Removing old and fitting new floors

[SBD762]

If this has been up before, I apologise, I have searched archives to no avail. 

How difficult is it to remove Drivers and Passenger floors on S3 and replace with new. 

For example what tools required?

Cost of new floors, and where to buy?

Any tips, Any advice would be appreciated. 

What sort of time scale would you allow to remove and fit?

Failling all of the above as DIY, is there anybody in Devon who has done this and would be willing to help OR any recommendations for a garage to go the job?

 

 

[Jonathan Kay]

Did you find the advice about getting a big boy's rivet gun, and the recommendations?

Jonathan

[SBD762]

No, not yet JK, Please direct me .....

[Jonathan Kay]

Try this search, IIRC there are some estimated job times in there as well.

Jonathan

[phil 01]

Hi, is it Steve? What's sad, if you where changing a front indicator lamp you would have swamps giving advice, but when it's something outside their comfort zone and slightly more complex you get very little advice. I've come to the conclusion that there a few specialists on here in certain areas and quite a few chancers offering crap advice. The search function still isn't up to a satisfactory standard, though we can't mention that, even though it's our club. Now to the floor, removal of the old rivets laying on your back will take about a day, I would use an old wood chisel taking the top off the old rivets for the main areas of the floor and where it passes under the side skins I would drill these out. After the floor is removed go around and pop the remains of the old rivet into the chassis. Having never replaced a floor, are they pre drilled if so check drill hole positions against the old old ones to see if these correspond and adjust if necessary and either borrow or buy an electric or air riveter. I would imagine a second pair of hands would also be useful and if you google Cleco clips it's a method of holding panels in place before you rivet, these are used on aircraft panels before assembly, some area of the floor will have a sealing compound you will know where from the old panels Good luck but you should be able to do this. 

Regards phil

[Mankee]

When my passenger floor started sagging, I drilled out all the rivets and took the panel to my local metalworker guy who cut me a new floor in thicker ally, 1.5 mm I think instead of 1.2 mm, and also matched the rivet holes too. Can't remover exactly how much it cost. Something like £30 back then. Arch probably supply the floors? I just used a hand riveter to pop rivet the floor back in. Bit of hard work repeatedly squeezing the handles, but not really anything to moan about.

[Nigel Riches]

Hi Steve, 

On my elderly 7 the  floor panel is fitted between the chassis and the side panels, these being folded underneath, if yours is the same you will need to "ease"  these a bit too remove the original sheet after removing the rivets. 

The new panel will probably have enough "flex" to allow it to be positioned and riveted back in,  does your car have an open transmission tunnel?  This would possibly make the job easier. 

Be sure to get the correct grade and size of rivets, not just those from the diy shop,  Arch Motors would be my preferred supplier. 

To remove the old rivets use drill slightly larger than the rivet shank,  to take the heads off and a parallel punch to push the tail into the tube, careful not to drill right through, as you would need a larger rivet in that position. 

From a very early Lotus 7 workshop manual I have found this info:

Undertray (floor)  aluminium sheet 20G (hard) 610B, L72 or equivalent, not weldable, 

Rivets 5/32 in. Pop rivets, monel metal. 

My 1982 car is clad with L72 panel floor, as the maker's mark were clear to see all those years ago. 

I hope some of this is of assistance, 

Nigel  

[SBD762]

Thank you to all above for some excellent, well explained and clear advice.

Many thanks.

I do not think it above a DIY function, just careful application and don't rush!

I may also be using sledgehammer to crack a nut here. The floors are 'sound',

Back along I fitted B6 Tillets , they were a very tight fit and subsequently left me with no adjustment.

However, when I removed the old leather seats the new Tillets didn't line up as I would have liked, and in the end I had additional (non-use) holes drilled, "elongated" holes , so all in all it was nnot a "neat" job.

I suppose what I really want to do is reset the Tilletts  and I think to do that I wanted to do that as if the floor was virgin floor i.e. no previous holes.

Because you Guys seem so knowledgeable , what are your comments?

Should I be "patching" up the previous holes  to start with a blank canvas for re installing the Tiltetts, my problem being I just know the new holes are "close to the old holes making it a bit of pigs ear and not accurate and back top a nice round bolt going ito an elongated mess!

If I've explained myself , you'll get it!

So, do I patch the old floor (And if so, what might be the best way) or am I making mountain out of nothing?

Once again, thank you for you help,

Regards

Steve

 

[SM25T]

Replacing the floor seems a bit of an overkill. I would fit an ali plate under the seat area and bolt through original floor and new plate. Will cover all holes and prevent water ingress.

[Duckpit]

Hi

My S3 is upside down and I have been working on the floor panel, luckily I think I can get away without renewing although patching may not be sufficient.

You may have a problem drilling the rivets out as they will have become loose with age and will tend to spin once you apply pressure. You may in fact have to carefully chisel some/most them out. 

You will also have to take the tunnel out.

With the S3 the floor panel starts at front of the foot wells and goes right back to the top of the back of the seats, so it is a large piece of ally and it does not have the support cross members that the Caterham has behind the seat

Once you have the rivets out you will haved a problem bending the ally to free the floor, because the ally is aged and may well crack/split as you bend it away. It may well be far simpler to weld in the cross pieces behind the seats as per the caterham and rivet in a new floor on top of the old one using longer rivets and the original holes.

Failing that you need to take the car to Arch, Mike Brotherwood, I think there is also someone in Somerset. But it will be costly

On patching I have used ally patches riveted and glued down with an epoxy for aluminum. I have then used a form of armour plating to protect the car in the future. I am a bit concerned by the fact that the car does not have the cross members and that if the ally goes then my backside will be on the ground !!

 

Nick

 

Nick

[Eccles]

Hi Steve,

If you're going to change the floors, would it be worth changing to lowered floors whilst you at it? Obviously depending on if you want to sit a bit lower (about to swap mine to lowered ones).

Ivan

[Nigel Riches]

Hi Duckpit your car and mine have a one piece floor, enclosing the transmission tunnel, later versions have two separate panels, with open tunnel, and I think the rear bulkhead aft of the seats is a separate sheet on these cars, probably easier to build, not so much bending and smaller pieces to handle.

Nigel