[BLDFW]

I've got some floor rust on my '72 convertible where the floor pan meets the inside threshold lip. There are some holes front and rear (1-3" long) through to the outside on the drivers side. The passenger side is not rusted through but there is surface rust inside and out in the equivalent location.

It doesn't seem bad enough (to me) to merit cutting out the entire floor and it's not in the cards right now to undertake a major restoration on the floor so I'm seeking some feedback/suggestions on how best to mitigate the problem for now.

Has anyone undertaken an interim repair like this? What did you do? How would you cover it over?

Thanks.

 

[BLDFW]

Here's a pic of the hole in the drivers side floor pan.

 

[ken68cat]

Hey BLDFW, I did replace (patched) a section of floor pan, cut the piece I needed from that particular new pan.
There will be a wealth of info at the Lone Star Cougar Club meeting tonight in Irving.
Ken

 

[cougarshaman]

You need to probe the rust with an icepick or an awl, or whatever, and assess the real damage. That will give you more of an idea of how much floor needs to be replaced.
After knowing how much has to go, you can then plan on how to replace it.

 

[Smith Brother]

Like Andy said, PROBE with a pointed tool. Often you can get a good idea as to how bad the issue/issues are just by the sound you hear, and the feel. Rust doesn't always just do its thing in one small spot, it fans/spreads out, and the rust through is the worst part, but normally there is more close by.

Dale in Indy

 

[xr7g428]

Cut out all of the rust, weld in new steel. Anything else is just going to be a mess you have to spend more money to fix later.

 

[1969XR7Vert]

Cut out all of the rust, weld in new steel. Anything else is just going to be a mess you have to spend more money to fix later.

What Bill said, there is really no "interim repair" with rust. You either address it ("hello rust") or you don't. Band-aid'ing it isn't going to buy you anything except perhaps to aid in the rust process. However, I suppose you could Rust Reformer it and goop it up, but the outcome later is anyones guess.

 

[Cougrrcj]

If there is rust where the floor meets the 'threshold lip', then your inner rocker (the threshold) may also have issues. The inner rocker is a structural member found on convertibles - hardtops get their added strength from the roof... So, like I said, check your inner rockers. Give them a good squeeze. I did that to one 'vert that I found for sale, and my grip literally crushed the inner rocker there was that much rust!

 

[johnboy]

Cut out all of the rust, weld in new steel. Anything else is just going to be a mess you have to spend more money to fix later.

I tried getting a few before and after pics, but couldn't succeed.

this link has a few, and you can see before, after poking with a screwdriver, etc...

Hope it helps. Was done by the guy who restored mine.

http://www.motortopia.com/cars/1968-mercury-cougar-21843/car-pictures/lchar-rebuild-25679

Jean

 

[BLDFW]

Hey BLDFW, I did replace (patched) a section of floor pan, cut the piece I needed from that particular new pan.
There will be a wealth of info at the Lone Star Cougar Club meeting tonight in Irving.
Ken

Sorry I couldn't be there for that one. I was working the late shift. You guys have a good turnout?

 

[ken68cat]

Had a fair turnout and a new member in a 70 XR7.

 

[cougarshaman]

What Bill said, there is really no "interim repair" with rust. You either address it ("hello rust") or you don't. Band-aid'ing it isn't going to buy you anything except perhaps to aid in the rust process. However, I suppose you could Rust Reformer it and goop it up, but the outcome later is anyones guess.

It's true, there is no interim repair. However, in the process of learning to repair rust, the first step (in my view) is to learn how to properly assess it. Generally, it's much worse than you think when you see just a couple of holes and think that's all there is. People on a message board may tell you "It's worse than you think!" but you (the rhetorical you) won't believe them, us, me, Bill, or Bob, just out of hand. You need to get in there and poke around, at which point your say "Jeebus man, there's a lot more rust here than I thought!" and you'll realize that Bill and Bob are absolutely right and can be trusted to tell you how to proceed.

 

[BLDFW]

Thanks guys. Going to dig a little more and see what path to shoot for. It's not really convertible weather so got time to check it out.