Fiat 124 Spider, a project car with an accent

[Rupert]

Oh shit! Is that the cause of the wobbly seats?

In part. They're also half-broken seats. I was gonna live with that for a while, but this is pretty bad. I'm temped to get the alternator in there, title and register it, drive it for a week, and then sell it. Or wait until the spring. *sigh* Laaaaaame!

[280Z Turbo]

Welding is easy.

[Rupert]

Says you!

I guess it doesn't need to be pretty, eh? I have a buddy with a MIG...

[Rupert]

The car just needs too much to make this worth it to me. If I fix the floor, then I'll have to fix the body rust, and repaint the whole thing, and fix every other little stupid thing, and I don't want that much of a project. I was just going to drive it around for a while, fixing the little things as I feel like it.

Alternator, sell, 944 suspension, own an Italian car later.

[Secret Chimp]

Major inspection fail. Beta move.

[Soup DeVille]

Says you!

I guess it doesn't need to be pretty, eh? I have a buddy with a MIG...

If you can find replacement floorboards and fit them in for not much dough: neither the welds nor the paint on them have to be pretty.


Or...

You have a pile of parts: Ebay them, then sell the car and walk away. Your call.

[Rupert]

Aye. Floorboards are $500, and the work would be much. I dunno; I might get it driving, and then drive it for a little bit as is. If I like the car enough after that, then I'll do the floors.

[Rupert]

Major inspection fail. Beta move.

So beta.

On the other hand this fits the philosophy of the more breaking up you do, the more success you have.

[Madman]

FFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

Balls to all this. I found that the floor pans are catastrophically rusted under the seat rails, and the seats are barely held down by a few spots of good metal.  

Not sure what to do at this point. Either replace the floor pans before it's safe to drive, or sell it. I would end up paying $$$ to have a shop do the welding, and I can't weld sheet metal.

No floors?  No problem.  Plywood is your friend!

[hotrodalex]

Floorboards aren't bad at all.

[Rupert]

No floors?  No problem.  Plywood is your friend!

It's the seat mounts that are the problem. If there was just a hole in the floor, I wouldn't even care.

[Soup DeVille]

It's the seat mounts that are the problem. If there was just a hole in the floor, I wouldn't even care.

In that case, they make these things called wood screws...

but no, don't do that.


If you can cut out the old floors and get the new ones fitted in place, you can probably have them welded for about $100.

[Rupert]

Sort of feel like once I had all that work done, I might as well finish it. What do you think for labor for the whole job? I have no experience paying for welding and body work.

[Soup DeVille]

Sort of feel like once I had all that work done, I might as well finish it. What do you think for labor for the whole job? I have no experience paying for welding and body work.

Well, that's the problem with all project cars, isn't it? To do the whole thing from start to finish? Might be $500 if you get lucky.

[Secret Chimp]

Look at how cooooool it looks Boopert. Think of how it brooms. That is worth another $500. Listen to the voices of money entering other people's pockets.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Buy me a plane ticket and I will come out there with my reciprocating saw and flux core welder.

[Secret Chimp]

Do not let Nick turn Fight 12Fo into an Italian Slownoma.

[Rupert]

Look at how cooooool it looks Boopert. Think of how it brooms. That is worth another $500. Listen to the voices of money entering other people's pockets.

Come on gooby, you killingb be.

[Rupert]

Buy me a plane ticket and I will come out there with my reciprocating saw and flux core welder.

Cheaper to have a shop do it.

Get a delivery out here, and bring your shit. You can stay in my spare room, and I'll have the interior stripped already!

[Rupert]

Do not let Nick turn Fight 12Fo into an Italian Slownoma.

I think under the Slownoma and flamez, Nick might know what he's doing. More than me!

[Eye of the Tiger]

Cheaper to have a shop do it.

Get a delivery out here, and bring your shit. You can stay in my spare room, and I'll have the interior stripped already!

I wood, but I am east coast, mang. Also, about to quit this jerb 4 srs. Just need to get a local one.
And you should know that I can't weld sheet metal with a flux core.

[Rupert]

Well, that's the problem with all project cars, isn't it? To do the whole thing from start to finish? Might be $500 if you get lucky.

Indeed. I can usually restrain myself, or at least keep the rate of tearin' shit apart reasonable, but if I already have to pull most of the interior, I might as well pull the rest and refurbish it, and if I'm already fixing rust, I might as well fix it all, and if I'm fixing it all, then I might as well paint the whole car, and then it's next fall and I've only driven it 30 miles, and then it snows, and then I move and sell it anyway... So you see the dilemma.

[Rupert]

I wood, but I am east coast, mang. Also, about to quit this jerb 4 srs. Just need to get a local one.
And you should know that I can't weld sheet metal with a flux core.

And this is why I don't want to do this!

[Eye of the Tiger]

And this is why I don't want to do this!

pop rivets are super easy

[Rupert]

Yikes, no.

[Soup DeVille]

Yikes, no.

If you have enough of a flang and room for the tool to work, you can use flush pop rivets that wil actually look good- you offset the sheet metal you're putting in, dimple the holes and use a structural adhesive.

But: its not considered a structural strength joint; and I'd want that in floorboards.

Cutting the old out and fitting the new boards in and then letting a real welder do the welding would be your best option- IF you decide to fix this.

[hotrodalex]

Indeed. I can usually restrain myself, or at least keep the rate of tearin' shit apart reasonable, but if I already have to pull most of the interior, I might as well pull the rest and refurbish it, and if I'm already fixing rust, I might as well fix it all, and if I'm fixing it all, then I might as well paint the whole car, and then it's next fall and I've only driven it 30 miles, and then it snows, and then I move and sell it anyway... So you see the dilemma.

Sounds like my El Camino.

[Soup DeVille]

Indeed. I can usually restrain myself, or at least keep the rate of tearin' shit apart reasonable, but if I already have to pull most of the interior, I might as well pull the rest and refurbish it, and if I'm already fixing rust, I might as well fix it all, and if I'm fixing it all, then I might as well paint the whole car, and then it's next fall and I've only driven it 30 miles, and then it snows, and then I move and sell it anyway... So you see the dilemma.

Dude, I've been there more than once already. Heck, I'm there right now (except for the moving part)

[Rupert]

Dude, I've been there more than once already. Heck, I'm there right now (except for the moving part)

Yeah... There's no certainty in moving, but I won't be here forever, and I don't want a project car and a garage full of parts when I leave.

I dunno; I think it's drive it and see time. I might decide I don't like driving it, anyway.

[Rupert]

If you have enough of a flang and room for the tool to work, you can use flush pop rivets that wil actually look good- you offset the sheet metal you're putting in, dimple the holes and use a structural adhesive.

But: its not considered a structural strength joint; and I'd want that in floorboards.

Cutting the old out and fitting the new boards in and then letting a real welder do the welding would be your best option- IF you decide to fix this.

Yeah, most likely. I'll have to get a Haynes book or something on how to fit them.