[sammons]

Looks great!  Yes, carboard templates are the way to go. You can test fit and make changes easy. Sure beats doing sheet metal at todays prices if you have a change for a better idea.

[Essex_29]

Thank you TFoch, it's been a productive couple days. And (reading your signatiure
text) my grandkids aren't living close by, so I don't really build cars instead of having quality
time with them #just saying.
And yes, sammons, so easy to make cardboard templates, adjusting with scissors,
then adding with tape if needed. Make some changes, then adjust again. And when all is
good, trace onto sheet metal and Bob's your uncle.

Today I continued the shelf- or flange pieces around all the front floor, and that took me
forever. Sometimes I'm really surprised at how little I can get done in a few hours. That done
it was easy to adjust the template, and then to cut out the floor piece from sheet metal.
After a lunch break I did the same on the other side, trying to keep some kind of pace.
Pondering about how to make the rest of the transmission tunnel, I came to some kind
of conclusion, and could make the bracing for the center part of the floor/tunnel.



The one by one tubes along the trans tunnel are set down 40 thousands, as I will put a
brake in the tunnel and weld that on top of the tubes. Then weld the floor panels on top
of that. The braces that go from the midle of the door to the rear of the transmission, are
a bit diagonal like that just to make for a more interesting bead pattern in the floor, come that time.

[Essex_29]

I continued making the drive's side middle floor panel. It's fun to make these big panels as it feels
you get something done as they show so well. The floor is a bit oversize in the door opening, since
I will have to make a piece that continues the bead along the bottom of the cowl and quarter
panel, and ties them together under the door.  This whole thing has to follow the curvature of
the bottom of the door. Only one of these parts came with the car, and it is severely rusted, so
I have to try and make my own.
I just have to consider myself lucky to have something to work off and use as a pattern.



I mounted the driver's side door today, and surprisingly, it made the body look longer. The door
has been off for almost a year now, so it looks unfamiliar in a way.
Funny how the eyes get used to what you're working with.



I assumed the door would hover above the floor level, but with the floor panel sticking out
under the door, it won't shut.  I guess I have to adjust my plans for the door sill/treshold some.

[chopper526]

A minor speed bump, you'll work it out no problem

[TFoch]

Those big pieces fill a lot of space!  I like the way it's turning out!
Tom

[sixball]

A couple of stone mason friends helped me build a retaining wall here. They called the big flat rocks "acre makers". Visually it is sort of the same thing especially when we spend so much time on the little details.

There is some very nice work being done here.

[62131]

Your floor pans are looking great, you mentioned some bead roll work, that will really set them off

[Essex_29]

I hope I will, chopper526.
Thank you, TFoch, they do. I used almost an entire 29"x78" 19 ga sheet the last couple
days (that would be 1 meter by 2 metesr by 1 millimeter in European speak).
I suck those words in like a sponge,sixball *grins* Yep, "acre makers", fits right in.

I got a nice little package in the mail. I finally got the wheel nuts and studs ordered, they
arrived the next day, fast delivery! My Chevy drive shafts will be re-drilled for five on 4-¹/₂"
bolt circle, to make the mags fit.
Also, I can get the fronts bolted on, as I now have nuts that fit.
Oh, and the S10 rear axle gets half inch studs instead of 12mm.



Floors are coming nicely, and using cardboard templates has spared me from having to do
multiple panels for any one space, so far. Working hard on getting it all straigt and level too.



So, about the breads, 62131, here's what I planned. Nothing fancy, just simple beads,
and aiming to get them in line and parallel.



The hole in the floor? The upper four link bars would hit the floor, so I'll make some
kind of "bump" here. Arrow, in case you don't find the hole. I like making arrows.

[TFoch]

I've seen guys use old steel toe boot caps to make the ends of the cover piece you need to make.  Just an idea for you.
Tom

[sixball]

How many of us benefit from someone else's ideas. What a gift it is to see how something we have can become something we need.

[Essex_29]

Thank you TFoch, for the tip (toe tip) almost made a pun there! I'll try to remember that, but in
this case, I'll probably be using a straight piece. We'll see.

And yes, sixball, I've benefitted immensely from watching how to videos on youtube, and getting
 good advice from people on forums. My work would be no where if it weren't for
what I've learned from others.

