Wish I could advise you, but still working on my first floor ever so not a source of expertise. I do want to say one thing though... If my floors looked that good I would be enjoying my first classic mustang by now vs being knee deep in a tear down! Whatever you do, if the rest of the car is even half as good as them floors, you are gonna enjoy it!!!

 

That’s fair! Im putting in 68 seats, so that was all coming out anyway, so I figured I’d have a look…

I’ve got months before it will go outside again.

 

I would sand the surface rust and spray it with a rattle can rust treatment. Rustoleum Rust Reformer works pretty well.

 

Sound deadener is a good idea before you put the carpet back in.

 

I think you have to decide one thing first. Do you want to make it right, or make it right now? In my case, I see my ownership as more of a stewardship. I’m not gonna own it forever. I’m hoping my son will care and love my 73 Vert until he can’t. So, while my floors and underbody looked like your pictures, I decided to do the whole, down to bare metal, etc process. In my head, I was doing the long term right thing, not the easier and quicker scuff and paint. Both are ok, you’ve just got to decide which one is more important to you.

 

This is an excellent point. The car will never be sold: I’ll keep it and give it to my kids. So, yes, I’d want it to be done right.

 

Make a complete list of what you would like to do. Then prioritize what’s the most important to you based on the constraints you have (time, budget, skills, etc.). Your floors are damn nice! Probably wouldn’t be on the top of my to do list. But not sure what else you want to tackle before the driving season starts this year.

edit: once you start the while I’m at it logic it’s hard to draw a line in the sand and stop lol

 

That’s kind of how this happened. The top of the list (and I do have a physical list) was safety: install the 68 seats I have since they lock (plus adapted headrests), have three-point belts installed, swap in a 68 collapsible column, install side view mirror. The “while I’m at it” part came once I took the seats out: the rug is being moved, so look at the floors. The radio isn’t working: while the console is coming out, replace the radio. Etc etc. my thinking here was while I have the seats and rug up, why not just do whatever I need to to the floor, instead of take out all of my work again?

 

I always POR floors and add sound deadener. Costs about $150 to do yourself and really makes the car feel more solid when driving it. That is unless you're going for weight savings.

 

Do you do the brushed stuff? I’d considered that. Does it come out smooth? I’d consider deadener…but if you see in the photo where I’m picking up the rug, there’s some sort of rubber mat under the rug. Once I get the carpet totally out I’ll see what it is.

If I’m not taking everything out under the dash at once (and not planning on removing firewall insulation),how far up do you usually go?

 

That's a nice car, please don't put POR anywhere on it. I wouldn't put that $hit on a shovel. I'd sand down the rusted parts, clean and put a couple coats of SPI epoxy primer on those spots only. You can get it in grey or white I think. It will be well sealed and protected and once underlayment and carpet is back down you will never see it again. No need to over think it.

 

Just because that was how the car was originally done does not mean that is what is best for the car now, things have changed and stuff is proven better. Don't be afraid to clean up the rusty spots and make the car better with some kind of professional upgrade.

 

Or you can use Master Series Silver. Spray or brush on. Used on bridges.

 

POR: it's a 2 part epoxy. I use a brush. It comes out very thick and smooths out as it dries. Ive had a couple classics I've used it on. Just don't get it on you because it's not coming off no matter what you use.

Sound deadening: i use the peal and stick stuff with the foil. It deadens the sound and insulates very well to boot. Cools the car a good 10 degrees in the summer. For sound I use it on any large, flat surface plus cover the floor 100% for heat insulation.

For the POR: use it anywhere that might rust. You don't need to go up the footwell more than a couple inches but definitely paint the floor pan areas that are low. It'll make the floor last.

I only use POR in places where it wont be seen like under the carpet. It's been used for 25 years or more.

Edit: i see you're in Indiana so your car also likely saw road salt. I'm actually surprised the floor isn't rusted more.

 

Edit: i see you're in Indiana so your car also likely saw road salt. I'm actually surprised the floor isn't rusted more.

I got lucky. Pollock found it for me out in Texas. Even more interesting is it was built in Metuchen and sold in Manhattan, NY. No Idea how it got to Texas or when...but someone took care of it.

 

I do use POR, but I don’t think you have enough rust there to need it, or for it to even work right.

Side note, POR is not a 2 part epoxy. It is a single component that reacts with the moisture in the air. It dries very smooth and shiny even with a brush.

Unless you just want to strip and paint the whole floor I would just deal with the spots that need attention.

 

My floors are also very original and solid like those.
We should consider ourselves fortunate, remove any surface rust in small places to clean metal, and coat that (original color or clear) to choke the rust of any moisture, preserving them as a future example because there are fewer every year.
I don't recommend any sound deadener that sticks onto the floor because it can trap any moisture against it by condensation, leaks, or even a spilled drink. The exception may be something like Lizard Skin, or Master Series, which is painted on and waterproof. I wouldn't use POR-15 because it is designed to be painted over rust so it will bond.
Your floors are too nice. Do just what you need to, to keep them that way. Who knows? Perhaps you or a future caretaker may return the car to its original body color and those floors may be an inspiration to someone restoring another jewel.

 

POR bonds to paint and bare metal as well. It encapsulates the metal which is why I use it before putting on the stick-on insulation.

