[tay]

Is it acceptable to use body panel adhesive to install new floor boards in my unibody 1980 Z-28? I understand that the adhesive is very strong and that it is also more user friendly to a non-welder such as myself. Please understand that if welding is required, that I am looking for opinions on the right way to do this.

Thanks in advance for your time and knowledge.

[johnnymopar]

when bodyshops replace a roof nowadays, they're gluing them on so i don't see how a floor would be any different. metal bonding agents are pretty high-tech nowadays. they use them to build airplanes so they must work.

JB

[MARTINSR]

Are you talking about JUST some floor boards that will go OVER the cross members? I would say, go for it. But if you are talking about bonding in anything where the seats will bolt or God forbid seat belts, I would say weld it.

It is not that the bonding wouldn't be strong enough, but the application would have to be PERFECT. I just wouldn't trust that on your first time.

[tay]

Having never used adhesive before, which brand? I would be buying new floor pans and cutting out the old ones, leaving the members under in place. Should I flange the old so that the new sit "in" the old? Should I use self drilling / self tapping screws to hold the panel in until the adhesive cures? Any good sources for this information? It is very appealing to use the adhesive and not purchase the welder yet.

I hope this post does not make it seem as if my mind is made up to use glue. Any other ideas from other members?

Thanks for the advice.

Tay

[MARTINSR]

I have to tell you, I use adhesive regularly and this is a perfect place for it. No need to flange, for a couple of reasons. First this part is under the carpet, you won't see or feel the difference. Secondly and probably more important this repro floor board is not going to fit perfect, FAR from it. So to make it fit perfect in a flange is just asking too much in my opinion.

Grind both bonding surfaces good with 24 grit. I use a little angle die grinder with a 3" "ROLOC" disk. You don't want to clamp it in too tight and squish out all the adhesive. So what ever you chose to use to hold it, don't tighten them to touching. The screws will be fine, after the adhesive cures, remove them and seal it with seam sealer.

One thing you will also want to be sure of is to cover all the bare metal you have ground with the adhesive, brush it out as to not leave any bare metal. This is of course if the repro panels are well primed.

[baddbob]

You can get some good info on panel bonding techniques here- Lord Fusor

Fusor makes some excellent adhesives and seamsealers. After the adhesive is done curing clean off the excess adhesive with a small grinder or 3M kleen and strip disc being carefull not to heat anything up with these abrasives, than apply a good metal primer (self etch or epoxy) then you can apply your seamsealer. Lifetime Warranty