How to fix burned-through floorpan?

[VetteMed]

Background: 91 ZR-1, headers, no cats, straight pipes from headers back to mufflers - no resonator.

As I was gutting the interior from my 91, I found that the passenger side corner, where the floorpan meets the trans tunnel as it widens for the bellhousing, was burned by the exhaust, in approximately a 1" diameter circle. It was not burned entirely through, but all that remained was fiber strands, no hard substance at all. The carpet padding overlying it was completely disintegrated. I never smelled anything burning, so this may have happened when the previous owner had the exhaust done, I have no way of knowing.

So, what to do? Obviously I need to patch the hole, but more importantly, I suppose I need to fabricate a heat shield? Or do I just have a muffler shop bend the pipe a little?

What should I use to patch the floor pan?

Thanks!
Andrew

[Jagdpanzer]

Sorry about the bad luck.
Can you post some pics?

[VetteMed]

And in this one, you can see the offending pipe.

[Jagdpanzer]

Pick up a fiberglass patch kit at your local auto or marine supply store, trim out the burned area and fix it like plugging a hole in a fiberglass boat hull.

[secondchance]

Hole looks small enough (looks like about 1/2" hole?) where a temporary back up underneath with duct tape (attached to outside of car) and fill w/ epoxy mix. I think existing fiberglass strands would function to bridge the patch.
I would definitely rework the exhaust pipe to increase the distance to body. I have not looked carefully under this area while the car is on a lift so I am not sure. Does anyone know if there is a heat shield below?

[Jagdpanzer]

The burned area is ajacent to the front exhaust spring hangers. There are no factory installed heat shields in this area as you find outboard the cats.