Husband is on a roll so I'm standing back out of his way. He's gone about as far as he can now before I clean up stuff.

We have very strict separation of responsibilities at our house; I clean, he dirties.

He cut until he struck solid steel. Some fabricating needs done before the pan can be welded in obviously, but I'm greatly encouraged that the rot stops where it's relatively easily dealt with.
(';')

 

Hey LnrB,
i hope your new pan is in perfectly by now. My drivers side floorpan is slightly rusted out, though its nothing like yours. The passenger side (right side) is fine. So I got the hose out.

Turns out that my leak is from the side of the center console, right of the gear shift lever. See pic. Is there a route for water to get there from the windshield? I can't feel any water around any of the edges of the inside windshield. I thought water may be entering from the grill under the wiper, but it looks like that drains out through the firewall.

Any suggestions on where to look for the water ingress?

 

Thank you, Warlock,
I'm a bit behind at the moment due to my work, other responsibilities and a few other things.

I NEVER drive my car in the rain, and I don't think the Previous Owner did either so where the rust came from is a big question.

Someone suggested the AC condensation drains may be plugged and that sounds to me a very likely culprit. There was never the little puddle under the car like all the other cars in the lot when I parked on a hot day.

I've not seen my drain yet, but I'm told it's under the car, on the right side of the trans; a tube with no apparent purpose.

That would explain your leak on the right side of the shifter.
(';')

 

Thanks Elnr, this was with the water hose and car off, so no AC in play here.

It's either water from the windshield or some other spot.

Inexplicably, I also have a slight dampness of the carpets in the back seat, right next to where they but up against the rear seats on both sides. I'll be dammed if I can figure out that path for the water, the sides by the door sills are dry

 

If it's coming in with a hose on outside, then it has to be coming around the windshield. If you have damp carpet in the back, all the padding has to be Very wet already.

All my sills were dry, even the left side where the A-pillar has that hole. Part of the water came in the top of the windshield right over the driver's left knee. Part of it came off the driver's wet shoes/boots. The rest, will I have yet to find that.
(';')

 

My car was a southern CA car. It probably rarely saw rain as well, but I know it did see the inside of a carwash on a regular basis. It's amazing what warm, dry climates will do to windshield seals and then what a carwash with high pressure nozzles will do! I had some rust and holes in the front and rear screen apertures, and a white residue down the firewall (behind the dash), wet carpets, and that white residue again on the rear shelf. The only thing I can think of the white residue being is hard water stains. Thankfully no major tin worm like you have. But the rust in the apertures came from water simply sitting in there for far too long. Regardless of the climate or driving conditions, if water is allowed to get in and sit, whether under a seal or soaked into the carpet or foam, rust will prevail. The obvious key is to prevent ingress in the first place, but also to seal and encapsulate any ferrous metal that will deteriorate in the presence of moisture. Just my thoughts.

 

Yes, thank you, that thought had occurred to me actually, the car wash that is.

There is no rust around the windows, front or rear, which I have learned is very unusual. There is light surface rust on the inside of almost all panels anywhere I can see but Nothing compares with the floor.

The more I think about it the more suspicious I am of the evaporator drain(s). I have no water stains on the inside of the firewall so I'm pretty sure it didn't come in from the windshield.

I got all the floor trash from removal of the old floor cleaned up this evening so tomorrow I can get under and see if those drains are clear.
(';')

 

LnrB:


I've been mostly house bound. Yukky cold and rain. Bad and good. We do need it real bad. but, old guy like me out in the cold and rain, not too smart. That's what daughter says, anyway. Son also, but, not as emphatic!!


My car is a Northern Ca. car. sold in Vallejo way back when. Somewhere, I have the license frames, think. One teensy spot of what might be rust. Has not progressed. so, a fix would be worse than the disease!!


It has been to a car wash only a very few times. I usually hand wash it. Not for a spell, though. That drought thing.


It is well waxed and as it is in my drive, shows the bubbles. Meguir's high carnauba content wax does well.


To the point!!


The well under the grill in front of the wind screen. Drained by two gaithers in the engine bay. Clear???


Seems they are kinda like flat roofs on buildings. if the drains are not clear, any flat roof will leak!! lesson from former profession.


If it dries up in a bit, I'll attack daughter's Passat and my Jaguar.


.

 

Thank you, Carl,
I have never washed this car. I have only used McGuire's Ultimate Detailer. Wonderful stuff! It even removes tree sap, bug juice and bird poop. I Highly recommend it.

The gators are not only clear, they're not even there! Broken long ago I suspect, as the ones on the newer junker I stripped were hard and brittle, as I discovered while trying to remove one of them to put in Nix.

A couple days ago, 86xj6iii posted a question what the pipe was under his car.
I looked today, and I DON'T HAVE THAT PIPE!! I HAVE NO DRAIN FOR THE EVAPORATOR!!

I wonder why my floor is such a mess!!
(';')

 

Since I've come to a temporary dead end with my console it's time to attack the floor again, the matter that started this whole project.

You'll remember husband sort of took over this part of the project and I stood aside and let him run with it because he's the fabricator and I only had an inkling of what he had in mind. That's still the case but he had to stop before he finished so today I started cleaning up the rough edges and there were a Lot of them. I ground off the original spot welds so the brace (which replaces steel that was lace work) would fit snugly against the existing tunnel, and I smoothed out some shards for the same reason and generally cleaned up the area.

Then I got to play with his Clecos. What a Marvelous invention! I know I've mentioned them before, but I've photographed one just in case someone reading this doesn't know what they are and what they're for.

