73-87chevytrucks.com
73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => Members Rides => Topic started by: mrboyy17 on August 21, 2011, 05:27:26 pm
-
the reason i bought it for 1200. (http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy299/mrboyy17/IMG_1949.jpg)
runs top notch.....not one drop of oil under it after 3 days in the driveway...excellent shifting in the 700r4. 4 wheel drive works in high and low....
here is the nice seats that were in it
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy299/mrboyy17/IMG_1950.jpg)
the body is ......rough.
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy299/mrboyy17/IMG_1944.jpg)
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy299/mrboyy17/IMG_1951.jpg)
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy299/mrboyy17/IMG_1945.jpg)
was online checking the pricing on a carpet for it so i went out and tore out the vinyl on the floor. uh oh!
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy299/mrboyy17/IMG_1948.jpg)
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy299/mrboyy17/IMG_1948.jpg)
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy299/mrboyy17/IMG_1947.jpg)
do you guys think this cab/body can be saved? how much do you think a body shop would charge to put in new floors?
im no welder but the truck ran too good to pass up for 12 hundred.
what r your guys's thoughts?
mark
-
ouch. i had a 63 fairlane that looked like that on the passenger side. i cut it all out and cleaned it, then did what the p.o. of your truck did (kinda ). i pounded some sheet metal into the same shape and bolted it in, making sure to seal it really well with some silicone.
naval jelly and a wire brush and rustoleum to clean up the bottom, and it was good to go. i think the key is getting out ALL the old rust, because it'll just keep spreading if you dont. also, fixing the cause of it (leaky old windows).
-
The floor does not look at that bad, the panel cost for floor replacement are cheap. What you need to do is make a new friend that is a good welder and willing to show you how to fix it for a min. fee. That way you win all around. You learn how to weld and you get your truck fixed the right way.
I have been wanting a diesel for a tow rig, I'm jealous now.
-
Nice truck to start with. Look forward to your progress on it..
thanks
pat
-
It wouldn't take much with a welder to fix just that part of the floor, but you might want to check under the cab carefully. I'd be surprised if you cab floor support itsn't in need of repair as well.
-
sweet truck
-
i dont mind learning on this thing so i might buy a cheapo welder and hack away at it.....so you guys say it can be fixed.....i was thinking it might be easier to get a cab off of a truck someone is parting out....but then i'd have to do all the wiring etc etc....would rather learn how to weld anyways. the cab corners need replaced too and i hope those patch panels r the whole floor cuz the drivers side rust goes all the way up to the pedals. and out to the rocker panel.....but the rocker panel itself is solid with no rust....weird
anyways if i mess it up too bad it cant ever get any worse looking!
-
Yeah, thats not bad. Though there is sure to be more. The cab corner you showed needs redone too. Floor patch panels are cheap. If you did the prep and cut out the cancer and took it all to a welder I bet it would be $50-$100 depending on how much additional cutting of the panel/floor he needed to do. Go talk to a welder first and see what he recommends and then get busy with the cutoff wheel or sawzall.
-
If you use a sander with a rough pad say 40 grit and feather out the rust to find the extent rather than hack out big chunks.
You usually find that welders prefer "good" shapes to weld i.e. square/rectangle/triangle to fab new metal on rather than "lightening!" shapes.
It sure looks do able. As always- take your time and get it right.
Practice welding on old panels etc. The tailgate looks a good candidate to practice on, I'm guessing you'd just bolt a new (better) one on?
As you know there are so many replacement weld on panels available, I believe Chris does many. If you get them, draw/etch round the new piece and cut 5mm inside the line. Better to cut twice than have a big hole that the panel falls through ;)
If you gave to put a new rocker on, try learning how to plug weld, looks a lot neater and easier to hide.
good luck
Andy
-
got under the hood to check the oil today.....yikes didnt even register on the dipstick so no wonder why it didnt leak a drop! lol. anyways off to autozone i went and 7 quarts of 15-40 diesel oil and filter later and its up to the full line now. also got a new fuel filter for it and put that on then my buddy bled the new fuel filter while i was trying to start the motor. about 2 min later its good as new. checked tranny fluid and its nice and red and full....radiator is full and nice too...,...looked under the cab where the rust is and the supports/frame has no rust on it. gonna order some patch panels soon.
mark
-
If all the rust is contained to just the floor boards you indeed got a great deal.
