Started drilling out spot welds in the hat channels. There are a lot of welds there! Also had some rot in the rear floor supports. Just cut out the bad and welded in new metal.
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Started drilling out spot welds in the hat channels. There are a lot of welds there! Also had some rot in the rear floor supports. Just cut out the bad and welded in new metal.
Same problem with the hat channels under the floor pans. Multiple spots where it rusted through. It's amazing how much crud that can accumulate inside the channels over the years. I'm surprised they didn't completely rust to pieces. I'm trying to save the original hat channels if I can.
Looking good Cajun. I would say I have certainly seen MUCH worse. The hat channels are seldom in good shape and they usually take the floor boards with them. Yours really don't look that bad. A lot of original there including the paint!
When I removed the fuel tank, I could see a lot of rust in the floor in the vicinity of the hat channel. When I started digging, this is what I found! An old t-shirt was stuffed into the channel to fill the void and then had bondo slathered over the top. I think the guy that painted it back in 1980 had to have done this. The amazing thing is that only the floor rusted out. The hat channel under the cloth was still solid. The thing you find!!
The hat channel under the toe boards is pretty rusted too. But the wooden inserts are still as solid as can be!
Awesome find. Was it forest gumps smiley t-shirt? Or some local jeep club? Hah!!!
Az has the right idea, t-shirt goes on the wall.
I can see the progress with your recent update. I really hope that this build will turn out fine. I am so excited to see the outcome.
mrgrtt123, I'm steady making progress. It's supposed to rain tomorrow so I will be in the shop all day working on new floor pans!! I hope to get it done by this summer! My mom is almost 80 y/o. This CJ5 was her's when she was in high school. I want her to be able to drive it again. That keeps me motivated.
I am tired of drilling out spot welds but I finally got the hat channels removed from both floor pans, intact. What a pain! I thought I would be able to salvage the hat channels but I think I may be money ahead going with new steel. KW has hat channels that aren't welded together so I can use my old ones as a pattern to get the angle correct.