Rear Quarter Floor (R, L)

<<   Rear Tunnel Aluminum                           Aluminum Tanks >>

Major System Category: Body (Undercarriage)
Task: Install floor plates
Parts: Rear quarter floor panels
Prerequisite Tasks: Rear Tunnel Aluminum
Additional Costs: N/A
Time Requirement: 2 hours
Date Started: October 4, 2012
Date Completed: October 4, 2012
One of the items I have held off completing are the floor panels. It has been convenient to reach up through the floor and get some things done. When I was working on the original fuel tanks, there was no requirement to install the floor panels beneath the tanks. The Corvette tanks just kind of were there. I found this to be a good arrangement, because it provided access to everything around the tanks.

Rear quarter panels under the tanks. These panels are on the engine  side of the fire wall.. Orientation:  Center line of the undercarriage on driver's side.

The rear tunnel aluminum needs to be installed for the Corvette tanks. Once the tanks are in place, these areas become inaccessible for the purpose of installation. I upgraded the fuel system to use aluminum tanks, and these tanks require the floor to be installed. I was quite excited to install the tanks, bur first things first.

I sound proofed the panel closest to the cockpit, as it technically resides inside the same body shell area as the cockpit. The more triangular shaped piece resides adjacent to the engine. Since the tanks rest atop wooden blocks and camper mount tape is used to minimize rattles, these new tanks should ride pretty quiet.

Anything being installed from the underside of the car requires that the item be drilled and riveted straight up. There is nothing very complicated about getting this done, it just takes time and grunt work. Every rivet is into a cross member on the chassis. There are no easy holes to drill and some of the areas can be awkward. I had to take the rear axle off the jacks, because they interfered with my access. A right hand drill comes in very handy.

Front/Center Undercarriage Aluminum

<< Cockpit/Tunnel Aluminum (Rear)               Mount Body Shell (Initial) >>

Major System Category: Body (Undercarriage)
Task: Install center aluminum panels in cockpit
Parts:
Prerequisite Tasks: N/A
Additional Costs: N/A
Time Requirement: 1 hour
Date Started: August 28, 2012
Date Completed: August 28, 2012
I am at the point where, I am planning to drop the body on the chassis. This is a decision driven by budget and funds. The next major purchase is the ISIS power system. This is going to have to wait for another 60 days, before I have enough money put aside for that purchase. The nearly 60% price increase was not anticipated in my budget, and this has thrown a minor wrench in my budget and schedule.

The easiest way to mark this panel is front under the car. Drop the panel into place and start  tracing the  cross members.

I want to finish up the fuel tanks, AC and coolant lines as much as possible before moving into body work. On the subject of fuel tanks, the longer I stand under the car examining the Corvette tanks and the FFR modification, the more convinced I am that they will leak like sieve. So I am opting for the aluminum tanks that do not rely on RTV silicone to hold everything together. I had to get to this point in the build, before I understood the real problems with this approach.

These panels are the ones that rest on the cross member between the foot well and the rear floor pan. They need to be installed before the tunnel aluminum goes into place. As I have installed the rear half of the tunnel aluminum, and I have built the foot well boxes, it seems like it is time to get this done.

Cross members covered by this piece. Orientation: Passenger side cockpit.

The nagging issue for me is how thin this floor piece is.just 1/16" aluminum. This seems a little flimsy.

Lots of rivets! Orientation: Driver's side cockpit.