Floor Reinfocement

[Roger W.]

After trying to repair some old bodywork by Bubu on my 59, I had to purchase a new driver side lower front fender. When I removed the old fender, I discovered that the floor reinforcement was missing. I have tried a few sources for this part but so far no luck. does anybody have or know of a source for this part? Does anybody have a photo of a C1 with the lower fender removed like I have posted?
.59 Vette Floor Reinforcement.jpg59 Vette Floor Reinforcement0002.jpgHPIM0637.jpg

[Richard M.]

Re: Floor Reinfocement

Roger, I found some pics from the '59 I redid.

I thought that was actually part of the floor and bulkhead(firewall), but they may actually be bonding strips. I've never seen them separately. I would rebuild that area using some wax paper'd cardboard for molds, then some resin and heavy matte, built in layers to a matching thickness. Then you have a flange to bond the new fender to. It looks like someone saw-cut that area of the floor on yours. Take note that the kick panel brackets mount to the floor in that area. The lower one is missing in my last photo.

Rich

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[Roger W.]

Re: Floor Reinfocement

Thanks for the photos Rich. I also have never seen the floor reinforcement shown separately. I will probably end up making the part.

[Bill M.]

Re: Floor Reinfocement

Here's a shot from inside my '59.

[Richard M.]

Re: Floor Reinfocement

Great shot Bill !

Yes it certainly looks like a separate reinforcement/bonding strip. With gobs of bonding adhesive. It's likely not shown as a separate part# in the AIM because it may have already been bonded to the floor assembly in a previous operation.

I doubled checked Sermersheims' catalog and it's not shown.

http://www.scorvette.com/2011catalog.pdf

[Donald H.]

Re: Floor Reinfocement

Dr. Rebuild sells them. I searched high and low before I found them in his catalog. They are called Front Fender to Floor Bonding Strips. The attached picture is of one of them in my 1960. Quality of the part and fit was very good. His part number are:

8200168 for left side and 8200169 for right side. They are shown in a diagram on page 191 of his catalog.


Don


Front Fender to Floor bonding strip_2.jpg

[Roger W.]

Re: Floor Reinfocement

Thanks everybody for your photos and research. I took Don's advice and purchased the bonding strip from Dr. Rebuild. I also searched high and low and could not find any other source.

[Roger W.]

Re: Floor Reinfocement

Don,
If you stil have the front end off of this car, I would appreciate a photo of underneath the aluminum angle piece that is riveted to the Metal inner rocker panel support. I have a couple of small holes and am wondering if it is supposed to be riveted to body.
Thanks

[Donald H.]

Re: Floor Reinfocement

Don,
If you stil have the front end off of this car, I would appreciate a photo of underneath the aluminum angle piece that is riveted to the Metal inner rocker panel support. I have a couple of small holes and am wondering if it is supposed to be riveted to body.
Thanks

My car is back together, but I have a lot of pictures of the restoration. Not sure of what you want to see though.

[Roger W.]

Re: Floor Reinfocement

HPIM0652.jpgDon, Here is a photo of the underneath of the aluminum angle piece that I mentioned. The small holes have a blue arrow.

[Donald H.]

Re: Floor Reinfocement

[ATTACH=CONFIG]42341[/ATTACH]Don, Here is a photo of the underneath of the aluminum angle piece that I mentioned. The small holes have a blue arrow.

Sorry but I do not recognize the area in you photo. Is it inside the rocker panel, i.e. do you have the fiberglass rocker panel removed and this is the metal support structure underneath? If you could move the camera back some maybe I can recognize the area. I did not remove the full fiberglass piece when the support was repaired. I did not have any of what looks like large pop rivets in your photo anywhere!

Don

[Roger W.]

Re: Floor Reinfocement

Don,
Here are 3 more photos. I think your car has a steel inner panel so the angle support is spot welded. I have an aluminum inner pannel and the angle support (blue arrow) is riveted. I don't know if these are the correct rivets.
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[Donald H.]

Re: Floor Reinfocement

No, I do not have a picture that shows the area you have in question. They sure look like rivet holes to me. If the 3/16" rivet fits, not sure what the harm would be to put one there anyway. However, I don't see the rivets in the AIM for the 60. I assume your 59 AIM has the same pages, I looked at Body Reinforcements Section B-10.00 which shows the brace assembly install, and Underbody, Reinforcement Section A - 2.00 which shows the rocker reinforcement install.

Don

[Richard M.]

Re: Floor Reinfocement

Roger,

Here are some of a 'March built '59 with all aluminum reinforcements, not steel. Late '59 to '62 used steel reinforcements which were welded together. Aluminum pieces were bolted together.

Shows the rivet(s) in question next to the bolt, which I believe hold the bottom support through the sill floor, then into the angle bracket below. Maybe only as a pre-assembly rivet before the big bolt was installed?

Typical rivets holding the main reinforcement, not pop rivets. Not sure if pop rivets were ever used. Rivets held the angle bracket to the main reinforcement, which is totally encased in the rocker tunnel.

Rich

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[Roger W.]

Re: Floor Reinfocement

Thanks Rich,
Those photos are exactly what I am looking for. As I thought, My rivets seem to be some kind of repair.
Your first photo is a little blurry, but there appears to be a verticle rivet going into the fiberglass piece that the bolt next to it goes through. Is that correct? In my photos there is just an empty hole. I suspected that something was missing.