Project: Montezuma

[KMC3420]

All that hard work definitely paid off! Looks great.

[May70]

Im going to try and record the Drivers Side to show people how to do this from start to finish.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkS..._as=subscriber

[KMC3420]

Good videos and conversation. You’re still making good progress.

[Love 70 Chevys]

Fantastic work and thank you for posting all of the trials and tribulations! I will soon be undertaking the floor replacement. I have been trying to educate myself as much as possible and I very much appreciate the ones who have gone before me and share their hard earned knowledge. I also bought the LMC high hump floor about two years ago when it first became available, so if there is an issue with the stamping, I am sure I have it also. I just don't completely understand yet why you had to cut off the outer flange. You mentioned the floor seemed too high. Here is a picture of my floor before I start. Unpatched floor, but old re-pop outer rocker is on. Outer rocker appears to be in correct place as everything lines up well with the door. The floor is about 7/8" of an inch above the outer rocker. Is this the dimension that was wrong, or was it something else? Thanks!

[Love 70 Chevys]

Or is it the surface with the red arrow that is too high? If it is, I see how that might create an interference with the outer rocker.

[Love 70 Chevys]

Wow! Your video was really good. Now I completely understand the problem. Great explanation. Now that I see what you ran into, I think I might try just cutting a "window" like the sketch below before doing anything. Then, when it comes time to put on the outer rocker, I can let the door and fender decide how high it should be and then slide a simple "L" bracket up from the bottom to kiss the underside of the rocker. Based on what you have been through, do you think that could work? Please keep posting your progress, you have come a long way.

[May70]

The arrow you put in post #122 is the ledge that is too tall on the stamp. The way I see it you have a few options:

• Cut out the entire inner rocker like I did and make your own inner rocker with the proper ledge distance. The way you create the custom inner rocker is you actually fit the outer rocker and use self tapping screws (dont weld in). Create the cuts and tweaks you want to in order make the outer rocker fit how you want it. Then you can go from the underside and make a template to bend your own inner rocker. I did that by making a paper template then making a small 1" wide trial piece and tweaking it the way I wanted. If you're careful you can actually mark your bends on the test piece and bend it out straight to have exact measurements to mark off on your full inner rocker.

• Cut out the entire inner rocker, install your outer rocker and after you have it all burned in create an "L" bracket. The problem with that is, you don't have much support on the rocker and dirt/mud/water/salt will sit up in the rocker because it will act like a big shelf. You would be surprised how much rigidity and support the inner rocker provides to the outer rocker. Plus when you get in the truck, you put all your weight on the outer rocker when you step on it. Pic of an "L" bracket below.

• If you cut out a 'window' like you proposed in post #123 (that was my first idea) the problem is the inner rocker will now not be tall enough to reach the bottom lip of your outer rocker. Essentially if you cut the window out to lower the outer rocker, the distance you lower the outer rocker will now be the distance of the gap between the bottom of your inner and the bottom of your outer. So instead of patching in a piece on the bottom of my rocker, I elected to make my own so there is no seam and its cleaner (all one piece).

[Love 70 Chevys]

Thank you for taking the time to give me such a detailed explanation and I appreciate the tips on the template. That is double trouble if the length of the flange is also not long enough! I am going to go the route you did. Something is still bothering me though. I have collected a few sources on floor replacement (all low hump), but the pictures of the low hump step do not look as large as what you had to make it. It seems like there is no way yours could be in the wrong place if all your measurements to the top of the floor are the same as the original. The only other thing that could potentially throw a monkey wrench into the height thing is if the distance of the cab support rails underneath the floor are "shorter" than the orginal. If that were the case, Then the top of the new floor would need to be lower than the top of the old floor to make the whole cab be at the right height when it mounts back on the frame. Is the distance in the pic below the same on the original and repo floors? I mean it should be, but you never know with a copy!

[May70]

If that is the cause then I can just put spacers on the mounts to level it out with the rest. I might be able to compare that measurement between the new and old pan, but the old pan is pretty rough.

[May70]

On to the DS...