Every old car I've seen in PA that used the factory loose hair insulation pads trapped moisture and rotted the floors. That's why I do POR and the sticky stuff. I've never had rust come back afterwards.

Now is it still a 10 bazillion point car? No. Will I be replacing the floor in 10, 20 years? Nope.

Unless the car is a Shelby or, say, the original Bullet then i see no reason to stay original in an area that's completely unseen unless you physically remove parts. I'd rather make it last.

....now the idiot who coated the entire engine bay on my 68 before I bought it? Him? Yeah I'd like to throttle him. But a floor under the carpet? That's a different story for most old cars.

 

I'd pull the complete carpet out and fix what needs to be fixed. Anything that comes out of a spray can is usually quite useless. To kill the surface rust, give it a good wire brushing, then get some phosphoric acid of your choice (Kleen Strip Concrete Etch & Cleaner, Picklex 20, Metal Blast etc). Pour a bit on the rusted areas, cover it with plastic to keep it wet and use a stiff stainless wire brush to agitate and remove the particles every hour or so. Rinse with clear water and blow it dry.

You can then coat it with a paint of your choice. Epoxy primer would work well as would any of the moisture cured urethane paints (Master Series, Rust Bullet, POR). IMO, POR is garbage these days, but it's been on the floors of my '71 since 2003 without issue. Something changed in their formula, even though they deny it. I've personally used Rust Bullet on a half dozen projects without a failure, even the frame of the truck that gets used daily and sees salt/snow/abuse on a daily basis. FWIW, the MCU paints are probably overkill for this application, and a two part epoxy primer would be just fine. You can brush/roll on any paint, it just may not flow out and level as well as if it was sprayed. Since it's under the carpet, that's really not an issue.

 

You can get as crazy as you want !

 

Me? I'd pull the interior, carpet, etc., Scotch-Brite those areas that are harder to get to and lightly scuff the rest with #320, apply a spritz of Picklex20 per directions and when dry apply Mastercoat Master Series Silver (moisture-cured urethane) or Eastwood/Kirker Epoxy Primer or other Epoxy Primer that will tolerate being applied over Picklex20. Picklex20 contains < 7% phosphoric acid. If that's okay with SPI then they're product is certainly acceptable.

 

Well Sherwin Williams Industrial refused to sell me anything but house paint without a “contractor account”. What a joke. Guess I’ll have to order it all online.

 

That’s normal at some industrial suppliers. Even with an account the local PPG place (which is LKQ now) isn’t real keen on small quantities that aren’t recurring sales. Eastwood matched Lime Gold Poly pretty well. I asked the guy if it was Kirker and he said it was an Eastwood supplier with a long history in automotive paints. If you don’t see your code drop them an email and they’ll find it for you.

OEM Select Basecoat - High-Performance Automotive Finishes | Eastwood

More than 75,000 colors perfectly matched to OEM Specification by Make/Model/Year or by Paint Code and accurately mixed to within 1/2 of a gram by weight.

www.eastwood.com

 

Question: does all this sealant absolutely have to come off prior to painting? Common sense tells me yes, but I see it painted over all the time.

 

Question: does all this sealant absolutely have to come off prior to painting? Common sense tells me yes, but I see it painted over all the time.

Yes. A hair-dryer/heat-gun will soften it and a plastic putty knife will get the big pieces. Then, let it cool and hit it with a brass wire brush on your drill or angle grinder and finish, warmed again, with a rag dampened with mineral spirits or petroleum naphtha (lighter fluid).

Yes, it IS "sealant", specifically windshield bedding and glazing compound that was used to attach and seal the waxed-paper "watershields" to the door shell.

 

A stiff wire wheel on your angle grinder will take that off. Or, a softer wire wheel will remove the loose stuff and burnish the rest. If you clean it well after that, you should be ok. Again, you’re not going to get any absolute answers here. I have to fight my desire to be done with my hope to do it right. Good luck.

 

I used the 3M tar rope that comes in strips or rolls to put my watershields back on. Bart will know if that's correct or an option. Like this stuff, figure I'll be using it on a lot of seams anyway. https://www.3m.com/3M/en_LB/p/d/v000074302/

 

Just by the description, it looks like good stuff.

 

I just make an outline of the paper shield on the door/ panel and mash the paper on it to get it to stick. You can roll the 3M rope in your hand like playdoh and make it thinner to use less.

 

I use an air hammer on slow with a curved fork chisel and a wheel called a Crud Thug. We started using Crud Thugs when we were building race cars from production cars. Downside is they aren’t cheap and the wheels aren’t cheap.

Dynabrade Inc NZ1K | Nitrozip Surface Conditioning Tool Kit-

 

So another question occurred to me: if you look at the photos in my first post, you can see there’s a hard demarcation under where the scuff plates normally are between the blue original color and the painted over white. Should I just tape off the white and sand/scrape/prep up to that line?

 

Anyone used this stuff before? My friend recommended it, said it is hard as a rock when dried:

Magnet Paint Satin Black Chassis Saver Paint, 1 Gallon (UCP970-01)

The Magnet Paint Satin Black Chassis Saver Paint, 1 Gallon is a high-performance, rust-preventative paint for automotive and truck chassis. Long-lasting protection against corrosion & harsh elements.

www.jbtools.com