I am replacing my drivers side floor pan and need to patch the toe panel. My question is that when I make a patch for the toe panel, is it necessary to duplicate the indentions that are there from the factory (I'm assuming for added strength)? I can cut out a patch panel but as far as replicating these indentions I believe that is out of my skill level.

Thanks for any advice.
Matt

 

Based on my own experience, you don't need to reproduce those indentions for strengthening, but you have quickly realized what I also discovered--the driver's side toe board patch is much more involved and complicated due to the hole for the pedals and steering column. About a year or so ago, Candi at Classic Haulers in Indiana was good enough to get her fabricator to make some patch panels for the toeboards. I used the entire passenger side patch panel. I got lucky and realized that I could fabricate the lower edge of the toeboard and keep the vast majority of the original toeboard on the drivers side. IF I had used the reproduction patch, it wasn't going to have the indention to accomodate the metal plates that cover up the pedal/steering column hole. Here's a pic of what I did. As you can see, I got lucky and was able to just use a small strip of sheet metal for the lower part of the drivers side before it met the horizontal floor pan. If you can show us a picture of how far you need to go up on that side, it would probably help. In the meantime, give Candi a call at Classic Haulers. She has them. They're not perfect reproductions, but they fit well and get the job done. She took the bull by the horns and had them fabricated when all of the other suppliers wouldn't (and still won't) even consider it.

 

Thanks for the response....I'll give her a call tomorrow.

 

Show us a picture of the amount of rust damage you have on the driver's side toe board. How high does it go and what all does it involve? Actually, I forgot to mention it, but the patch panels from Classic Haulers have been stamped in a couple places for strengthening (look at my passenger side in the pic).

 

This is the only pic I have on my phone. It took a wire wheel to expose the pin holes shown on the toe board and the metal is heavily pitted up until midway into the indention areas. Basically where the red paint still is and up is all good metal.

 

That is basically the exact same scenario that I had on the driver's side. You'll be much better off to make your own patch for that side up to where you have good metal and leave the original holes the for pedals, pedal bumpers, etc. in place. Also try your very best to keep the edge where the tranny cover goes intact if at all possible.

 

The indention's are fairly easy to make if your not trying to make exact duplicates and only make them more rigid.
You can take a couple of pieces of wood (I use 4X6) and use a saw or router and on one edge trim some off each block so that when the two pieces of wood are bolted together they form a groove as wide as you want your indention. Then you can lay your metal over the wood and I usually use a piece of solid bar either 1/2 or 3/4 depending on how large a groove I need to make then a big hammer applied to the steel and almost instant groove. It is crude but works and add's a lot or rigidity to floor panels ect. Lots of guys may already know to do that and if so hopefully not bored anyone but that is the way lots of old guys did it 50 years ago. Back then no aftermarket panels or big presses to make stuff just had to use the stuff at hand. The wood and steel bars make a die and the big hammer is the press.
This might help someone
Larry

 

Panels like that are really not difficult to reproduce if you have a decent collection of woodworking tools: router, bandsaw or sabersaw, circular saw or table saw, etc., and know how to use them. It's called hammerforming, and quite complex shapes can be formed.
Here's an excellent blog and how to: metalworking

MDF (medium density fiberboard) makes excellent hammerforms and is inexpensive at your local lumberyard or DIY big box store.

 

Thanks for the advice!