Trunk floor repair

[Jeep43]

I needed to replace my trunk dropoffs and found that the trunk floor has rust damage underneath the seam sealer just on the edge of the floor where the drop off attaches. The rest of the trunk floor is otherwise solid and I'd rather not go thru the work to replace the entire floor just to fix a couple edges.

I see there are two trunk floor panels out there. A full trunk floor with braces which is rather expensive and then there is what looks like a "cheater" trunk floor that does not include any of the original panel flanges and would not help in my case.

Are there any other options other than either using an expensive floor to make patches or fabbing up repair panels out of sheet metal?

 

[lapedr]

Fab up your own with 20 gauge, I had to do this as well on one side

 

[jamieg285]

I replaced both drop offs on mine (and more!), and fabbed a section of the trunk floor where they join in both cases. Take a look nearer the end of my project thread - https://nastyz28.com/threads/jamieg285s-79-in-the-uk.276333/

 

[BradySmmrs]

If you end up replacing the whole trunk pan, I might be willing to buy the driver side shock tower from the pan

 

[Jeep43]

After more work and stripping the inside of the trunk to bare metal I found more issues hidden by a coat of seam sealer covered in spatter paint. The rust damage is localized to the entirety of the drivers side lower pan, a small depression on the pass side near the tail panel (both surely from sitting water) and both sides where the dropoffs attach.





Now that it is more than just the sides I am considering 3 options.

1- Buy the cheap partial floor ($170) and cut it up to make patches to fix the drivers lower floor and small pass depression. Then I'll fab patches for the sides out of sheet steel. Downside is the pics I see of the partial floor look washed out and doesn't seem like a correct stamping. I also need to reattach the gas tank brace to the lower floor area. But it will be hidden between a gas tank and trunk mat.

2- Buy the complete floor ($350) and pretty much do the same as above ending up with what I think is a nicer stamping, a tank brace already attached and less fab work for the side pieces since I can just chop them off and use them.

3- Buy the complete floor ($350) use it as intended and replace the whole thing. The quarters and dropoffs are off the car but I don't want to remove the tail panel. I do still have the trunk gutters in place "bracing" the tail panel and am sure I would have to cut them out to get the floor in, but can I fit a full trunk in with the tail panel in place? Is there any other bracing I need to perform before cutting out the old full floor? The car is sitting on its suspension now. With the quarters off and then maybe the trunk floor, the rear rails will be the only thing keeping the tailpanel in position, are they strong enough by themselves?

 

[BC_Homegrown]

I just went through pretty much the same thing you are describing with my 73( as well as new tail panel and part of the cross rail). I ended up just welding in the partial trunk pan where it goes vertical on the humps over the frame rails, as they were still in decent shape. Leaving the humps intact also took care of any danger of flexing.

I had to add about an inch of new metal on the edges where the drop offs attach but that was fairly straight forward, its just flat with a 90 bend. The gas tank braces I was able to leave attached to the crossrail and plug weld from inside the trunk.

I'm happy with how it turned out but It may have been faster to install the whole new pan, plus piecing it in like that you end up with welds where they were'nt from the factory, so probably not for a show car.