The first picture shows one inserted in the special tool, in the closed position. When the tool is squeezed the tip extends fully as shown in the second picture, and is inserted into a 1/8 inch hole drilled in 2 or more layers of steel (Clecos come in several sizes). The Cleco is then released and the tip remains expanded as in the third picture and an internal spring pulls the layers together and holds them for welding

The 4th picture is the angle brace held with Clecos after I cleaned up all the lumps and shards left over from removing the vast majority of the floor. That angle piece will have a vise-grip holding the bottom to the car, and then it will be tacked along the top in enough places that I think it will hold. After that I'll tack the bottom of the angle in several other places along the length.

The last picture shows the floor pan in place for a trial fit. I know I showed some of these before but that was mostly to depict the concept as there was too much trash in the way for the pan to fit well at that time. With all the extraneous metal out of the way it fits Perfectly along three edges.

There is still much left to do before I strike my first arc.

I say that because I've never used an arc welder before (my brothers kept that to themselves), our welder neighbor has turned out to be less than reliable, and husband, who would otherwise do this has been under the weather for over a month and will be for the foreseeable future. (Something about unforeseen consequences of surgery.)

He says he can teach me, he just can't do it himself at this time, and the worst I could do is make a weld that looks like the Iron Bird flew over and pooped on everything but it will hold together -- probably. Then I get to play the game, Weld a little on, Grind a little off, Weld a little on, Grind... etc. etc., etc.

I had no idea when I named this thread what an adventure it would turn out to be. But whatever I do it can't be any worse than it was before I started.... I hope.
(';')

 

Looking good, welding is one thing I never got around to trying. I do have an old arc welder in the garden shed. Never tried it, I assume it works but need 3 phase power for it.

 

Thank you, Clarke,
Husband used to have a stick welder that required 220volts but it wasn't 3 phase. That's One Heavy Duty welder you have!!

He got rid of it because his Miller Falls wire welder does almost everything but the heaviest steel which he never welds anymore; in fact it was so long since he used the stick welder (not since 2006 when we moved out here) he had buried it under many layers he forgot about it.

In some ways I would rather weld up the car myself because although our neighbor is a welder by trade and he's very good, he's not careful about little things like paint or upholstery. He's accustomed to welding up industrial machines that no one cares where the sparks fly or if it gets scratched up.
(';')

 

LnrB:


Vorsicht. Arc, MIG or TIG. Each take a lot practice before a sound if ugly weld is produced. Cleco's are slick. But, many get along with sheet metal screws to temporarily locate the work.


As Husband is not up to it yet, Have you considered a mobil weld service?


Learning to do it is great, but that is a tough place to do it.


Or, perhaps some of the new glues. Some are exactly for metal fastening. Some modern cars have panels affixed that way.


But, if you are set on DIY, more power to you.


HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL !!!


Carl

 

PS:


I failed to read your post correctly. the Miller MIG is great.


But, do a lot of practice on the old stuff before .


Carl

 

Thank you, Carl, that would be a good idea, but out here in the Stix the mileage a mobile welding service charges would cost more than this box of parts under my desk. In fact, our neighbor used to work for such a company, which is why we considered having him do it in the first place.

I wouldn't be learning on my car, husband has lots of other scrap chunks lying around for that.

In that same vein, I wouldn't mind gluing the car together (he's always called his wire welder a Hot Melt Glue Gun) but I don't think husband will go for it. I may check into it anyway when he's not looking, which is most of the time these days. It's a good thing he has an Enormous amount of sick leave stacked up.
(';')

 

Lnr, thanks for the pics of the Cleco, good to know

JagCad, these glues you mention, are we talking JB Weld type epoxy or something else?

 

Warlock:


Unfortunately, I can not be specific. but, much more advanced than J-B and the like.
Classic Google might unearth it/them.


LnrB:


While out finishing up shopping for Xmas, I had an idea. Rosette welds, akin to spot welds. Pre drill additional small holes between the Clecos. along the edges where they overlap sound metal. Pull tight and align with the Clecos. Then weld the open holes. Pull the Clecos and weld those holes. Sound and a lot easier than stitch welding the entire seam. Much less opportunity for panel warp as well.

Now, I gotta wrap the stuff!!! Not my strong suite!!


Last night's charger vs 49'er game was disappointing, to say it mildly. Raiders in abit, hopefully, a better result.


And, gee about time to start baseball thinking..


Basketball not my idea.


Carl.

 

Like this, Carl?
{see attached picture}
(';')

 

That is the idea but you need to have clean metal behind the holes, and use a higher heat to make sure you get penetration. I have had better luck stiching the outer edges. Get a welding blanket or two to catch the sparks and prevent damage to the interior. You can get them pretty cheap through Harbor Freight. I would not be too afraid of welding it yourself, it is not really that difficult. Wire feed welders are WAY easier to use than old style stick welders.

 

Thank you, Doug,
I actually grabbed the wrong photo to show Carl. That one is from a month ago before all the trash metal was cleaned from that area. Perhaps the one attached will give you a batter idea of the conditions now. Don't let the orange color fool you, I don't know why it comes out that color.

I think husband made the holes too small which is why I wanted to tack both edges instead of the holes. I was thinking of stitching, as you call it, since this is a completely new thing to me.

I'm not unfamiliar with joining metals with heat and other metal. Whenever they needed something brazed on the farm it was my job because the boys could never get it to work. If they got the material hot enough for the rod to flow it melted into a mess. Of they didn't get the base hot enough and the brass lay on top.

I'm actually looking forward to giving this a try. Nothing ventured nothing gained as they say, and if I don't even try, I might pass up a smashing success! Wouldn't that be tragic! LOL
(';')