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cutting the boot floor in half, opinions?


naddy

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I'm fed up with battling to remove & refit the boot floor without damaging anything, spending loads of time doing it & removing skin from knuckles.

 

I think some people cut it in half to make the task easy? is that correct and are there any good reasons not too? If not then any other less drastic mods that you'd recommend... Cut 1/4 inch off one side maybe?

 

The floor is the ali honeycomb type and I'm assuming thet the cut would be in a fore/aft direction so you're left with a left and right hand peice. I have already cut out the small segment that went around the filler pipe.

 

Ta

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I've also cut away the material behind the filler so that it's a C shaped cutout rather than a hole - makes taking the floor out easier and gives me the option to take it out without removing the filler/plumbing *thumbup*

 

I've not cut the floor in half but don't really see any good reason why you couldn't do so. Perhaps a diagonal cut might work well, then just use a few more screws to keep the area of the cut firmly attached.

 

I have cut the section in front of the boot floor just behind the rear bulkhead though, to make removing it easier (i've got the Caterham diff braces which come up through this area)

 

Darren E

 

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grrr, i post this thread, return to the garage and have another go... floor goes straight in without scratching anything. I refuse to believe my own eyes & luck so i promptly removed it and put it back again in about 30 seconds.

 

I should be pleased!!! it seems i have the nack now though....

 

It's still not off the hook though - i feel a bisection coming on....

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When it is known that the floor can be removed and refitted in one piece, I can't personally see the point in cutting it in half. The opening of the hole for the filler neck of course is very practical as the boot floor can then be popped out quickly without disturbibg pipes etc.

 

It's like a Christmas cracker puzzle - once you know how to move the pieces it comes apart easily. *smile*

 

Peter

 

 

 

 

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  • Leadership Team

Nick, my old car I cut the boot floor around 12" from the RHS, allowing the fuel filler area to be refitted permanently. The other section (2/3rds ish) could be easily removed/refitted as needed - removing more than half allows easy access to the diff.

 

Current car, I've just made a small access panel for the diff - take a look when we're down at Curborough *thumbup*

 

Stu.

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Ian, I think we're all refering to the rearward honeycomb section only - the bit that doesn't want to go through the boot opening without scraping rollbar/bodywork/fingers. Unless that is, you're not really concentrating at which point it miraculously finds a way through *mad*

 

Stu.

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  • 5 weeks later...

Guys,

 

My Twin Cam came with a wooden floor in 2 pieces. I always assumed that this was the standard solution.

 

Even with a floor in 2 pieces I still have to remove the rollover bar to get it out. Am I missing something or am I just clumsy ?

 

Jack Flash

 

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JF, the floor is normally 2 sections, a forward section made from plywood sometimes with an aluminium skin, and a rearward section over the fuel tank now made from honeycomb aluminium, but maybe previously made from ply. Nick is referring to cutting the rear section into 2 pieces to make fitting/removal easier, and also to remove the problem of messing with the fuel filler arrangement when needing access to the diff.

 

Stu.

 


Joint Area Representative MAD Sevens (Merseyside And District)

www.superse7ens.co.uk..........the rebuild 😬

 

 

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My carbon floor is secured with velcro and is easy to remove and refit.

 

Mind you, my rear wings are secured with velcro at the front section wirh a small roof screw holding to bottom edge to the chassis.

 

Norman Verona, 1989 BDR 220bhp, Reg: B16BDR, Mem No 2166, the full story here

You and your seven toThe French Blatting Company Limited

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Stu,

 

If you count like that, my floor exists of 3 pieces. A front piece that sits over the dif, but this is not a flat piece but a box with a depth of approximately 50 mm. The second flat piece that is located above the tank is cut in half. All pieces are in plywood.

 

Perhaps the whole thing has been home made by the first owner of my Twin Cam. Can anyone give advice ?

 

Jack Flash

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Not sure what happened in the past, but .....

 

Both my '95 and my '99 cars have been the same. The front section you mention is plywood underneath, ally on top, the rear section is honeycomb ally (to protect the fuel tank if rear-ended). It's the honeycomb bit that is often cut down to help with fitting, and also to allow access to the diff without messing with the fuel filler.

 

Stu.

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I really can't see how this piece of honeycomb can provide any meaningfull protection for the tank in the event of a shunt I recon its primary function is nothing more than a lightweight rigid floor for the boot for when stuff is placed in it.

 

Rob

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  • 1 year later...

Does anyone have dimensions of the boot floor? specifically the width and the length from the rear panel to the rear suspension turrets (not from the bulkhead). This is for an S3, non lardy. I want to buy some checker plate, but can't measure until tonight.

 

 

 

 

 

Jonathan

 

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Edited by - jonboylaw on 31 May 2010 13:29:22

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Bobt,

 

Having recently been rear shunted, I am glad it was there.

 

The ali honeycomb helped resist the movement of the rear chassis ladder into the fuel tank, which probably meant the difference between carrying on with Wightblat or retiring home on a low loader.

 

If you cut it so you get a LH & RH half I wouldn't have though you would have reduced the structure as long as it was still self tapped in like mine was.

 

My 2007 already came with the filler neck cut out, so perhaps all the newer ones now are. I do like the idea of leaving a smaller end around the filler permanently though.

 

Rik

 

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A less drastic solution is to trim or file a couple of mm or so off the edge of the panel at the sides and rear. Before removal mark the areas to be trimmed, and remove as little material as possible. A couple of trial fits might be neccessary to check all neccessary material remived.

 

Assuming you have a boot carpet (recommended) then the edge will tuck down and fill nicely the now slightly larger gap between the floor and side skin.

 

Angus

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  • 3 years later...
  • 5 years later...

Holy thread resurrection Batman! 

Im ready to fit the honeycomb section of the floor, but it’s a bugger to fit at the best of times. I’ve got a lovely painted car, with black powder coated suspension turrets and I don’t want to carve chunks out of either fitting the awful rough edged honeycomb boot floor. It always seems about 5mm to big. So I either file it or cut a strip off either or one side to make it a touch narrower, or cut it in half. Or I cover the boot opening and anything else that can be scratched in making tape and top it will be ok. 

Any other suggestions? 

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