-
guys will a 79 cab go right onto my 86 frame?
i found a rust free cab on craigslist for 50 bucks
how much modification needed for the cab to be put on there?
or do all the cabs/doors the same? i know the door panels r different but cab or doors themselves the same?
mark
-
I think the cab will bolt up fine, the 79 core support would need modification for the 86 frame. I know the dash pads on 79s are round and the pads of 86s are flat, idk if the shape of the metal structure is different anc your 86 doors should bolt to the 79 cab fine.
-
Rust free cab for $50? Its worth more than that as scrap. Sounds suspicious. A rust free '79 cab would be a rare find. If its the real deal go for it. There are some differences in hood hinges that you'll have to deal with, but doors are no problem and I would think your dash assembly should go right in, even though the dash itself is different.
-
well it may be suspicious but here is the link.....the pic looks pretty good and the guy will even deliver it?
http://yakima.craigslist.org/pts/2532298393.html
-
got to work today on the wire wheel and cab....ive never done this before so can you guys tell me if its good enough to por 15 now? my buddy says to leave a little rust on to let it bite? i need your help.here is the b4 pic
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy299/mrboyy17/IMG_1946.jpg)
here is the after (http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy299/mrboyy17/IMG_2000.jpg) close up...(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy299/mrboyy17/IMG_2001.jpg) and im not sure what do do with these rail things that the seal goes on....should i dig out the old crappy seam sealer and por 15 in there too? (http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy299/mrboyy17/IMG_1997.jpg)(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy299/mrboyy17/IMG_1998.jpg) and here is one of behind the kick panel
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy299/mrboyy17/IMG_1999.jpg) like i said ive never done this before i need help......on a side note my drivers floor patch panel arrived today from buying it on this site....gonna get to cutting soon! thanks for all you guy's help on my new found hobby...my truck!
mark
-
I would keep going, but I dont know much about POR 15. They have wire wheels that look like metal cut off wheels and you can use that for that "rail thing"
-
I used Por-15 on my axles. You are suppose to remove any flaky bits and leave the rust. Your friend was correct, Por-15 chemically treats the rust to change it from oxidized metal (which is what rust is ) to metal that the Por-15 has chemically altered to now coated metal, that is stronger that painted metal and will last longer ( or so they claim ).
I am very pleased with my axle's and after following the directions and drying, my axles have a hard coat of paint that will not chip if a tool hits it anyways, I tried it with a wrench and not a scratch.
-
Maybe its just me, but I wouldn't stop there. I consider por15 type stuff a little better for thick metal like frames. What kind of wire wheel are you using? You should be able to get it almost perfect. I personally use a little rust converter and alternate between that and the wire wheel. The only thing you can't get perfect on sheet metal with that method is the bottom of some of the pits.
-
THe wire wheel is one that goes on the drill. well bought a new 4 1/2 in grinder and a cutoff wheel and got started today. This is my first time ever trying this out. Confirmed....frame and cab support underneath are a-0k. Need to keep cutting but im learning maybe to use a long sleeve shirt and gloves lol! more fire flying around than i had anticipated. (http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy299/mrboyy17/IMG_2030.jpg) The darn thing takes awhile too. i thought it would cut right on through and just zip be done but i guess not. Now im starting to think i need the rocker panel too or something. whats the piec called that is behind the kick panel cuz the rust is climbing up that wall too?
mark
-
makes me glad I have a plasma cutter at my disposal! Other than the time and sparks, how do you find the grinder for cutting through the floor?
-
im learning maybe to use a long sleeve shirt and gloves lol! more fire flying around than i had anticipated.
Can't tell in your pic ... but if you don't have them safety glasses are the first thing to get. Hot flying metal in the eye is NOT good. Then the eye doc sticks even more metal in your eye to get that out.
