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Fiberglass Floorpans


Fellow T3ers,

Last week there was some discussion about the Fiber Innovations amoung our
little group.  I voiced my two cents, in particular about the quality of the
floor pans and about their installation instructions.  I have gotten a request
for details of my gripes and thought they would be of interest to the whole
group.  I should mention that I work in Ford's Materials Research Lab and work
with composite (fiberglass) every day.

Fiber Innovations installation instructions called for using sheet metal screws
to attach the floor pan to the existing steel flanges and then sealing the
seams with silicone sealant or caulking.  They even sell an installation kit
for this.   They also show the fiberglass floor pans on the outside (outside of
car) of the steel flanges with the sheet metal screws put in from the bottom
and then the whole thing sealed up with the silicone.  This method will not
prove very long lasting or structural.  Any weight that you put on the floor (
battery, feet, my six year old jumping up and down) is only supported by the
screws.  Besides, the screws/rivots will be good locations for rust to start in
the steel flanges and putting point loads (i.e. fasteners) into composites
(fiberglass) is never a good idea for a structural part like the floor pan.
 They make great places for cracks to start and stuff like that.

First off, I would put the composite floor pan on top of the steel flanges from
the inside of the car.  THis way, any load (weight) on the floor is transferred
to the steel flanges much more effeciently (in cpompression for you engineers
out there).  I would also recommend bonding (gluing) the floor pans
continuously around the perimeter, instead of using the sheet metal screws
(Spend the $12 for the installation kit on the glue).  This joint will be
superior to the orginal spot welds (far superior to the sheet metal screws) and
should last a lifetime.  I would use a slow cure (24hr) epoxy resin/adhesive
(check with the local boat supply store).  The steel should be ground down to
the bare metal before bonding and the composite should be scuffed up a bit.
 Make sure the steel and the composite are free of grease and oil by wiping
with some degreaser or acetone shortly before bonded.  You could use a couple
of screws to hold everything in place while the glue dries, but then I would
remove the screws and seal up the holes with some silicone.

Any bare metal should be primed and painted after bonding to prevent rust and
then all the seams, inside and out, should be sealed with the silicone sealant.

Just my buck and quarters worth.  Hope it helps.

-- 
John Jaranson
Research Engineer
Ford Motor Company
SRL 2621
Dearborn, MI  48121
(313)323-0553
(313)845-4724 FAX


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