floor removal

[mbrts6comp]

Hello, I am looking for some advice as to how to remove the floor and stringers in my son's 88 supra comp. The top is off, the engine is coming out today, and I am wondering if there is a good or bad method to remove the floor, or if there is a good place to start. I have not done this before but after getting a price of $4k to do it. we are taking it on. Is the current floor screwed in or epoxy in? How is it attached on the outside edges, and what is the best way to remove it on the outside edges. Any help is appreciated, Thanks!

[Salty87]

it's probably held down by big staples and fiberglass. if you're going to do the whole floor, there's really no right or wrong way. just be careful that you don't create more work than necessary by cutting thru the hull.

use a circular saw around the side walls and set the depth of the blade to 3/4" or so. the floor is prob 1/2" with a few layers of glass on top. leave a lip of floor (~2") all the way around until later so you have a reference point. if your new floor is significantly higher or lower, you'll have issues with the interior walls when you re-assemble.

a sawzall is very handy too, esp removing the old stringers. it came in handy for me removing old wet foam. cut the foam into sections and use a floor scraper, crow bar, or whatever you have with a long handle and flat end to get under the foam and pop chunks out.

try to remove the stringers in large pieces too and keep them around for later reference. once you have the floor/stringers/foam out there are no reference points and it's easy to loose track of where things go. you might consider removing everything from 1 side and rebuilding, then starting the other side...another way to keep good references.

good luck and keep posting....lots of rebuilders on this site.

[csuggs]

Another suggestion - do not remove all the stringers at once. I had mine done last winter and the builder first did the outer stringers and then the inner (main) stringers. Also, you will want to block the hull for support so that it doesn't "sag" when you remove the stringers.

[sybrmike]

Like Salty said - the floor is probably 1/2" ply fastened to the stringers with 2" long staples. Mine was glassed on the top surface only and to the hull sides and stringers at the edges.

I used a circular saw set at ~5/8" depth to cut the perimeter from the hull leaving a 2" lip at the edge for reference. I then used an angle grinder with a diamond blade to cut the floor edges loose from the stringer tops. Then I went back and used the circular saw to "score" the floor into manageable sized pieces (~3'x3'). Used a crowbar to pry up the floor pieces.

A sawzall works great on the stringers. Due to the angle and trying to cut fairly flush with the bottom, I broke lots of blades. Remember what doesn't get cut out gets ground out & grinding glass is messy, itchy, messy work.

I used a floor scraper to cut the foam from the sides of the stringers and a sharp shooter shovel to cut and pry the foam out in ~8"x8" blocks. Visualize cutting brownies from a pan. Went back with a paint scraper and putty knife to scrape the remaining foam out. Get lots of garbage bags.

I did like Cuggs said & replaced the outer stringers first, then the inner, but side to side, or one at a time should work too. Just don't rip em all out at once and leave the hull without support.

Good luck!

[Okie Boarder]

You can also consider an air chisel for foam removal and you can do one stinger at a time completing one side then going to the other side instead of outers and inners. That is probably more of a personal preference thing. You can definitely do this yourself, just takes time and "intestinal fortitude" as was once stated by a wise man. ;-)

[mbrts6comp]

Thanks for the help guys. I have looked at lots of your forums on your past projects, I just wasn't sure how to get started. I have done lots of mechanical work on cars and motorcycles, but never worked with wood and fiberglass. I figure for $4k I can screw it up and have to start over and still be ahead of the game. I'll probably be looking for more advice in the future, so Thanks Again!