures of any original structure, let me know. I have to warn you it might tick you off to see floor pans and spring hanger boxes and such that look like new. :hammer:

 

[apbos]

Gerard
Mine are not that bad. But, not repairable with some simple home made patches. Screw holes that enlarged and thinned and on the drivers side the typical rust out that occurs with standing water. This car sat out in the weather along the North Coast about a block away from the beach. Even had sand piled up on the floors. Unfortunately, the bonnet was the destroyed by this abuse. I have a Speedwell bonnet and a steel replacement. I will go with the glass bonnet first. The seats I got from you are ready to go.

Paul

 

[Gerard]

Gerard
Mine are not that bad. But, not repairable with some simple home made patches. Screw holes that enlarged and thinned and on the drivers side the typical rust out that occurs with standing water. This car sat out in the weather along the North Coast about a block away from the beach. Even had sand piled up on the floors. Unfortunately, the bonnet was the destroyed by this abuse. I have a Speedwell bonnet and a steel replacement. I will go with the glass bonnet first. The seats I got from you are ready to go.

Paul

Ah yes, I didn't make the connection it was you Paul, but then I didn't know many detail of your car. You posted on the Bugeye group a while back that it was originally Iris Blue, yes? Will you be keeping it Iris Blue? I finally decided on that color for mine as well. I was on the fence about color for a long time.

Glad to hear the seats turned out well. Send me pix some time.

 

[apbos]

Yes it will be Iris Blue. Very nice color and fits with the stock "racer" theme.

 

[Gerard]

Yes it will be Iris Blue. Very nice color and fits with the stock "racer" theme.

Yes, that was part of my decision process too...

 

[markberry]

Hold on a second guys - you should not have to weld on an extension for the pedal unless the pan is incorrectly stamped or you are installing it wrong.

The pans came from the factory offset to the left/outside of the car. Centering the depression will result in the pan being incorrectly located.

Now this is your car and if that is where you want it no biggie, but if you are going for correct/original it needs to be offset to the left and the gas pedal will mount correctly without an extension.

installing the floor pan the correct way is fool proof as far as I can tell. The outboard turned up welding flange must seat against the inner rocker panel. that alone will dictate where the new pan sits laterally on the car. there wasn't any guess work involved in how to fit the pan in. The only choice I could see is where to place the inboard seam. The panel I bought was wide enough (with the welding flange firmly against the inner rocker) to reach the middle of the transmission tunnel (if you wanted your joint there). but the factory bends for the forward, aft and outboard welding flanges fit exactly where they needed to in order for the panel to fit perfectly in the hole that the old one came out of. I could lay the two panels side by side and see the difference right away. does that make sense? It's kind of hard to describe. I'm absolutely certain that the panel I installed had the footwell depression centered in that area, instead of offset. I had this discussion with the late Frank Clarici as well when I was installing it. He concurred that he also had installed a new floor pan that wasn't stamped correctly. His guess(and mine) is that the manufacturer is stamping them in the same way the 1500 midget floor pans are stamped.