79 floor pan/tunnel advice, should I just patch it or replace

[boboli]

My 79 was going to be used as a road race car, so the previous owner welded in some steel to mount seats to. I am planning to use stock mustang seats. I cut out the steel mounts and now I am left with a strip of the floor missing. My plans for the car are a 4r70w and 87 up dash and center console. I test fit the 4r70w case in the car and it fits fine except for the gear selector indicator on the driver's side is so close to the tunnel, that I may not be able to remove it. There may also be cooler line fitment problems. I also have read that the later console may not fit the narrower tunnel and also carpet issues.
One option is my buddy has an 89 that is going to be crushed. I could chop out the floor pans and tunnel for free. The other is just to patch what I have, modify the tunnel a bit to accommodate the 4r, and move on with the project so i can finish it up this year! This is not a pristine car that will ever be worth restoration. I want it to look good but it doesn't have to be factory correct. It's already way past that.

floor boards with the steel for the seat brackets


floor boards after the steel was cut out


Comments, suggestions, or advice welcome on what I should do

[wraithracing]

I would recommend making a very good repair of the seat riser and or replacing it entirely as that is a structural section that may literally save your butt in an accident.

You could go either way on the fix. Patching in the floor pan will be quicker and easier, just make sure it's solid and sound when done. If you have other issues the floor pan then a full replacement would be the easier option.

Best of luck with the repairs.

Trey

[Mike1157]

Drill out the spot welds on the donor front seat riser, and transplant that into your car. The rest of the tunnel is a simple patch after that. As for the 4R 70W fitment issues, I too have one in my fox, and in anticipation of those linkage clearance issues made a blister to allow for it. Cut the top of his tunnel where the shifter butchery has occurred and lay the rescued section over yours and trim it just shy of the patch and set the new piece on top and weld that dude. Other than that, I see no reason to go through the complete PITA that an entire floor transplant requires.