Fiberglass floorboard

Is it on a tube chassis or a VW pan?  I can see great advantage either way.  The new VW replacement steel pans are very thin to point they drum, bend and rust quickly.  The pan based cars have a heavy square tube sub-frame which is the real torsional strength element.  The thin steel pan adds little.  Either way things like seats and seat belts need to be anchored to a large metal piece going from side to side. 

Here's FG floor pan designed by Acme for Berrien dune buggy.  It's for a tube frame shortened 14 1/2" and costs $518.

You amaze me, Greg. Is there any tidbit of arcane information you can't pull out if your ear on demand?

My hat is off to you, sir. 

He has time and Google search on his side.  

I have a coffee by my side.

We make a good pair........

BUT!  Greg's reply made me wonder where I got mine as they were easily as thick as the originals, so I rummaged through my moldy, mildewy files and was amazed to find the sales slip from 1995:

Mill Supply

3241 Superior Avenue

Cleveland, Ohio  44114

1-800-888-5072

The sales rep was Pam Farmer back in '95 at ext. 111

Volkswagen Beetle 52-79   Floor Pan Half, also fits convertible   P/N:  400-52-78

https://www.millsupply.com/aut...beetle-super-beetle/

Some new steel pan halves are near tin can thickness.  What did you pay for your in '95.  I think mine in '89 came from JC Whitney and I think they were $79 each - they are ok thickness.  There are OEM gauge steel ones available but hard to find.  Noticed that CIP1 has 3 different qualities available - ($160-220 per side range)

1 – Good quality from IGP of Brazil, approx. 0.85MM thick, 14. pounds.

2 – Better quality from Arouca “HD Orange”, approx. 0.9 MM thick, 16.3 pounds.

3 – Best quality from Estriguaru of Brazil, approx. 1.10MM thick, 18.5 pounds.

 Thanks for all the replies, I was more curious about the viability of the chassis with the fiberglass pans. Not so much the availability of aftermarket steel pans. Does anyone know who manufactures the car with the fiberglass pans, any issues/ things to be concerned about? someone told me it might be CMC?

It's probably a CMC or Fiberfab.  The builders all use steel floor panels, as far as I've heard.

$68 each side in 1995, Greg.

Thanks Greg,

I can't imagine this (fiberglass) has any structural integrity at all. Do you have, or know of any images that show what this chassis looks like minus the fiberglass?

I have heard stories about the 'Jack test' should I be concerned about this type of chassis?

thanks - JB

CMS/FF both relied on stock VW steel pan pieces - even had instruction in build manual for the diagonal overlapping pan cut.  A fiberglass floor makes a lot of sense in a tube frame car for water/air sealing the passenger compartment.

My concern would be mounting seats or anything else to a glass floor without considerable re-enforcement. Sandwiching the glass with wide pieces of aluminum or some other metal and then bolting the seat rails completely through the "sandwich" might be an answer. Same with the seat belts.  At that point, might as well go with metal, IMHO.

JB Nash posted:

Thanks Greg,

I can't imagine this (fiberglass) has any structural integrity at all.

thanks - JB

Actually it does. The way it's layed and layered and bonded together it's quite strong. My Intermeccannica (Did I spell that right?) has a fiberglass floorboard and it seems pretty solid to me. 

Either way I'd use very large (>2+") washers or steel bands/angle iron for securing seats and seat belts. Here's one from Rock West Racing which probably uses a tube frame -

Thanks all, for your insight and knowledge

JB

 Another question, now that I think about it… I've removed and replaced several Volkswagen bodies from the pan, wondering if these kit bodies come off in similar fashion? If I purchase this type of set up, I would likely want to break it down for inspection, cleanup etc

JB

Yes - except I think I used 4 tubes of silicon to ensure I have a water/air tight seal.  I used stainless steel bolts, washers and nuts.  IAW the CMC build manual I also applied a ~6" band of fiberglass and resin inside where they meet.  So it may take a saw-z-all to separate the seam. For donating members there are several build manuals in the Reference Library here - ha, just start in the back and work forward.