What's the hole in the boot floor for?

W

Willy Eckerslyke

Well-Known Member
Doing some welding around the back end, I just stripped out the boot and removed the riveted on cover over the rectangular hole to find a bit of rot there. While putting off repairing it, I'm wondering what it's actually for. A throwback to the production methods perhaps?
Anyone know?
 
Isn't it the forward mounting hole for the tow bar?

I have never had a P6 with a tow bar so am only guessing here

Richard
 
Nope, but thanks for the suggestion. Mine has a towbar with angle irons running one one each side of the hole. My project car has one with a single iron, but that runs below the hole and is bolted in front of it.
The hole is around 6x4 inches with a plate rivetted above it. Moisture has collected in the overlap and rotted through the boot floor. I'm thinking that when I repair it, I may as well dispense with the hole altogether - unless it really does have a function.
 
Sparky's plate has some rot in it, so has been removed.

I haven't got to replacing it, but if it has nothing to do with the towbar, I really cannot see a reason for it.

It won't make any difference if you just weld a new panel over it, although I have a stainless sheet that I will cut a piece out of and rivet back in, with the aid of a decent PU bonding sealant.

Richard
 
I understand that some people were, wrongly, of the opinion that cutting a hole in the boot floor made working on the rear brakes easier. Perhaps someone has done this to your car.
 
As far as I am aware it is something to do with a jig for moving the car around the factory floor in production.

Graeme
 
ghce said:
As far as I am aware it is something to do with a jig for moving the car around the factory floor in production.

Graeme
Click to expand...

That's what I thought. I've never had to remove it to do any of the jobs required on the car, so from that point of view it's useless, and after this topic came up I looked for it in the parts book to see what it was listed as in there and it's not shown, so obviously doesn't exist.....
 
It wasn't present on all cars. I think it was a later addition? I don't think any of my series ones have it.
 
ghce wrote,...
As far as I am aware it is something to do with a jig for moving the car around the factory floor in production.
Click to expand...

That sounds like a very logical thought Graeme. The hole with plate over the top can be seen in the pic below of my boot floor.

P4090062.jpg


Ron.
 
FrazzleTC said:
I understand that some people were, wrongly, of the opinion that cutting a hole in the boot floor made working on the rear brakes easier. Perhaps someone has done this to your car.
Click to expand...

I'd heard that too but when you get to know the car a bit better (and if you look at Ron's photo) you can see that the boot floor is nowhere near the rear brakes.

Dave
 
harveyp6 said:
ghce said:
As far as I am aware it is something to do with a jig for moving the car around the factory floor in production.
Click to expand...
That's what I thought. I've never had to remove it to do any of the jobs required on the car, so from that point of view it's useless, and after this topic came up I looked for it in the parts book to see what it was listed as in there and it's not shown, so obviously doesn't exist.....
Click to expand...
Thanks both, that does make the most sense. As my car already has enough patches for originality not to be an issue, I may as well do away with the hole altogether and butt-weld it closed. It'll be easier than repairing the edges neatly, and will prevent it happening again.
 
The way I always heard it, the holes were cut under the seats to get to the rear brakes. Obvious really as that hole, as pointed out, is nowhere near them.
 
I believe that there is some film (video) about of assembly in the Rover factory showing that this hole is indeed used for shifting the car about. Thanks to Chris Bowles for this info.

Graeme
 
so many varied and interesting answers, but thinking about this problem reminded me of an episode of Top-Gear, they attached a loo seat to the drivers door for use in the bush, and that
made me think that I had solved the whole problem (pun not intended ) o_O...
The hole obviously is for the attachment of a Porta Potty, a small one at that , but discretely concealed from prying eyes, but watch out for speed humps or you would end up in the Poo poo :p
Peter
 
It may also be a big drain for the sealer during the Rota Dip process as it would otherwise fill the boot with paint!
 
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