So I started working on the floor board or pan today and I was wondering if you guys can tell me what the story is with the insulation material in the picture. It's a tape of some kind.

Otherwise I wire wheeled all the rust off the floor and patched up a couple small rust holes. Overall the floor pan is in great shape. A pretty miserable job to say the least, not quite as bad as getting the rust off the bed floor which also came out great.

 

That was most likely added by a previous owner. I'm almost positive none of our trucks every left the factory with anything like that.

It is mostly likely roofing sealer tape("Peel N Seal" or similar) that's a pretty common and fairly effective, cheap insulation. I would get rid of it best you can and start over with new stuff when you put the truck together. Do a search there's PLENTY of threads here and everywhere else online debating different types of sound insulation.

Good luck on your truck!

 

Thanks for the feedback I'm pretty sure the stuff has been on there as long as I can remember at least 30 years. I have done a bunch of searching about the deadening tapes and understand a butyl based products is recommended.

 

You Californie guys should work on one of the rust buckets that we start with on this side of the country. Just a few small holes? That's awesome. Try cutting out the whole pan and replacing the cab supports! And that isn't even mentioning the step area or the bottom of the firewall and where the cab meets the floor next to the drivers feet on the side or etc...!! Not complaining about it, but just want to remind you how good you have it! everything here is trying to return from whence it came as quick as possible! Including us 'ol farts!

 

Thanks for the encouragement, I've swept at least 6 or 7 pounds of rust off the ground since I've started chipping away at this old dog. My rear cab corners and above the windshield are rusted out like so many others. My emergency plan at the moment is to patch the holes with "Kitty Hair" and galvanized steel mesh. The area above the windshield came out far better than I expected and I'm about halfway done with the rear cab corners. I'll let my son cut them out later when He's a teenager.

My wife kicked the truck out of the garage now that she runs, so I'm doing everything I can to prevent water from getting in the cab and undoing all of the hard work I've done like getting both vents and wing windows to work for example.

Let me tell you guys this truck is making a lot of people happy every time I take it for a drive somewhere, I get smiles, kids with big eyes and jaws on the floor and lots of thumbs up. PRICELESS!!

 

That is one of the Fridge benefits, besides being able to drive what everyone else isn't!

 

Exactly! On the other hand I'm amazed at times when I'll be crawling along in granny gear in the parking lot at Costco or wherever, looking for a parking spot and a dozen people walk by clueless that the truck even exists. Not an attention Wh*r*, just an observation.