Warming Up

We had some spring like conditions this week with a high temp of 42F yesterday. That kind of weather I can work in the shop without heat and even take my mitts off for the small stuff. I've burnt up a fair bit of wire learning how to use this Lincoln wire welder I got a year ago. Patching the rusty floor in the 52 Mercury. I'm using re-cycled steel for this purpose. Old baler and combine shields. So if I mess it up too bad at least its not the expensive steel patch panels that are available to fit the car. Maybe some day but for now these patches will strengthen the floor and never be seen under the mats or carpet I'll cover them with.


Merc Floor Patching

Something I got hold of years ago and works quite well. Knew a guy who changed out old heating oil tanks. They would cut a great big rectangle out of the tanks side to remove oil and totally destroy the tank. He gave me half a dozen of those good size panels. Used them up over several years.

Enjoyed the short film. Sure brings back alot of memories, thanks.

(quoted from post at 21:56:29 03/07/20) Something I got hold of years ago and works quite well. Knew a guy who changed out old heating oil tanks. They would cut a great big rectangle out of the tanks side to remove oil and totally destroy the tank. He gave me half a dozen of those good size panels. Used them up over several years.

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I think that would be heavier metal than I need for car floors. The stuff I'm using can be easily bent and formed to fit where I need it yet I can still weld it without burning through (most of the time). I think they recommend 18 gauge for this work.

Ralph, I checked your weather yesterday and you were at 41 degrees and here in Ohio we were at 32 degrees all day. Looked like you were working without gloves.

Something I have found to prevent burn through, and especially helpful when it does burn through and it just keeps getting worse...

Hold a thick piece of nonferrous metal against the back side (if possible). It will dissipate heat and give support for the puddle without sticking.

(quoted from post at 04:47:32 03/08/20) Ralph, I checked your weather yesterday and you were at 41 degrees and here in Ohio we were at 32 degrees all day. Looked like you were working without gloves.

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Gene, I saw 42 degrees on Friday afternoon so yes, the mitts came off. I find them pretty clumsy when controlling the trigger on the wire welder. Back at 0F this morning with light snow.

(quoted from post at 07:25:10 03/08/20)

Hold a thick piece of nonferrous metal against the back side (if possible). It will dissipate heat and give support for the puddle without sticking.

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A back up plate would help but in some of these locations I'm working it is difficult to hold or reach. Biggest problem here is finding enough non-rusted steel to attach the new metal onto. The rocker panels, inner and outer, are almost gone in places. My problem is I don't want to get the car disassembled to the point I can't drive it for a year while its being fixed. I guess I need one to drive while I'm working on the other.

I know exactly what you are getting at with the repairs to the floor and rockers. My friend across the road has this '62 Impala SS since he was in high school and on the first turn around on the body in the 80's, he did have the car in decent shape, but the way these are built, the underlying problems eventually came back or did get worse over the years.

He did get the floor pans, and other replacement parts similar, and also spent a lot of time taking it all back to good steel and fabricating whatever was needed to get it all back together. This was done off hours from work, so it did take some time. He did take an awful lot out to start the rebuild, might have been worse then this Mercury, time consuming, but at least could be done.
It's completed and done right, finally got it repainted after all the metal work was detailed, done right now, but what a long journey. He did not have to take it off the frame, but just about did anyways with the work that was done. A lot of time and money.
The thing I got out of it, watching this going on for years is that he was able to save the car and bring it back, all with very good work, nothing cobbed up. He's got it all documented, this project has been going on in total for 20 years, not all of it was the body repairs though.

You sure are right about going further than what you are doing to get some solid pieces in there and keeping it on the road, can be done, but you may not be able to drive it for quite some time.

I sure as heck enjoy the photos and videos of this Mercury, nothing sounds like it, and the crisp air/clear sky in your parts makes for high quality photos. That car will last a long time with interim repairs like you have done, great to see you enjoy it's use !

Realizing that you project may be farther along then the video we are seeing this recommendation may be all for naught. Any way on your stubborn screws I have used this method. First a good couple smart wacks with a hammer and punch on the head can help loosen the bond of the rust. Second you mention you could access the other side of the screw to cut it off with a die grinder. A method I have used is to clamp a vise-grip on the threaded portion of the screw and twist it loose. This requires a quality vise grip (true original Peterson) with not to worn of jaw teeth. I know it seems somewhat counter productive to mangle the threads of the screw but it has worked for me in many cases. Thanks for the video, I have some of the same things in front of me if I ever get to fixing on my ?57 Chevy 2dr hardtop.

(quoted from post at 08:09:33 03/08/20) I know exactly what you are getting at with the repairs to the floor and rockers.

I sure as heck enjoy the photos and videos of this Mercury, nothing sounds like it, and the crisp air/clear sky in your parts makes for high quality photos. That car will last a long time with interim repairs like you have done, great to see you enjoy it's use !

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Glad you enjoy looking at this old rusty stuff. I'll never take it as far as some do because I don't have the skills or patience for that. Plus I don't want a "trailer queen" that I'm afraid to drive on gravel roads and get dusty or stone chips. I won't drive in mud or snow though. The old Merc will live in a dry environment as long as I have it.

(quoted from post at 11:34:10 03/08/20) Realizing that you project may be farther along then the video we are seeing this recommendation may be all for naught.

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No the last part of that video was only a few hours old so I still have not got those rusted screws out. Being up inside the remains of the rusted rocker panels gives pretty limited access to get a good vise grip or channel lock pliers on so that is why I used the die grinder. My brother actually has an impact screw driver he bought many years ago and that can have good effects on rusty screws. I'll have to remember to borrow it. Good luck with your Chevy.

When I did my 52PLYMOUTH I bought a sheet of 18 gauge sheet metal, and used pop rivets, then roofing tar around the edges. Was fairly easy to form and worked out really good..

(quoted from post at 14:22:08 03/08/20) When I did my 52PLYMOUTH I bought a sheet of 18 gauge sheet metal, and used pop rivets, then roofing tar around the edges. Was fairly easy to form and worked out really good..

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Similar to what I did on the Merc just to get it drivable. I got some used galvanized furnace duct, flattened it out to fit the floors and used sheet metal screws to hold it down. Worked quite well but I just thought I'd like to try welding some real steel in just to see if I can do it. New floor panels and rockers are available through EMS automotive site but at over $1000 U.S. I'm not quite ready to commit that far.