Floor Pan Install - Keeping Drip Rail (Budd)?

[66Uncut]

I've started looking for a body shop to replace my floor pans. Is this a Budd drip rail? My build date is 11/65. For those of you that have had your floor plans replaced, either DIY or shop installed, were you able to keep the drip rail intact? Looks like a new floor pan should be able to slip under the rail. I think it would be kinda cool to keep it.

Also, I'm wondering if I should order the sheet metal first then take it to the shop for installation? If anyone has a recommendation for a North Orange County CA body shop that is familiar with Broncos, I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

 

[stevew]

I've started looking for a body shop to replace my floor pans. Is this a Budd drip rail? My build date is 11/65. For those of you that have had your floor plans replaced, either DIY or shop installed, were you able to keep the drip rail intact? Looks like a new floor pan should be able to slip under the rail. I think it would be kinda cool to keep it.

Also, I'm wondering if I should order the sheet metal first then take it to the shop for installation? If anyone has a recommendation for a North Orange County CA body shop that is familiar with Broncos, I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

It looks like this one is spot welded on . The Oct 65 U13 I'm currently restoring is screwed on so pretty simple reinstall . Yes I'd keep it & reinstall it . For what it's worth , my Mar 66 U15 still had that piece so I don't think it's an exclusive Budd body thing .

 

[66Uncut]

Thanks Steve. Your website was one of the first sites I bookmarked when I got my wagon. I'll be sure to point the rail out to whomever I find to do the work for me. I wish I had the space, experience, and welding know-how to do this myself. I've seen enough videos and photos to think it's not hard to do, but I think it might be hard for me to do it well (alignment, clean vs sloppy welds, straight seams, etc).

Do you have a preferred vendor for sourcing panels for your builds?

 

[okie4570]

Like Steve said, it should have been screwed on, looks like someone made a reproduction and welded it on maybe?

 

[66Uncut]

Like Steve said, it should have been screwed on, looks like someone made a reproduction and welded it on maybe?

Since I've got to remove the carpet anyway, I peeled it back to get a wider photo. I definitely don't see any screws holding on the drip rail. Seems odd that someone would go through the trouble of making a reproduction drip rail but anything is possible.

Here's a view looking up from the other side. Pretty, eh?

A previous owner's idea of a floor pan repair.

Kinda cool seeing red oxide (?) primer under layers of crud:

For what it's worth , my Mar 66 U15 still had that piece so I don't think it's an exclusive Budd body thing .

Is that the Peacock Blue 66 on your restorations page #2 ? And it is screwed on?

If I trailer my 66 up to Montana, would you be interested in taking on another project?

 

[stevew]

Like Steve said, it should have been screwed on, looks like someone made a reproduction and welded it on maybe?

It seems to me maybe my later '66's were spot welded too but don't remember would have to look at the pics , but that one does sorta look "different " . The Springtime Yellow '66 was a Mar too I think . My most recent panel purchase was from Tom's . So far all look & fit decent , even the front fenders . What you will likely find is not all vendors will have in stock everything you need .
It would be awhile before I'll take another job in , like next summer maybe . One of the conditions on this job was no set time frame . I've done WAY more already than I even planned but I had the time & motivation but it's about to get put up for the winter , No workey in the winter anymore !

 

[stevew]

It seems to me maybe my later '66's were spot welded too but don't remember would have to look at the pics , but that one does sorta look "different " . The Springtime Yellow '66 was a Mar too I think . My most recent panel purchase was from Tom's . So far all look & fit decent , even the front fenders . What you will likely find is not all vendors will have in stock everything you need .
It would be awhile before I'll take another job in , like next summer maybe . One of the conditions on this job was no set time frame . I've done WAY more already than I even planned but I had the time & motivation but it's about to get put up for the winter , No workey in the winter anymore !

Ok , looked at my old files & both V8 U15's had spot welded gutters & comparing your pic to my current 10-65 U13 they look the same other than the screws . So ... another '66 aberration ...
Call , text or PM if you want to talk about your Bronco etc . My current number is listed on my web site .

 

[scoutingranch]

Anthony, doing floors correctly is a pain in the arse. Butt welds burn thru the edges of sheet metal at the blink of an eye. Upper end wire/gas or tig is the ticket.
It's going to cost big to do it right because of the time it takes. If you proceed make sure the shop doesn't do a bunch of overlapping of metals. Do your homework on exactly
what the floor should look like. I have to admit I'm a fanatic when it comes to the correct factory looks. I wish every day I hadn't sold my Bronco factory Roadster some 3 years ago
"The idiot from down here in Encinitas."

 

[DirtDonk]

Wouldn’t surprise me at all if they be they alternated between methods, or changed from one to the other during production. Remember they even did that with the windshield frames.
Early ones were screwed on and later ones were welded on.
As much as they look the same through all the years, small changes were the norm.

 

[66Uncut]

Ok , looked at my old files & both V8 U15's had spot welded gutters & comparing your pic to my current 10-65 U13 they look the same other than the screws . So ... another '66 aberration ...
Call , text or PM if you want to talk about your Bronco etc . My current number is listed on my web site .

I think we exchanged a few emails or PMs about 7-8 years ago and I remember you mentioning wanting to retire. I'm not in any rush and there wouldn't be any time conditions as well. I'll definitely get in touch. Thanks Steve!

Anthony, doing floors correctly is a pain in the arse. Butt welds burn thru the edges of sheet metal at the blink of an eye. Upper end wire/gas or tig is the ticket.
It's going to cost big to do it right because of the time it takes. If you proceed make sure the shop doesn't do a bunch of overlapping of metals. Do your homework on exactly
what the floor should look like. I have to admit I'm a fanatic when it comes to the correct factory looks. I wish every day I hadn't sold my Bronco factory Roadster some 3 years ago
"The idiot from down here in Encinitas."

Most of the videos and photos I've seen show a lot of sheet metal screws to hold the panels in place followed up by a lot of tack welds. Looks like it would be fun to try and would love to learn how to weld, but can't imagine I'd get it right using my Bronco as my welding experiment guinea pig. I also think I've read and save pictures from just about every "floor pan" thread here on Classic so I've seen lots but no idea which ones are right vs almost right. I'll have to revisit all the threads and pictures.

Nice to hear you mention being a fanatic when it comes to correct factory looks. I'm kinda OCD as well and it would drive me crazy if I had work done and someone more familiar with things said, "looks good, but your guy welded them Econoline style and not Bronco style". No idea if that's even a thing but you probably understand what I mean

I should probably be in therapy!

 

[sprdv1]

I should probably be in therapy!

we all should, LOL