Printed in The American Tri-Five magazine in Volume 8 : Issue 1

With this month’s installment of “Chillin’ with Dillon” focusing on the half floor pan install, the question may be posed… “What are the right pieces for me for what I want to do?”

So, along with the half floor pan install, we’re going to give you a quick reference guide as to “how and why” with manufacturers and part numbers included, for getting the bottom of your tri-five all patched up!

Full floor

As with the article featured back In V7:I4, if you’ve got a car that’s either extremely rusty, or simply requires multiple patches along with multiple braces, the full floor only makes perfect sense to do. With the floor including the inner rockers, as well as all the braces pre-located, installation time is minimalized opposed to piecing one together from the patch panels.

NOTE! Steer clear of the 1-piece floor and trunk combinations. Especially with an original car, there is almost no way to make this fit good without cutting in half before it’s said and done.

Sedan/Wagon/Nomad: Golden Star GDS-FP13-552, Hardtop: Golden Star GDS-FP13-55, Convertible: Golden Star GDS-FP13-551, 4-Door Hardtop: Golden Star GDS-FP13-56

Half Floor

In this month’s “Chillin’ with Dillon”, a half floor can be a great option for those not requiring a full floor replacement. Have some good braces, but a Swiss cheese floor? This is more than likely the answer. These are a more “universal” piece, a direct fit for sedans, but will require some extra work for hardtops or convertibles. Do note, these also do NOT include the inner rocker section or braces as the full floor sections do.

Driver side: Golden Star GDS-FP13-551L, Passenger side: Golden Star GDS-FP13-551R

Patches

Have a floor with a simple spot or two that needs attention? Don’t feel like cutting out small pieces? Want it to look as clean/factory as possible? Patches can be the answer! If your braces are good, the spot welds can simply be removed and a patch added in, or even a brace or two replaced without getting completely out of hand and going the way of a half floor or full floor replacement.

Front Driver Side: Golden Star GDS-FP13-554FL, Front Passenger Side: Golden Star GDS-FP13-554FR

Rear Driver Side: Golden Star GDS-FP13-551RL, Rear Passenger Side: Golden Star GDS-FP13-551RR

Braces

If there’s one thing that every rustbelt warrior is aware of when it comes to tri-fives, it’s that the bracing used to mount the body to the chassis is incredibly susceptible to rust. I’ve personally seen cars that the floors were dang near perfect, but the braces themselves had seen better days. If a brace or two needs patched up, it’s definitely not the end of the world and can merit simply cutting one or two out before reaching the “tipping point”. Also, these can kinda go hand in hand with the floor patches.

All models:

Short front floor brace, either side: Golden Star GDS-FP13-55SF

Front Floor Brace at Cowl, Driver Side: Golden Star GDS-FP13-55CL

Front Floor Brace at Cowl, Passenger Side: Golden Star GDS-FP13-55CR

Long Center floor Brace: Golden Star GDS-FP13-55C

Model Specific:

Front Long Floor Brace, H/T & Sedan: Golden Star GDS-FP13-55FL

Front Long Floor Brace, Convertible: Golden Star GDS-FP13-551FL

Rear Short Floor Brace, Driver Side Convertible: Golden Star GDS- FP13-55RL

Rear Short Floor Brace, Passenger Side Convertible: Golden Star GDS- FP13-55RR

Cargo Floor Brace, Wagon: Golden Star GDS-FP13-553RB

Center Floor Brace, 4 dr. H/T: Golden Star GDS-FP13-552CB

Inner Rockers

Inner Rockers are a common rot spot. With only a dinky rubber plug at each end and a flat plug in the sides, rockers are susceptible to holding moisture from the inside and growing rust at an alarming rate. But if there’s only a spot or two, new inner rockers can be utilized as a whole, or cut into repair sections easy enough, for a factory looking finish.

Inner Rocker, Driver Side: Golden Star GDS-RP13-551L

Inner Rocker, Passenger Side: Golden Star GDS-RP13-551R

Trunk

Ok, so not necessarily floor, but floor enough for this conversation. Trunks can be handled one of two ways: one piece or patched. And just like doing the floors, it must be weighed as to how much to cut out. Usually, the roughest parts wind up being the section above the rear body brace in front of the tailpan, and this area can be patched up fairly easy if done in conjunction with a tailpan. Trunk floors are not year specific.

Full Floor W/ Braces:

Hardtop/Sedan, W/Spare Tire Well: Golden Star GDS-TF13-55

Convertible, W/Spare Tire Well: Golden Star GDS-TF13-552

Hardtop/Sedan, Spare Tire Well Deleted: Golden Star GDS-TF13-555

Cargo Floor W/Braces & Extensions: Golden Star GDS-TF13-552C

Complete Cargo Floor w/Braces, Extensions & Spare Tire Well: Golden Star GDS-TF13-553C

Patches and Braces:

10” Trunk Floor Patch in Front of Tailpan: Golden Star GDS-TF13-553

Trunk Floor Rear Brace: Golden Star GDS-TP13-551

Trunk Floor Front Reinforcement Brace: Golden Star GDS-TF13-55RE

Cargo Floor Only: Golden Star GDS-TF13-55C

Wagon & Sedan Delivery Rear Cargo Floor Brace: Golden Star GDS-FP13-553RB

Gas Tank Mounting Brace, Nomad & Wagon: Golden Star GDS-GT13-553B

Don’t see the section you’re looking for? Wondering about installing any of these pieces?

Call the Tri-Five Experts at Woody’s today (855.567.1957) and any of the knowledgeable and helpful sales staff should be able to point you in the right direction!