Topic: Floor Pan Drain Covers

[Sunlitgold68]

What is the best way to restore the floor pan drain covers? Are they zinc plated? Mine look like they have a black rubber like coating on one side and appear corroded. Best to replace these?

[CharlesTurner]

What is the best way to restore the floor pan drain covers? Are they zinc plated? Mine look like they have a black rubber like coating on one side and appear corroded. Best to replace these?

They were originally galvanized.  If you find someone that can do them, let me know!

[J_Speegle]

Reproductions are out there  but many of the big guys try to find southwest original to replate or use.

Have found places to galvanize them - just not happy with the final look. Looking for heater duct finish - get galvanized fence post look

[67gta289]

Mine also had sealant that appears to have been brushed on the bottom, covering the whole plate.  Assuming these were installed after the primer, was the sealant applied last?

[J_Speegle]

Mine also had sealant that appears to have been brushed on the bottom, covering the whole plate.  Assuming these were installed after the primer, was the sealant applied last?

Yes after primer and body color was applied. Only have seen a chalking around the opening - haven't seen any brushed on

[Sunlitgold68]

"Have found places to galvanize them - just not happy with the final look. Looking for heater duct finish - get galvanized fence post look "

I believe that is the only galvanizing process available (hot dipped galvanized) which is going to give that look.

You get that heater duct finish by galvanizing before fabrication when the metal is "mill galvanized" from a continuous sheet. This is a thin coating compared to post fabrication which is thick and not as consistent and appears like an object was dipped in silver paint.

[JKWilson]

The technical term for what you see in the large grained galvanizing is called visible spangle (such as seen on the floor pan plugs or the trunk latch). The spangle is controllable during the hot dip process. You can specify the level of spangle to the plater. From my understanding, all hot dip galvanizing has spangle present. The difference is whether it's actually visible or not, basically, how large the spangle is.

BTW Charles, I still haven't forgotten ya!

[bryancobb]

Everything looks easy from the side of the fence a person is on, but...
As close to being "FLAT" as these things are, (Only 1/4" dished or so) 
It looks like a person who is fairly good with their hands could make a simple die set (I'll attach an off-the-cuff drawing)
Get some of the ??ga galvanized sheet from a HVAC supplier, get a sledge hammer, and form up a dozen in just a few minutes.

[Sunlitgold68]

Do they have any markings on them? I was under the impression they had some #'s?

[CharlesTurner]

There is currently already a pretty nice reproduction of the 65-67 style.  Sometime in '68, the design was changed, I don't think there is a repro of that one, but Ford did service them, so you see them come up for sale now and then.

[bryancobb]

OH ... OK... I just thought they were the same as the 65/66 and he was not happy with the way the galvanize on the repops looked.

[J_Speegle]

Do they have any markings on them? I was under the impression they had some #'s?

At least the later style have dates like the other sheet metal - right this moment can't recall if the early version does also

[CharlesTurner]

No dates on the early style drain covers.

[Scott302]

Sometime in '68, the design was changed, I don't think there is a repro of that one

They are coming...soon.
Scott

[J_Speegle]

They are coming...soon.
Scott

Hope their good - as I always seem to have people asking for some rust free ones


Need to check through my pictures as I recall the change over point differently and may (like so often) depend on when and where the car was built