Joxracing wrote:
only question is... where are all the bolts that hold the body on?
Two on top of the front beam, then there is about 12 or so underneath the car that bolt up into the heater channels, then 4 inside the car across the back lip (just behind the battery), and two more on the rear shock mounts. An impact wrench is your friend in removing all of the bolts.
Just remember to disconnect the steering rag joint and bake light switch wires before you lift it up.
I don't always show my signature. But when I do, it's in this area.
9 down each side, 4 on the rear cross-piece, two pairs of two on the ends of the front cross-piece accessed from outside/underneath and maybe the two that go in the wheel well to the rear torsion casting w/spacer.
There are at least three pans halves that are available. The Brazilian ones are one piece and are black in color. Very thin but do fit. There is are orange painted pan halves that are available and come in two pieces, the pan and the rear cross-piece; the jack points are separate too. I was able to get mine without seat tracks and heater boxes (that go under the seat on later models), I don't know if it was good timing or they can be ordered that way.
There is now a third style that is OEM in thickness. Other than that I don't know much about them as they came out just after I got mine. As far as which make (and who the makes are) you have to check with who you buy from but unless there is a money shortage, I would get the best I would afford.
One other thing I would suggest would be to make a pattern of the perimeter to ensure a good fit as there can be some fitting that has to be done. This is how it was done in an article in Hot VW mag a couple of years ago and after my fight, I think it is a good idea. They used some flat stock that they cut, welded and bent/formed to the pans shape, marked the locations of the slots in the stock pan.
Some people if the outer perimeter of the pan is OK (the body mount channel) just cut the center floor structure out and replace that. Some even go as far as bending a new perimeter out of 2 inch rectangular stock and replace the outer channel with it welding the floor to a flange on the new perimeter.
Im thinking full pan halves, then making some custom replacements for the heater channels. I just can see spending 150 on a replacement channel, when i could fab something out of tubing.
I found some pan halves on ebay for 62 bucks a side..
If they are the Garage Pro, they LOOK LIKE the Brazilian pan halves I had origionally. OK but not the thickest of the three available but they will get the job done.
I looked at a couple of other places and the prices ranged from $115 to $145 but the cost of shipping was budget breaking, on place (Pacific Customs) said about $100 per. They looked like the same ones you might be getting.
Gonna be going with full pan halves from Mid America. around 110 a side. look pretty thick, 18 gauge i think?
Gonna be fabbing custom heater channels out of some 2" tubing to save money on buying replacements. They'll be tied into the torsion housing and possibly the framehead. It'll be a good base for tie-in's to the show cage too.