Get a wire brush that fits on that 4.5" grinder, it will do a lot better job than your drill. You will need safety glasses, gloves and long sleeves for that too. Those flying pieces of wire that break off will stick right into skin like little darts :D
-
yea i had on safety glasses. the grinder works for cutting through the metal vervepipe but it just takes time and i have to keep stopping to check cuz with all the sparks you cant really see what your doing or where your cut is going very well. yea ill go get a wire wheel that goes on my grinder that would probly work better. ive decided that this sux and i keep worring that the sparks gonna burn up some wires under the dash or something so i do short spurts. oh well ill post more pics later
mark
-
That's the same grinder I use for both wire wheel and cutoff wheel. A word of caution: using a cutoff wheel with an angle grinder is very dangerous. Mine kicked back on me and cut my ankle pretty bad. Use both hands and hold on like your life depends on it. A pneumatic cutoff wheel would be safer and just as fast if you can. The wire cup wheel on that grinder will knock the rust off pretty well, but it takes work and its hard to get into the pits. That's why I use it along with a rust converter--it seems to soften it and changes the color so it highlights where you need to concentrate. Wire wheel on a drill is useless for this. Gloves and glasses are a must. The wire wheel is a wicked, painful tool. The wires will fly out at very high speed and will go an inch deep into your skin if you're not protected--so don't skip the gloves and keep your face away unless you're gonna use a face shield. You won't likely burn the wires but you can catch the insulation on fire that is against the firewall so have a hose or extinguisher handy (stuff a welding blanket against anything you want to protect from sparks as well). If the rust goes up behind the plastic kick panel you need a footwell patch (sold here). Think this through because once you get into footwell and rocker on something with some rust you're gonna likely be into a huge project and replacing more than you think. Decide where you're going to stop and stop there (unless this is a show truck). Find Blazin's writeup of the 5 pc. cab repair and look at how the pieces go together to help you decide. One more thing: is your gas tank still in? Do you smell the slightest hint of gas? You're cutting right over it and bouncing sparks off it. A well placed welding blanket stuffed over it may be enough protection if it doesn't leak any fumes at all, but otherwise it needs to come out.
-
A pneumatic cutoff wheel would be safer and just as fast if you can.
I've got cut off wheels for my 4.5 grinder, but I never use them. Harder to control the cut and any kickback is vicious. Pneumatic cutoff wheel or sawzall are the best ... next to a real torch! ;)
The wire wheel is a wicked, painful tool. The wires will fly out at very high speed and will go an inch deep into your skin if you're not protected--so don't skip the gloves and keep your face away unless you're gonna use a face shield.
Perfect explanation! I sometimes feel like a porcupine plucking the wires out, but in addition to being wicked and painful it is also a very effective tool. Hold it really tight and try not to be in the kickback zone cause when it catches an edge it will fly a couple of feet before you can control it.
I forget the circumstance, but one time I was someplace where one got dropped on the floor and bouncing and running out of control. Seeing a bunch of grown men trying to climb up on what ever was close was pretty funny ... once it actually got stopped. :D
-
The little pieces of wire feel really good if you step on one with bare feet too!
-
I use a 4 1/2" grinder a lot in the garage. One other thing that was not mentioned is that if a disc is damaged it goes right in the garbage. Don't use it.
Your cab doesn't look bad compared to some I have seen rebuilt. Capt. sells everything you need and people here can give you help when you need it.
-
All I gotta say is I wish the trucks in Buffalo that looked like that could be called rough. My truck I think is rough and there is a lot more of it missing. Looks like your making good progress though.
-
my neighbor wants to help me just swap a different cab on the truck....after diggin around the footwell is gone, the rocker panel is gone, the cab corner is gone so the floor piece i got wont work to fix this. i found two cabs yesterday and one is a 79...my truck is 86 so i know the dash, and windshield wipers is a little different but is everything else the same?
-
Short answer is no.
The 86 has the "short hood" where the donor cab has the longer hood, the hinge locations are different.
http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=9070.0
That will have the builk of the info you'll need. Its some work to do, and I'd hold out for a 81-87 if it were me.
-
well i got the 79 cab today...it was only 40 bucks and the guy delivered to my house! no rust he was gonna take it to scrap tomorrow! got to work...its a non ac cab so will my ac stuff go on there?
i dont know what im doing! hahaha i need your guys help now! how do i make the non ac cab a ac cab?
here is the 40 bucks (http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy299/mrboyy17/IMG_2050.jpg)
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy299/mrboyy17/IMG_2051.jpg)
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy299/mrboyy17/IMG_2052.jpg)
starting tearing apart the 86 (http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy299/mrboyy17/IMG_2053.jpg)
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy299/mrboyy17/IMG_2054.jpg)
got the windshield out of the 79 (http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy299/mrboyy17/IMG_2056.jpg)
and that is where i quit for the night. i got some research to do on how to make this work
thanks for the replies guys and for any help from those that may have done this before
mark
-
I am having a hard time believing that '79 cab.....and I am seeing it with my own eyes.....
Odds are you are going to want to fix your cab, or find a 81+ cab for your truck. I have a '77 that I am putting a '91 front on. There are major changes to make it work.
