Floor pan questions

[Guest Krooser]

So how different are Chevy and Pontiac floor pans for the 49-52 model years?

I now have a '52 Catalina Special DeLuxe that needs floor repairs...cab and trunk. I really am not concerned with originality with this car (although I respect those who do)... the car is a mild custom from the 60's (dechromed, nosed, maroon paint, minus interior... a project). I'd like to return it to it's former modified glory.

How difficult would it be to modify the Chevy stuff to fit? I have a fairly large assortment of sheet metal equipment... brake/shear/plasma/MIG welder and lots of hammers....

Edited September 1, 2011 by Krooser (see edit history)

[poci1957]

Hello krooser, this is a very common question about 1950s Pontiacs. You are probably aware that both cars used the GM "A" body and roof and door pieces and related parts interchange. It seems illogical that the floors are different but they are due to the need for the bodies to bolt to the (completely) different frames used by Chevy and Pontiac. So since the floor parts were all designed and built by Fisher Body they are all a similar size and appearance but are a different fit.

In working on 1957s I found these parts could sometimes be modified to fit but often were different enough I thought I may have been better off just fabricating one. If you need, say, both sides of the front floor I would suggest buy one piece as a Chevy part and see how the fit works for you and make that decision. The inner and outer rockers are likely interchangeable, the floor pan may be close, the brackets underneath are a crapshoot.

You should get a free catalog from Pontiac Parts and Pontiac Auto Parts - California Pontiac Restoration too. Good luck,

Todd Crews

POCI 1957 Technical Advisor

[Guest Krooser]

Buying one Chevy piece may be the best deal to try... hadn't thought of that.

Fab'ing the brackets and cross braces is fairly straight forward stuff... I want to use an original seat (I don't have one right now) but I can make a floor pan fit the seat I guess. I actually thought about fab'ing a flat floor and lowering it slightly so the 14" top chop would still allow for some headroom!!!!:eek:

Here's the car... saved from Hurricane Katrina 5 days before it hit...

Edited September 1, 2011 by Krooser (see edit history)