Started doing some preliminary cutting and removal of some of the rusted out floor pan. I had to replace the pump couple weeks ago. I have to do some form of rust treatment before laying in the fiberglass. I'm using 1/2" hole hardware cloth, aka chicken wire, to create a form for laying fiberglass upon. Getting to cut wire to the pans dimensions going up the sides by three inches. I don't really plan on removing the wire but rather just fiberglass over it. Screwing wire to the sides of the floor's well. Once that's in place I'll have to do something with the bottom side so it's sealed real good. I'll post pics as I stumble along!

The black loine is what I cut out.

After cutting the really bad part out.


Starting with the chicken wire.

 

Floor "basket" is made. Nopt an exact fit and will have to cut two corners loose when I screw ot tp the side walls. Maybe from the underside I could use something like Rhino Guard to seal everything up. Don't think I want to try putting fiberglass and resin while maying down underneath. Once it's all screwed in I go buy some fiberglass materials. "AND" let me not forget to treat the rust. Suggestions please!

 

For the rust, I would recommend POR 15.
You can buy the kit on amazon for a good price. Just follow the directions and you'll be good to go!

 

Thanks! I'll give that a try. Because of the bulk, the fiberglass is going to create, the black block is not going to slide down into the well. I'm sure I'll be trimming a lot off the black block to make it fit down into the well.
I know there is some rust thru damage on the left floor well but don't want to remove the black block to look. Why worry when you can ignore it like it doesn't exist!
THERE'S A LOT OF "SHADE TREE" REPAIR GOING ON HERE! IF THINGS GO SOUTH ON ME I COULD ALWAYS JUST CUT A PIECE OF PLYWOOD TO FIT THE ENTIRE HATCH FLOOR ARE. DON'T REALLY HAVE TO HAVE STORAGE FOR THE TIRE PUMP, JACK ETC. THE DOOR LOCK PUMP COULD BE STORED ON TOP. I GOTTA HAVE A TALK WITH BUBBA ABOUT REPAIR ETHICS! LOL

 

The POR15 works great. I did restorations for years and it turns rust into a very hard rust proof material. It can also be painted.

 

$125" SEEMS" LIKE A FAIR PRICE IF IT GETS THE JOB DONE AND STABILIZES ALL MY RUST. I haven't peeked under the left side for fear of what I might find! The three part POR 15 material should be enough to do both sides "Should they need doing!"

Think I'll put fibermatt only on the screen's bottom first and not the sides. When it cures I'll then put the screen panel in the well and secure it with screws. In that way I'll have secure water tight bottom before fiberglassing the inside of the basket to the well's wall.

 

Be sure when you are done you include a drain hole on both sides.

 

You'll only need the small kit:
POR 15 Kit LINK

 

Thanks! Took the weekend off to heal my bones, feet and legs! LoL. Tomorrow I'll put some new shocks on the front and check out the ball joints. I hope it's not upper or lower control arm time. I'm hoping the noise I hear is that worn out knuckle on the steering linkage to the pitman arm. Moving half time on rust treatment and fiberglassing. Not too sure where I'm going with this idea or what I'm doing! If I had a lot of money I wouldn't be a DIY'er!

 

"Dang it!" another wasted day on the saving the 2004! Unknowingly to me "wifey" told me that more of my time should be used on domestic things like cleaning the stove, yard work, washing my own clothes and bathing the dogs! But after 53 years of marriage what's a guy gonna do???? "She cooks good and I like to eat"

 

Moving right along with decision time! My not know exactly what I'm doing but do know I have to deal with the rust problem. Thanks to "M60A3driver" I watched YouBoob videos about using the POR-15 rust treatment process. I ordered the small kit which will do 6 square feet. Delivery isn't for another week though. I still need to take a steel rotary grinder brush to remove more of the rust scale.

 

That stuff works great! Make sure to wear gloves and old clothes. Ask me how I know! LOL

 

Nothing new with this until I get the ball joints finished!