Also, JMHO here, that '79 cab needs a peoject to reconnected it to the old 73~80 front sheet metal. That era cab in the shape you have there is a über rare find indeed. 81~87(91) cabs are way more plentiful.
Again, I feel fixing your cab is the better solution........Please, PLEASE, don't hack up that '79!!!!!
-
well i found a 80 something rust free cab sitting out in a field that is ac but the guy said he is willing to sell it but never called me back and i didnt get his phone number. im thinking he feels its a gold mine but now i dont know what to do with the 79 cab. anyone near yakima washington that wants it? the guy used the chasis to make some sort of wheeler with a el camino body on it so he got rid of the rest of the truck. this 79 cab has just one little rust spot on the cab corner but i had to really search to find it other than that it is perfect. crap now what just order all the cab replacement parts and get someone to do the work to fix my cab now? this blows
mark
-
you need to template the whole section where the heater core is on the AC cab and then cut it all out and weld up the non-AC cab and then cut the holes out accordingly, you will also need the AC components...
The cab needs the reliefs cut into the 79 to put the 81-87 frontend on it and you need the hinges. You also need to match the 81-87 wiper holes in the cown to match on the 79, AND you need the holes in the 79 for the cowl to mount.
-
Man I envy you guys in Washington state , in NY that truck would be considered very good shape not rough . Check out corvairwild's utube video survivor blazer.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9guncZQXg00
-
well i think im gonna save myself some money and just cut out a gian patch out of the 79 cab floor,rocker,footwell,cab corner and just have one patch to weld in instead of getting all the pieces one by one....went to a couple of body shops today and gonna be about 1 grand to fix this cab...i'll still only be into the truck 2300 bucks even if they do it and ill have a floor again and i can then fix the insides up! if someone wants this cab for a project it would be free to ya...dont know how you'd get it back home though. let me know before i start cutting away.
mark
-
this truck i found looks so cool.....what do you guys think it would look like normal ride height for a 3/4 ton and 33 in tires? im getting ideas here!
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy299/mrboyy17/79builtlongbed1.jpg)
-
It's a shame to hack up the '79 cab. 73 to 80 cabs in that good of shape are extremly hard to find now, especially a 4x4. Too bad I wasn't still living in Vancouver. We could have done a cross-border trade. I've got an 85 ac cab I'm using on a 79 non ac 4x4! That cab would have been perfect! It's not an easy conversion to put a 70's cab with an 81+ front end. There's a good section on this site on how to do it. Basically it involves mounting the hinges and cowl as someone mentioned. If I were you I'd probably hold out for an 81 to 87 cab. They're still fairly easy to find and many more of them had ac. You could probably sell that '79 and make a nice profit. Guys pay over 700 bucks for cabs like that in Canada because they are so rare now.
-
Just an update. i got all the rust fixed in the cab. two new floors, cab corners , rockers put in....slopped seam sealer tar stuff all over it. slopped it on nice and thick all over the seams. corners and rockers are primered. Guy charged me 400 bucks.
Then I found out you could just start the truck without the key so i used the nice write up on here about fixing sloppy tilt steering columns to put a new key cylinder thing in. put a new spring in my canceling cam/turn signal switch too while i was in there. im gonna spray some 3m rubberized undercoating all over the floor now before i get some insulation/carpet. I also got a nice wood veneer thing for the guage panel out of the junkyard and transfered it to mine.....turned out pretty neat. Almost got 2 suburban doors there but he wanted 150 apiece! ouch! will post some pics tonight when the wifey gets the camera back home.
-
sounds awesome man. progress is great
-
rust fixed on rockers and floors and cab corners and foot well:
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy299/mrboyy17/IMG_2265.jpg)
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy299/mrboyy17/IMG_2269.jpg)
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy299/mrboyy17/IMG_2267.jpg)
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy299/mrboyy17/IMG_2266.jpg)
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy299/mrboyy17/IMG_2268.jpg)
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy299/mrboyy17/IMG_2270.jpg)
inside of cab after 3 cans of 3m rubberized undercoating:
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy299/mrboyy17/IMG_2279.jpg)
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy299/mrboyy17/IMG_2282.jpg)
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy299/mrboyy17/IMG_2281.jpg)
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy299/mrboyy17/IMG_2280.jpg)
Wood trim i scored at junkyard and put onto my bezel:
(http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy299/mrboyy17/IMG_2283.jpg)
next stop some peel and seal from lowes that is like the dynomat stuff ...then carpet pad and carpet!