59 b/e floorpan replace

[Bob_s]

thanks again jack..i'm not counting on better luck but i'll let you know..i'm going to soak them for a day or 2 before i even try..

 

[racingenglishcars]

I'm a little nervous about doing the work myself! :eeek:

 

[jlaird]

The prob is getting the thread into the top plate soaked, no way that I saw.

Look on page 40, Moss. The item I am talking about is a spring plate.

You can not get the spring out with the spring plate installed. Just will not fit. So if you can not get the bolts out you must take the spring apart a bit first. Like disasimble a leaf or two in place then slide the remainder and the plate out.

If that is not clear enough I will try again. So.
by all means soak what you can.

 

[markberry]

For some reason I can't add any photos to my posts now...I'm getting a message that the file is too big. Never was before. Anyway follow this link to my album of repairs.
regards
Mark
https://www.spritespot.com/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=1960-bugeye-refurb

 

[jlaird]

Need to use smaller Pictures.

 

[markberry]

Hows this? This is a shot of the passengers side inner quarter panel support and inner wheel arch. This area was completely gone on both sides. Actually when I started tearing it all apart my floor pans didn't look as bad as yours in that area. The damage inside that area is usually worse than on the outside. I don't think the factory put any effort at all into corrosion prevention. Probably wasn't a high emphasis item on those days. I'll update that album soon when I knock out some more work. I just ordered the stuff necessary to attempt lead soldering of the body panels...that ought to be entertaining!

 

[Bob_s]

this is just the typical snowball effect i guess..i'm thinking about cutiing out the bulkhead support first 'cause i'm probably going to have to replace that anyway..maybe i can get better look iside the spring box from there?

 

[jlaird]

Hay, these little cars were only built to last a few years. In fact even a cadilac was not expected to last back in the 50s. By 6 years they were going to the junk yard for the most part.

 

[Bob_s]

i agree jack ..what would we do for a hobby to keep us out of trouble if all there was were new cars..between the b/e , my wifes mg and my old harley somethings always broken..and that for the most part keeps me out of the bar..if i cut out that curved bulkhead support on the inside will the backside of that springbox be visible?

 

[Bob_s]

jack..you are one tenacious son of a gun..i cut out part of the bulkhead stiffener and got to the rear of the spring..i can see those 2 bolts that you drilled out..i can put the fire wrench to them now and work em out.i'd rather watch american idol and dancing with the stars back to back while listening to my wifes commentary than do what you did.

 

[histerical]

.i'd rather watch american idol and dancing with the stars back to back while listening to my wifes commentary than do what you did.
\
funny!

 

[jlaird]

And when I did it Miss Agatha was right side up and I was on my back underneeth.

It was a real bummer of a job but those were 4 of the last 5 bolts to remove for a clean tub.

 

[markberry]

this is just the typical snowball effect i guess..i'm thinking about cutiing out the bulkhead support first 'cause i'm probably going to have to replace that anyway..maybe i can get better look iside the spring box from there?

under that bulkhead stiffener is the inner bulkhead. If that sheet metal is intact(and it probably isn't)you won't be able to see into the spring box area. I started out going that direction, hoping to save the spring perches and just splice in new sheetmetal on the bulkheads and floor as needed. But the more I opened up, the more damage I saw. I honestly don't know how the rear springs remained attached to the car as long as they did! I ended up changing both inner and outer rockers, one complete floor pan, both floor stiffeners, both bulkhead stiffeners, both bulkheads and spring perches, both inner and outer wheel arches and quarter panel patch panels on both quarters in front of and behind the wheel wells. Hopefully yours is no where near that bad. I'd actually like to do all this again but using a different approach; I'd like to split the car in half at the rear bulkhead and build up the spring box assembly outside the car then install it on the back half first, then reattach the two halves of the car. I'd also like to make my own bulkheads. The ones available are made out of thinner metal and were very hard for me to work with. After writing this I think I must be insane!

 

[Bob_s]

darn mark..if i started all that i'd be divorced and sleeping in the car, which half would be more comfy do you think?..when i cut the stiffener out i had to cut a small section to see the spring..the inner bulkhead was rotted in a small piece at the bottom that i cut out and can replace easy enough.the sides and bottom of the spring box are intact, just full of a lot of crap that i scraped out.. i guess i got lucky but also this is one side of 2, who knows what's waiting for me on the other side.. if you'd like to do it again i'd like to be the first to offer to drop this off to you and you can have a ball with it..anyone owning a british car has to have some degree of insanity i assume..thanks everyone for your help and i'll let you know how it's going as i move slowly along

 

[markberry]

good for you! Keep us posted! It's always a good thing when we can rescue another of these from their slow cancerous deaths.
Mark