Patcon

The connecting tubes could probably be as small as 1"x1"...

Also the transmission will drain out the rear when the engine is highly tilted if you don't drain it first or use a rubber cap on it

Anything you do will be way more than the factory did and the cars lasted 50 years, many of which were probably neglected due to being a relatively cheap car. That won't be the case going forward. Should last just fine another 50-60. It may be all (or most) the seam sealer was done from top side for ease of manufacturing. I suspect the seams were sealed to keep the interior dry, not necessarily for longevity

I was originally going to reference left and right but was concerned that might cause confusion based on whether they knew that was based on looking from the rear of the car

Yes, the bumper rail hides most of the crease line

I responded in the duplicate thread

I would use seam sealer on the joint from the floor pan to the rocker panel. If it already has weld thru primer on it, it'll be fine.

I would want to tie them together with a bar or two, front to back. I would be afraid of tweaking the body mounts if one frame doesn't roll for some reason

The one Ferg posted is rusty 😞

My last floor I did DIY it was about $0.30 a foot. Today the same material is about $2.00 a foot

On left hand drive cars, the tank is mounted off center towards the passenger side and the spare tire is off center towards the drivers side

I was just shopping for floor epoxy last night. Man, has it gotten expensive!!

If you have MIg & TIG welders then you should be well off. I would try KF vintage for what I would call the upper "frame rail" or the "fresh air channel". See if they can supply it. If not I would talk to a local metal shop about fabricating it. Lastly I would make it myself

I am glad you posted that. I was not thinking of that at all when you said "apron". That level or corrosion there would be a problem for me. That's a really structural piece. It's important for it to be solid and strong at least up to and past the shock tower. If it were me I would replace all that metal, but many people don't have the tools or the experience to do that. Can you weld?

Yes, photos of the pitting would be helpful

I thought the cadillacs had a draw down trunk mechanism? Construction is crazy right now! Go ahead and find the wire, blue boxes and panels or meter base that you need. They can be very difficult to source and may take a month or two to find it all. If you're going to need any interior paint start now trying to find it too. I wanted some concrete this week and one of the plants I use told me I could have some after Christmas!!!

Pretty much finished with 400 dry will wet sand at 600 over the weekend The biggest problem now, is my back is pissed!!! I'm hoping to wet sand this weekend, retape the car and clean up and be ready to spray by Monday. Might spray the car this coming Thursday. We'll see..

I noticed some of the sets were backordered

When I wet sand, I have a wet sanding block I use. It a two sided hard foam. Probably not ideal but its what I currently have

Tabco would be my last choice! I would contact kf vintage https://kfvintagejdm.com/ Many times if they don't have it, they will make it for you

I would buy the panel if it was from one of the reputable panel makers. That panel is not flat! It curves in both directions and is very thin. The seamed edge is also curved, which make it hard to reproduce. It is one of the few areas on the car where I think panel bond would be a great idea. If you're a very accomplished welder, you might be able to stitch in that patch without ruining the hatch, but why risk it?

The guy in the sanding board video made an interesting statement. He says that they start cutting their filler when its soft. They don't let it harden first. I have a cheese grater for that but I find its easy to over cut with the cheese grater. They may even be using 80 grit to do that? I agree, I do so many things now by watching you tubes. Air bags, bmw suspension, etc. Amazing what's out there

That was my thought, that it's possible it slipped through or was somebody connected to a dealership and didn't have it removed...

Blocked some more tonight The little flaws on the roof after they're spot filled I use blue tape to help crispen the body lines. You sand up to the tape. Then move it to the other side of the line and do it again Below the body lines tomorrow hopefully. I probably won't color this weekend because it's supposed to rain and I don't want to fight the moisture. So I will get set up and ready for color. Might color over the Christmas holiday with my new Xmas present paint gun 😉

Weren't they removed at the dealers on import to the US?