The remains of the driver side floor: far worse on the inside than what could be seen from under the car. Never assume condition of the floors until they are examined from inside the car with the seats and carpets out...rust never sleeps!

Hans' handiwork-floors this nice can't be bought.

Here Hans is using glass bead media to remove any remaining rust and other impurities before painting.

Nobody likes doing it, but for a long lasting job and to get proper paint adhesion, the entire floor job must be sandblasted after the metal work is finished.

This picture and the next show a few small spots "blown through" by sand blast. These will be repaired prior to painting the floor.

Lots of other areas in the floor are rusted but not through. If the metal is prepped and painted properly, and kept dry, then these areas should not have much impact on longevity.

Hammerite-a "one part" industrial coating which precludes priming and is ideal in this abrasive and sometimes damp under carpet environment.

9/17/09:

Modern, non-moisture absorbing sound deadener (DynaMat) installed in the same locations are previous-it works well and won't become a liability as the original felt material was.

Original style under carpet insulation in place.

Original upholstery backing is badly broken and water damaged. To complicate matters it is a formed panel and can not be replaced by flat stock-no replacement parts are available so...

We have to repair existing panels with 22 gauge steel and high tech adhesive!

Adhering the repair

Cutting repair piece for interior backing

The finished product with new (aftermarket) upholstery

With upholstery stapled in place.

Repaired backing

Door panel backing ruined by exposure to moisture.

Door panels-really bad. Can not be reinstalled.

The 'kick panels' were also ruined by time and moisture.