Think ive finished up the pillar. Next move is to make the final cut on the cab corner and make sure everything still where I want it.

Video taped it and will upload it to the channel.

[Scurry67]

Great work on all that metal work! I’ll be following along both on here and the vids. Keep up the progress!

[May70]

Okay! Got the cab corner cut to fit and mocked up nicely. Threw on the outer rocker and that is a MUCH better start then I had on the PS....

Burnt in the pillar and cleaner it up so I can seal it in place tomorrow and prepper the cab corner for sealing also. Tomorrow is the warmest day I have coming so I figured id use it...

After I get this all sealed and back together I should be about ready to post the video footage since the previous update. Moving right along....

[JAKA]

Wish I would've found this thread sooner. I also bought the high hump floor pan and have the same issues. I would've went with the regular floor pan instead. I chose a different route and bought another cab that's solid and doesn't need all the rust repair. I'm now trying to decide what I want to do with my original cab. Repair it all at a later date, sell it with what repair panels I have or part it out. Very informative post and keep up the good work. Thanks

[May70]

Read over the paint info and it requires no less than 65 for 24 hrs.... Well I couldnt hold off progress anymore so I borrowed two space heaters. Used the propane heater to get garage up to temp and the space heaters to maintain that area...

I jammed a screw driver between the pillar flange and the floor pan so I could get sealer between them.

Tomorrow ill be ready to tack the cab corner in place and keep rollin

[May70]

I also deleted the gas filler hole and cut out some of the firewall to fill....

[KMC3420]

Looking good. Glad you were able to spray some epoxy. The temps are slowly getting lower and staying there. I am at the same spot as you, however I need to sandblast and epoxy my cab corners but don’t see any 60+ degree days in the near future. Keep the progress moving.

[May70]

Yeah you are doing your work outside right? Might be problematic........ I saw some guys who use a cheap(ish) enclosed car tent and a propane heater. Definitely not efficient but it gets it done for them.

Also once it flashes you can always try the old heated blanket trick...

[KMC3420]

Originally Posted by May70

Yeah you are doing your work outside right? Might be problematic........ I saw some guys who use a cheap(ish) enclosed car tent and a propane heater. Definitely not efficient but it gets it done for them.

Also once it flashes you can always try the old heated blanket trick...

Yes, outside unfortunately. I am to the point I will likely haul it to where I am storing my frame, but might try to get a bit more done first. I have thought about the tent option but feel it would be a cluster. Trying to just be patient! Yours will be buttoned up pretty quickly!

[May70]

Drivers side cab corner tacked in place.

[May70]

Been very busy but some progress is better than none! Getting the DS rocker where I want it...

[May70]

Inner rocker fabricated and mocked up. Just need to tack it in place and cut off the bottom excess.

[Getter-Done]

Great work.
I watched the video.
Now I can see your plan for leaving the extra at the top.









.

[May70]

Trying to get the DS wrapped up...

Inner rocker is welded in and trimmed off at the bottom, need to do some finishing touches on the underside. I have been leaving some material along the weld seams on the underside to give it added strength.

The outer rocker needs the ends finished up and is held in place with clecos at the moment.

Been pretty cold lately and since I always have a big fan pulling fresh air into the shop when im welding/grinding....... I tend to be freezing!!

[May70]

Spend some time prepairing to get another cab to do some work on. Put some beam hoists up to let me suspend/lift cabs with. Also made another cab dolley.

Did some firewall work last night getting ride of that bump on the top of the firewall. Also started mocking up how I wanted to do the PS firewall to match the DS.... Thinking about buying a bead roller to make my own pieces..

[May70]

Drivers side is pretty much wrapped up. Got the rear pinch seam cut out and I decided to weld up all the holes in the floor pan lip where I had previously bolted/screwed the back of the cab to the floor pan. Cut the pinch weld seam panel to fit, drilled plug weld holes and sealed both pieces.

The only thing left as far as rust repair on my cab is to just weld in the rear pinch weld panel and the kick panels. Very happy with the results and it was definitely worth the time.