When is an old tub too far gone ?

I can get an old CJ5 tub for a few hundred dollars that needs a total floor replacement, is it worth the trouble? I really dont want to get an aftermarket tub for my resto.

 

Is it just the floor? Do you have the skills to replace it? If the rest of the body was good a floor wouldn't freak me out ..

This is how I cut my teeth on jeeps and welding in general. Mine needed new floor pans and after a few days of practicing welding the thin metal and asking a bunch of questions I put them in without much issue.

 

All depends on your skill/time/comfort level.

I have zero space for another tub, and no welding skill, so I can't consider other tubs.

 

I picked up a 4x8 sheet of 16ga diamond plate (or tread plate) for $67.66... replace all my floors with it. Way cheaper than replacement panels. Using the originals as a template and a little time with a piece of angle iron & a body hammer and I was able to fold the edges for a factory like fit. Not hard... just time consuming. But as I remind myself ALL the time, I have more time than money

 

Looks like just the floors. the rest pretty solid. I too have more time than money, I have the skill and comfort level to do it. this is my 3rd frame off resto. and I hate the idea of a aftermarket tub. I like to keep it as oem as I can

 

Here's the tub, picked up the Jeep minus engine plus two good fenders and grill

 

Looks good. Glad you are going to rescue it.

 

Yeah, it looks a lot better than what I started with

 

You may want to take an awl to the sill areas. My guess is that you can poke right through those and they should also be replaced. As for Romel's tubs, if you could get one of his current production units I think it would be just as good or perhaps better than a much repaired original. Replacing panels so that it looks original takes way more time than I like to spend and if they don't look original, the resale value will likely be less than one with a replacement tub. Maybe a lot less.

 

x2

If you are going to replace panels, this is from my recent experience on the DJ project (I have replaced a lot of sheet metal, though not on the floors)
-110v MIG welder
-gas shielded (25/75)
-.023 wire
-use blocks of aluminum or a damp rag to act as a heat sink to reduce burn through
-keep a close eye on the voltage and wire feed settings. Change them as your needs change as one setting does not fit all situations

There are some others. I was surprised at how I got to reading the sheet metal and found if I take the proper precautions and have the welder at the right settings, burn through is minimized if not outright avoided. I have gotten to the point where problems only occur if I am not paying proper attention.

The nice thing is I have a much greater confidence level working with metal now. I have just lap welded some of the metal on the DJ, but that's only because I suspected my skills ended and my limits began in some situations. But it's very time-consuming to get it factory right. Just getting it functional and not bad looking- that's a lot easier.

The hat channels are probably toast as well. And don't be afraid to, as another poster mentioned, to get out a piece of angle iron and a hammer and make like a Filipino in the early md juan days and form panels into body parts. I have done plenty of it on the DJ build. No metal brake just angle iron, plate steel, plenty of clamps, a solid table and a variety of hammers, including rubber mallets. I have mostly used 18 ga, but have formed all the way to 14 ga this way. Floor panels are probably best at around 16 gauge, though I couldn't argue with the strength of 14ga. Time-consuming but fun to do and learn.

 

I welcome this challenge, it will be fun. I will get it on the rotisserie cut the floors out then get the soda blaster here to blast whats left. We'll see how she goes

 

I replaced all the floors and both wheel wells on my tub. Take measurements every which way. Replace a section at a time. If you cut it all out, the tub will probably fold up. My build is in here

 

Cool, can I put you on speed dial ?