Help cross bracing for floor pan replacement

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Jon E. Askins
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Posts: 84
Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2008 10:14 pm
Tag: Outlaw Porsches, When OEM just won't do.
Location: Orlando, FL
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Help cross bracing for floor pan replacement

#1 Post by Jon E. Askins »

Okay, I have Kellog's book and a few others and now I am ready to replace floor pans (front and rear), latterals (left and right), the toe board, the fron cabin closures (left and right), and the ledge around the floor for the floor board to sit on, the K member, strut brackets, front tow hook, jack points, and a few other odds and ends.

(no I have never welded before and I am scared)

I borrowed a Lincoln 100 with a gas tank and I went out and bought .025 wire and tips for the welder.

I have removed everything from the car except for the transmission and wheels front and rear.

Before I jack the car up and put it on stands and remove wheels, transmission etc. I wanted to brace the car so it wont flex. Good idea I read; however everyone of the book i read show a convertible 356 not a sunroof coupe such as mine.

I have a welder friend coming over to weld the braces, but his time is limited. I plan to have the braces cut and the surfaces prepared to receive the 1" box tubing.

Now my question.

I was told to merely weld support across the lower door openings and that was sufficient as this is a coupe. Is this true?

I planned to complete the X brace as in Mr. Kellog's book and then put the brace across the lower 1/4 of the door openings on each side and then jack her up and get ready to weld all the panels pans and such.

I have to get this ready in the next twelve hours. HELP

Richard Towle
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Posts: 42
Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2008 12:07 pm

Bracing

#2 Post by Richard Towle »

I would suggest the following supports, but I tend to over do bracing to ensure the car stays still.

X brace the door openings
Why...the inner long has a funky seam near the rear edge of the door that rots, is not very strong, and is thin 20 gauge steel (possibly 22 gauge)

Run a horizontal bar across the inside lower edge of the rear window..just behind the lock post..
Why...if you are fixing the lockpost, its nice to have that measurement fixed ahead of time.

Finally, with the car level, door gaps perfect, add a diagonal brace, possibly an xbrace (depends upon how bad your car is) that goes from the dashboard back the the horizontal bar you put in to tie the lock posts in place...
Why...keeps the car from twisting with lack of floor and longs..

Then, if you can bolt the car to the floor, that is best.

Rich
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