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73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => Body, Glass & Paint => Topic started by: False on July 21, 2012, 05:32:41 am
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Not sure where to put this. Seems to me the right way to go is to save what I have before doing any thing else. I'm looking for opinions and advice on the condition of my trucks rockers, floor, and cab corner. What should I do with them? I think they look ok.
Image #1 A: There is rust from the start of the cab door to about 1/2 way. It isn't rusted threw or falling apart.
Image #1 B: The rust runs all along the bottem of "what should I call it the seat pan"? agian it isn't rusted bad, it has strength.
Boath passanger and drivers sides look about the same. Passanger side maybe even in better shape over all.
Image #2 C: It's solid and seems to be in good shape on boath side. Do I need to check from the inside?
Image #2 D: boath sides have some rust in this area, but not bad.
Image #3 is my drivers door. Rusted all along the bottem, and on the outside. Should I replace the door or try and save it.
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A small spot blaster will tell you what you have really got to work with. The door looks to be the worst of it.
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Thank you Thirsty.
So I will need to strip down to bare metal before a judgement call can be made?
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Just start tapping the questionable areas with the pick end of a body hammer. That will show the bad areas real quick.
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Just start tapping the questionable areas with the pick end of a body hammer. That will show the bad areas real quick.
Ok, I wacked my truck a bunch of times with the pick end of a body hammer. Now what should I do about all the dent marks, and paint chips? lol
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I said tap not wack, Your supposed to be tapping questionable areas that are rusted to check for rust through. If your tapping surface rust you need to grind and fill in pock marks anyways. And the paint chips are going to be fixed when you do bodywork.
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So I will need to strip down to bare metal before a judgement call can be made?
Start with the worst looking areas first. If it looks like swiss cheese it was junk anyways. If it is pitted deeply then you have to consider how much metal is left and go from there.
I assumed that you had done something like what Sartobuilt suggested already and deemed it solid still.
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Sartobuilt, I was just joking man ;D. It is funny to think of someone running around thier truck wacking it with a hammer. There are plenty of dings and paint chips to deal with, but not from me and a hammer. You can talk to me like someone not in the know. Never did body work before, but willing to learn. I used an drift punch in areas I thought questionable. (I don't have a body hammer). No punch threws on the rusted areas, seems solid . Plenty of flakes came off the channle of the rocker.
I read about spot blasters (never heard of one) which is why I'm here asking dumb questions. Sounds like a good tool have. When I use my grinder, what is the best wheel to use? read that Rust Bomb works good. Looking at using that.
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I have a small spot blaster for those small areas you need to clean out. Sand blasting is messy, plan for sand everywhere. They're just 10 or 20 bucks at Princess Auto or Harbor Freight type stores.
If you blast it clean and it's solid a coat of POR15 works for me. Hardens like it was powdercoated.
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If you have an angle grinder, I like to use a 3" twisted wire cup brush, that will take the flakes off real quick. Make sure your wearing some safty glasses.
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Yep I have a grinder, but the cheep twisted wire cup brush I had. Was throwing more bristles than it was worth. Thanks for the info, Plan of attack. Grinder with 3" twisted wire cup brush, and spot blaster.
I was a sawyer, I wear safty glasses even when I don't need to. Force of habbit now.
Will read up on POR15, thanks.
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I had not planed to get into this to deep today. In 1/2 hour I had the seats, and carpet out. A quick brush with wire wheel, and a tuch with the grinder. I learned something. RUST looks the same as dirty dark brown paint. There are a few spots (marked in red), and some surfest rust. Isn't as bad as I had first thought. When I get home at the end of the month I will pick up that small spot blaster.