OK - I've run into a bit of a dilemma. Getting ready to replace to floor, and of course I was going to put in a steel sub frame to mount the floor to. Then discovered that the entire back of the coach is aluminum! Hey, I thought the reason it hadn't rusted was just it was just well preserved This is a 47 Ford Pilot he**** (UK). They took a sedan and cut away behind the B pillars and replaced with an aluminum over a wood frame rear. I am an OK MIG welder, but don't really want to try and learn aluminum skills on this. So the question is do I weld up the sub and tie it with brackets into the wood? Build (or have somebody else build) an aluminum sub to weld to the body? Or...? I am so lost at the moment. Thanks, Karl
Hey Karl, Cool project! Who's the UK coachbuilder? What, of the subframe that is rotted is left to work with, or take patterns from? Is the wooden frame Ash, and is it rotten, as well? You could fab a frame from steel and bolt it into the wood providing the wood is still structuraly sound. You could also use panel adheasive to bond the different metal panels together. The new BMWs and Corvettes are held together with panel adhesive, as well as our nation's fighter aircraft! S****ey Devils c.C. " Spending A Nation Into Generational Debt Is Not An Act Of Comp***ion!"
Coach builder is unknown. The British he**** clubs think it was modified in Ireland, probably right off the factory floor. Type of wood? Jeez, I don't have a clue. The subframe is in pretty good shape, considering. The real problem areas of the wood are the vertical side pieces, especially at the base where they meet the subframe. Even there, it's the side pieces that are rotted, not the subframe pieces. So I guess I can get a pretty good pattern for the floor, but the bigger problem, that I see, is attaching the body to the subframe. I need to replace that rotted side wood with metal or more wood, and that wood is what held the body to the subframe. Did that make sense? Are you suggesting to use adhesive to bond the aluminum panels to the new steel? The cab is all steel (see avitar) Thanks, Karl
I really think the best solution is an adhesive. Welding to aluminum body panels, especially panels that don't need any work done to them is a waste and will likely warp them. We've got some damn good adhesives these days, stuff that is quite a bit stronger than the material being bonded. Don't put that s10 frame under there!
Two votes for adhesive - interesting. Does anyone have a brand in mind that they could reccommend? four-thirteen: I forgot I had that frame picture in there. It's gone now - forgot where I was! Of course now you will probably tell me not to put the sbc, neon lights, spider web grill and 22s on it either
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