Firewall or Floorpans first?

[eclecticdriver]

Started restoration on my '65 FB. I'm on the floorpans, upper & lower cowls, & firewall. The firewall will need a new lip and lower toe boards. Plan on buying a full firewall even if I decide just to patch it. I'm going with a one piece floor pan. I'm thinking of doing the floors first for adding structural integrity before the firewalls just in case I decide to do the whole firewall. Of course I'll be adding some bracing. If I do the floors first, how do you handle the overlap with the lower cowl toe boards? Pictures to come and advance thank you's for the advice.

 

[Fst Blk]

I ran into this. I suggest doing just ONE piece at a time. I'd do the firewall because as you know the floors overlap the toeboards. I had to pie cut my floor pans and fold them back, which will make for a ton of work stitching them back together.

Bill

 

[eclecticdriver]

Thanks Bill! I saw what you went thru with the alignment of your cowl. Have you gotten to welding it in yet? If so, did you do it from the engine bay side or from the interior side?

George

 

[Fst Blk]

Haven't had time to weld it in yet, I still got a lot of work getting it back aligned. That's why I suggest you do it ONE at a time and brace. It will save you the headache I have now.
But, when I do weld the firewall back in I'm sure I will weld the aprons to the firewall then weld the toeboards to the frame and torque boxes then beat back down the floor pan metal I bent back and stitch it back together.

Bill

 

[manley]

I did my toe boards first since they are under the floor pan. I think I left as much of the floor intact while I did them. I replaced torque boxes, too, so you might run into that need as well.

 

[tarafied1]

I'm with Bill, I didn't replace my entire firewall but it did need patching. I did the toe boards and other patches first and then the floors. I also agree with the one piece at a time method. I replaced my entire front frame rails, aprons, etc but did one side at a time and made some jigs for alignment. I'm helping a friend on hid 65 FB now and we are replacing everything but the roof. We still tried to do one area at a time.

 

[eclecticdriver]

I'm totally with you guys on the whole one at a time thing. I was going to do my toe boards first but looking at it closer, I would need to do both toe boards and firewall lip. With all that, I was starting to rethink it and go for a full firewall. That of course means the upper & lower cowl is out and right now the dash is also out. That's 3 on top of a swiss cheese floor. I'm bracing and measuring but still 50/50 on a full firewall replacement.

 

[manley]

Full firewall might look nicer and be easier than patching in pieces. My patch job turned out ok, but there were some serious contour issues with the LH side of my patch panel. I only cut out what was bad, and trimmed the new panel to fit.... it took awhile, but I enjoyed doing it. Again, some of the contours did not match up very well..... so I had to beat and bend them to make them fit.

I was just looking at my pictures... I removed the entire floor before I replaced the torque boxes and toe boards. I support the car from underneath well.... I don't have any body alignment problems.