It's almost a given that early cars don't have factory floors, although there are now kits for some of the most popular cars and universal fit kits for those that aren't so popular. a lot of cars had basically flat floors right through the '50s. If I build my own floor pans for a non-restorable '57 Chevy will that be a problem should I decide to sell the car some day? You can get almost any part of these cars in replacement tin but the underneath stuff costs just as much as what's on top, and a lot of it doesn't fit without reworking it anyway.
I just did a full floor pan in a 55 chevy with the braces pre welded in. It fit really nice and saved a ton of time. In the end it will be worth more and have a better look.
For my part floors don't have to look original, just well built and solid. Actually I prefer light. But I'm not a purest, I'm a hot rodder. if you are one of those I better not change this because I won't be able to bring it back stock someday, then I guess you better buy repop floors. To the average guy who is buying an investment instead of a hot rod the floors are going to make a real difference. But to a hot rodder that remembers that any old hooptie isn't worth a dime unless its hopped up they are going to be more interested in suspension mods, and drive train stuff than if it has factory floors or not. So I guess it just depends on who you plan on selling it to and what you want or expect it to be yourself.
I made patch panels for my 60 Elky out of some FREE 2'x3' steel industrial shelves. I hammered some corrugations in them in the same general areas the originals had to keep them from drumming, hopefully. If I had to BUY the sheet steel to do this job, I would definitely have sprung for the stamped replacement panels. way easier than fabbing all the shapes, and nothing is really flat on that floor. Also, ALL models of '57 Chevy's are "restorable" to someone! (And I think a 2 dr long roof is better looking and more desireable to me than a Nomad.)
Hey doc, You're absolutly right about the utility wagon haveing more cl*** that the nomad. At the price of new steel these days its sometimes cheaper to buy the patch panel in the long run. its a real ****** to make it the right shape for the later cars.
I've made floor repair panels for some of my crates in the past, but for the time involved, and as another poster already mentioned, the rising price of steel, I'd probably buy the floorpan stampings that are being sold for your '57. I've seen the prices, and they're not that bad.
Buy the repops. For the relatively small difference in price, you will be able to extract that out later in your sell price. It will **** to have to explain why your car has ugly, butchered floors in it when a prospective buyer looks under it. Or explain to eBay why you didn't mention something that would severely adjust the market value of your item. My .02. Do it right and you don't have to explain it later.
If I were your buyer, I'm not sure I'd care as long as it looked nice and was well done. Just don't slap old stop sign and license plates in there
It ca be done its just what you want, not what other people want....check out the floor my husband did on a 59 Caddy. www.chasecustomsandhotrods.com:o
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