Has anyone ever replaced the entire floorpan on a 53-56 F100? Have a cab that is pretty wasted down low. Seeking hints, tips, things to look out for; level of difficulty.

complete 1956 floorpan

 

I had a body guy replace mine. He didn’t mention any problems. I’ll sk him next time I get over that way. It sure makes a difference not being able to see the ground while looking down.

 

Hah. My current floorboard literally looks like cob webs; I can see every detail of my driveway through the cab . Any insight you get is appreciated. thx.

BTW - approximately how much $ did he charge to do that; maybe it's not worth my time (or lack of talent).

 

Worth a read https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...placement.html
How to brace cab when installing 1 piece floor - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

Consider welding temporary braces in the door openings and across the inside of the cab to keep it square. One of the risks is the doors not fitting if the cab distorts between cutting the old floor out and welding the new one in.

 

I hear this a lot but welding braces only preserves the cab geometry "as it is" which is not necessarily "as it should be". These trucks were not built with precision, they were a tool and not meant to be a show piece. Your aftermarket floor should be more precise than the floor that came in the truck. Drilling out the spot welds will be tedious but once the floor is fitted it should be a simple matter to take your diagonal measures to insure that the door openings are correct. Good luck!

 

This makes sense. thx.

 

I recently installed a full Dynacorn Floor assembly in my '55. I didn't find any problems in the process. It is time consuming and it is a large Heavy piece, but it is pretty straight forward.
I would say having the bracing in place before hand is a good idea.
Make sure you do the Prep work and the fitting before you start welding.
Clecos are a really good helper as well.
I'm available to answer any questions you may have.
Regards,
Chris

 

Chris - because I'm a noob at this - I assume you drilled out all the spot welds from the inside of the cab to separate the skin from the pan? Did you simply follow it around and squirrel down the welds or is there a diagram somewhere that you were able to follow?

 

Dallas,
Unfortunately there is no Manual or Diagram to follow as far as I know.
But you're right, you just need to drill out the spot welds to separate it from the rest of the Cab.
What I did to make this easier was I cut out the entire floor about 4 inches from the edges with a high speed cutting wheel. Then I drilled out all of the welds. Most of them from the outside.
Of course, be careful cutting so you don't cut through any underlying structure.
I think there are pictures in my feed on my build. there's a link in my signature below.
I may have more detailed pictures I can send you if you'd like.
Please let me know.
Chris

 

Chris - when you mention "underlying structure," isn't the cross-support that runs through the middle included with the entire pan assembly you purchased? Or, is there some other support I'm not aware of?

thx

Jim

 

Wow - been perusing your resto thread - awesome stuff!

Quick question (one of many to come): I want to build a cab carriage like yours; I saw a pic of the cab sitting on top of it; I went through your build thread and didn't see any cross supports for the wood carriage; was it just bolted to the firewall in front?

thx.

Jim

 

yes, I used the firewall as a support and just ran some screws through it to secure it to the wood cradle.
I'll weld the holes closed when I finish the cab.
Same thing on the back of the cab.

 

Jim,
It was just a general caution to not cut without paying attention.
My floor had all of the Structure included.
Chris

 

Got it. Did you reassemble the cab onto the new pan while it was on the truck; on the ground; or via a different method?

 

floor cut out