More floor work.
I welded a 1" sqare tube between the wheel tubs, to weld the floor to,and to give it some structure.
I think all this will be plenty strong when it's all welded to a unit.
I bent the rounded corners around a pipe. The vertical parts are also slanted, so it made for some
interesting pattern making to get right. There's a bead in the center, to make the panels fit flush.
Everything will be rosette welded at some point.



The upper clamps in the pic is probably right at where the front edge of the rear seat will be.
some floor work back there too, to get things all wrapped up. This area is all unplanned still.
I did an "oops" on the slanted part of the floor to the right in the pic. I cut too far, and then
changed my plans. It bugs me, I might make a new floor part, but it's  a fairly big piece of
sheet metal, and I'm cheap...

[Essex_29]

I continued my template making today, and went for an extension of the transmission tunnel. It's
a tight fit all over since I hope to be able to get thre fairly comfortable pedals mounted. There is
only between ³/₈" and ⁵/₈" of room between the transmission case and the tunnel. I'll probably
regret making it this tight at some point.



I would have wanted a shifter poking up somewhere in this second part of the tunnel, but the
BMW shifter is coming out of the rear of the transmission.



This is the original BMW 530 shifter. It looks to be awful far back, but I'm fairly confident that I
will make it work nicely even if I shorten the longitudinal shift link some 6". This will effectively
move the shifter forward, so that will be about at the front of the seat. A pretty tall crooked
shifter will make it work. I hope. With tall, I mean like 17".

[chopper526]

Thank you TFoch, for the tip (toe tip) almost made a pun there! I'll try to remember that, but in
this case, I'll probably be using a straight piece. We'll see.

And yes, sixball, I've benefitted immensely from watching how to videos on youtube, and getting
 good advice from people on forums. My work would be no where if it weren't for
what I've learned from others.

More floor work.
I welded a 1" sqare tube between the wheel tubs, to weld the floor to,and to give it some structure.
I think all this will be plenty strong when it's all welded to a unit.
I bent the rounded corners around a pipe. The vertical parts are also slanted, so it made for some
interesting pattern making to get right. There's a bead in the center, to make the panels fit flush.
Everything will be rosette welded at some point.



The upper clamps in the pic is probably right at where the front edge of the rear seat will be.
some floor work back there too, to get things all wrapped up. This area is all unplanned still.
I did an "oops" on the slanted part of the floor to the right in the pic. I cut too far, and then
changed my plans. It bugs me, I might make a new floor part, but it's  a fairly big piece of
sheet metal, and I'm cheap...

Piece that floor part in, it will work fine and no one will ever know except you.

[sammons]

Essex, your floor is looking great. Nice work.

I agree with Chopper, no one will ever see that kick up hickup😁   Don't beat your self up over that, i use to and would make a new panel. Then only to cover it up with insuation/ carpet and think back.....why did i do that? Really waisting time and material. Dad always said i was my worst enemy, he was right.

[Essex_29]

Yes, chopper526, after giving it some thought, I think I'll leave it be. Besides,
I can put on some filler and paint, hehe.
sammons, thank you for the wise words from your dad. I guess.... Sometimes I am.

Still more floor work
I went to a buddy's shop and brought with me a few big offcuts of the same material I'm
using for the floor. I got busy experimenting with some bead roller dies, and pre-stretching
on the english wheel, which I haven't done before.
I chose a square bead, because it's a bit unusual and I like the look.



I kicked the wheel very tight and rolled twelve times over each line where I was going to
roll the beads. The beads I rolled were fairly substantial, so without pre-stretching, the
sheet metal warped badly.

Back home, the driver's side middle floor panel is tried into its place. These middle parts
warped the worst, but I think they'll sort themselves out when I get them welded in.
I tidied the ends of the beads up with a chisel that I ground to a dull square end with
rounded corners.



There, at the rear of the door opening, I made a square stamping. I had tried hard to
come up with something fun for the floors, and this is the one detail I came to think of.
What's an hour or a few to make a stamping die, when you haven't got anything else to do?



A Body by Fisher plaque. Genuine floors... Right. Anyway, I think it's a fun detail, also
a bit GM specific. This one's been on the cowl, where I cut out some rust.
So now there's a ton of drilling and plug welding to get the floors in. I have borrowed
a pneumatic hole punch, it saves a lot of time, but of course, it can be used only on the
edges of a sheet



Wood chips are frome the two by four in my vice.
Just one little floor piece tacked in yet, but this is fun work, doing these "acre makers".