1pc Trunk Pan - Square Peg, Round Hole

[JonS]

What is the most common way of getting the 1pc trunk floor into the car?  I figured I could get it through the trunk opening and then slide it left or right and it would drop but there isn't enough room.  Coming up from the bottom isn't an option because of the frame rails.

Right now I still have both quarters on and the tail panel.  I'm sure this is much easier than I'm making it.

Jon

[67vertman]

You don't have many options, without removing more body panels.

I did mine by removing the duchman panel.  It was rusty and needed replacement as well.  Still a tight fit but it can be done.  The other options is to remove the tail panel and slid it in that way.  Or, you can remove the V brace between the trunk and back seat, and go at it from there.  Without removing more panels you will need to cut you one piece in half and weld it back together once you get it in.

Hope these options help.

[Challenger III]

You're going to have to remove the tail panel to install the one piece trunk floor. It's too big to go through the trunk opening, and the lip up at the back goes behind the bottom of the tail panel.

[JonS]

The V-brace is out of the back seat already.  I didn't think I had room to slide it through because of the hinge mounts for the trunk lid.  I'll have to look at that again.

I realize that the trunk goes up outside of the car and attaches to the tail panel, but I felt that there was enough room to slide it through there IF (big IF) I could just get the pan into the trunk... I could cut the dutch man out as that does need replaced (and so do the quarters as I mentioned).

Jon

[brads70]

I talked to the AMD guy at Carlisle and asked him how to do just that. He said to cut off the one side that lays over the frame rail, then weld it back on and grind it down so you can't see a seam!

[JonS]

Brad,

The AMD guy told you to cut apart their one piece floor pan?!   

I may call Goodmark tomorrow and ask them what they think.  If their answer is better I'll return the AMD panel and buy the Goodmark (please note this is a JOKE!). 

Jon

[67vertman]

If you need to replace the dutchman panel, Id go that way.  You have to bend the trunk pan a little to get it in, but it does fit. I slid the mine in at a slight angle between the dutchmans supports, then lifted it up and pushed the otherside down.





Sorry, I didn't take pictures of it going in.

[brads70]

Brad,

The AMD guy told you to cut apart their one piece floor pan?!   

I may call Goodmark tomorrow and ask them what they think.  If their answer is better I'll return the AMD panel and buy the Goodmark (please note this is a JOKE!). 

Jon

Ya that just IF your just replacing the trunk floor. Makes sense to me if you cut it along the frame rail where you would weld it to anyhow? Mind you I can't imagine just replacing a truck floor? If the trunk floor rotted out then the dutchman panel has got to have holes in it too!
If your replacing the quarter and dutchman panel then I would think it shouldn't be a problem?

[JonS]

67,

I'm going to give that method a shot. 

My main goal here is to avoid taking the tail panel off.  It is one of the few pieces of decent metal on the whole car.

Jon

[MoparCar]

I'm doing my one piece pan right now. Very big pain. I have one quarter off but all that really allows me to do is flex the rear tail light panel a bit more. I've also mini-tubbed the car so I'm having to trim 2" per side around the tubs (in and out a few times). Not sure why but sliding it sideways left to right I could just get it in place through the trunk opening. Right to left did not work. I dollied the back lip a little flatter to allow it to slide more easily through the back tail light panel where it lips up.  I'll rework that with dollies after it is in and before I final weld that portion. If I knew it would have been this tough I would have probably bought the two piece and been done with it. I've heard of people cutting off about a 5" corner of the front of the pan and welding it back on to slip it through the trunk opening. Not sure if this works? With the min-tubs on my Challenger there is no way that would help.

Wes

[JonS]

OK, test fit it tonight by cutting out the trunk gutters on both sides and the quarter panel section that comes down into the trunk gutters.  I did not cut the dutchman.

I then slid the panel in and down to meet the back seat panel (kicked forward / down at a 45 deg angle).  I then dropped the back of the trunk panel in so that it was flat.  Then I lifted the front of the panel at the back seat to get the right angle to slip the lip of the trunk panel under the tail panel.  All of this is a VERY tight process but it worked...  I had to get it back out so I can finish cleaning up and priming the frame rails.  I'll take a picture of the cuts I made to the trunk gutters to give clearance.

[larry4406]

I used to have a picture where a guy slide the 1 piece trunk floor in below the tail panel on the cuda.  I believe there is a lip on the trunk floor that welds to the tail panel(?).  Unfortunately, I cannot find that picture.

[344speed]

My body man got mine in without cutting anything. He said it took some work and had to flex/bend it some. But it went in as 1 piece. I do not know if you have a Cuda' or a Challenger they may be different. I have a Challenger.

[JonS]

344,

I have a challenger.  I honestly don't know how your body guy pulled it off.  The math simply doesn't work without cutting something.  I'm fortunate to have a Plasma, so I was able to quickly 'trim' where required.

Larry,

I'm not sure how this guy did that either... The rear floor pan has the bumps in it that go over top of the rear shocks.  Other than that it is pretty flat and could probably slide under the tail panel, but those bumps make it impossible (at least on my Challenger).

Jon

[DMZ73]

I did it without cutting any more parts off my car.
I only needed the center section of the trunk pan, and cut my pan along the tangent of the frame rails. Here are some pics.
http://www.pbase.com/dmz73/image/88043062
http://www.pbase.com/dmz73/image/88616952
http://www.pbase.com/dmz73/image/88616950
http://www.pbase.com/dmz73/image/88616960
http://www.pbase.com/dmz73/image/88616961
http://www.pbase.com/dmz73/image/88616965

If you have any questions, let me know. It wasn't too hard. put the pan in vertically first, A side to you/rear tail panel. Insert upstanding flange under tailpanel. push. Angle and as you are angling the panel down, pull the panel rearward in car through the slot of the tailpanel. Then push forward once you clear the dutchman, and weld away.

Dan