The best replacement panels? • The Dodge Challenger Message Board

by **Peter** » 28 Jan 2002 16:32

I need to replace my trunk pan in my 70 challenger. Who makes the best trunk pan?does anyone make a Full pan?

by **Jack T (Jackt)** » 29 Jan 2002 2:48

As far as I know, all the repro trunk floors are two-piece and the real ones are a single piece. The extensions are sold individually as they were originally separate pieces. My choice would be to buy one that includes new fuel tank braces like Year One sells.

by **Ted S (Teds)** » 29 Jan 2002 16:06

reason why replacements are 2 piece is that a 1 piece can't be installed with the quarter panels o the car

by **Joel Bennett (Joel)** » 30 Apr 2003 19:35

Were the original trunk seals that Chrysler put on the car just really lame or what? My floor pan is in pretty good condition, considering that the car has sent most of its life near the coast. I've had to remove some surface rust, but there isn't any weak or rusted through areas. Actually, the exhuast shop thought it was sturdy enough that they drilled the anchor scews through it, though for some reason this seems to really bother me. I hope I'm just being overly worried about nothing.

by **Dave-R (Roppa440)** » 01 May 2003 8:09

The trunk seal is not where most of the water gets in. The water gets in from where the bottom edge of the glass seals and where the rear window trim clips are screwed in. This area rusts (much like the bottom edge of the windshield) and as it does you get more and more water in the trunk which then eats the trunk floor.

by **Joel Bennett (Joel)** » 01 May 2003 17:59

Hmmmm, I did't know that. Thats excatly where one of my trouble spots is. You didn't happen to have to weld in little piece of steel there too, did you?

by **Jeff Maxwell (Redchalleng** » 01 May 2003 18:41

My trunk was so rusted when I got the car (in 1979) that you could put a basketball through the hole. Of course, that's right where the muffler connected. I found a body shop with the absolute cheapest alternative that exists in the car today: He layed in another piece of metal formed to match the trunk floor, and pop riveted it to the existing floor. Painted it and off I went! Yes, I know that sooner or later when I really to a complete restoration it'll get replaced. But it got results for cheap!

by **Dave-R (Roppa440)** » 02 May 2003 7:53

The lip that the glass seals against along the bottom edge of the rear window needed completely replacing on my car. Lucky for me one half had been done before I got the car. It looked to me as if this bit had been cut from another challenger. However I had to make the other half myself last year when it finally rusted completely away. So I had to make a length about two feet long and also replace a nine inch section up one side.

The bottom edge is the hardest bit to make because, although it looks at first glance to be not much more than a right angle in cross section, it curves in two dimensions.

I found the best way to takle it was to weld in short sections at a time rather than trying to make a long bit the right shape. I welded in short dowstanding sections first and then welded on the upstanding bits for the glass to sit against.

It is best to weld only one inch at a time and then cool the metal right down with a wet rag. Otherwise the panel between there and the trunk will distort.

After welding all these bits they were ground smooth and then after a bit of filler and paint I had a better, smoother surface to seal the glass to than it had originally.

by **Joel Bennett (Joel)** » 03 May 2003 2:41

So you welded in one inch pieces, one at a time, correct? You painted the surface to which to the glass sits upon, did you say? Are you using the cement-type windshield sealing method or the non-cement method? I'm wondering, if you used cement to secure your window, wouldn't the cement eventually eat through the paint where the window rests? I know my front window is sealed with cement, but I'm not sure about the back window though. Which do you prefer, cement or non-cement type sealer?

by **Dave-R (Roppa440)** » 03 May 2003 9:00

I weled one inch at a time between cooling but the metal I was welding in was in sections about 4-6 inches long.

The sealer I used is the 3M 5/16" wide windshield installation tape from places like Year One. It was easy to use.

by **Joel Bennett (Joel)** » 03 May 2003 9:29

Thanks Dave! I'll add that to my list of procedures.

Was cement used more often than the tape to seal the window?

by **roadrunner** » 08 Jan 2004 11:48

In addition to what people have said, I suspect a lot of truck floor rust can be attributed to the rubber trunk mat. I think it creates moisture between the bottom of the mat and the floor itself. I have found moisture under the mat in my Road Runner and finally took it out. I put it in when I show the car. When I finish the truck floor in my Challenger the mat will not be installed. Too much risk it will create rust. For show, I will put it in.
My thoughts on this issue..... :lol:

by **180** » 11 Feb 2004 2:23

any pictures of the work..

by **dave-r** » 11 Feb 2004 8:43

Which bit Mike? The trunk or the bottom of the rear window?