87 Scottsdale20 4x4 w/ dump.. worth fixing this?

[turbokev]

Hi everyone, new guy with my first Chevy 4x4 truck..

I was in need of a plow for this winter and found this truck on Craigslist.







The guy was up front and said it needed a drivers side floor pan but he was including the part.
It was pouring when I looked at the truck and I did peel back the carpet and there was a good sized hole, but the rest of the truck and sheetmetal was in good shape for the year.
It had recent brakes, battery, alternator, and wiper motor. The 350 has 121K on it and runs nice.. will need basics like belts and hoses but its a driver the way it is.

So yesterday I cleaned it all out and took a closer look at the rust on the floor..
Turns out what I was looking at in the rain that day was a previous poor repair that had rusted and what was underneath was the real issue..
I removed the former patch job (by ripping it out with my hands, I think it was just siliconed in place) and this is what I'm now dealing with.







It looks like to repair this the right way will be extensive..
Maybe I should just use it as a yard truck this winter and sell it in the spring..someone will want the plow/dump combo for parts at the very least..

Feeling a little stupid for not checking more closely, the truck looked pretty solid overall, and ran/drove fine on the test drive..
Sure wish I had looked closer  



 

[Irish_Alley]

Not a bad price if you think of the plow and dump. What state you from. Welcome from maryland

[velojym]

Three words:

Yabba-dabba-doo!

Sure it'll need some work, but (not knowing anything else about the truck) it still seems like a decent deal, and parts is cheap for these things.

[junkman.]

looks like a good deal for a plow truck and if your going to use it just as one patch all you can but if your going to fix it up as a daily drive I would replace that cab ( i have a 75 cab for sale cheep $125.00 and a long bed frame $ 100.00 ) but I'm in California well what ever you decide good luck

JM 

[turbokev]

Thanks guys..  I'm in New Hampshire, right in the rust belt

I think I'm going to do my best to seal up the floor without replacing everything and use it through the winter as my driveway plow and occasional trips to Lowes etc..
Not going to become a daily driver for me..

I'll re-evaluate in the spring and decide if I want to replace the cab, or sell it as is~

Anyone have a picture of a stock 87 under the hood?
My air cleaner assembly is not for this truck.. sitting on there at an angle, no where near sealed.
I'm sure its the wrong setup so I'd like to see what the right one looks like~

[Irish_Alley]

dont know why but i want a dump bed now

[velojym]

dont know why but i want a dump bed now

I thought exactly that while unloading that last load of mulch for our yard.

[1980c10]

there is a post on here somewhere of someone fixing a floor like that. someone know the link?
btw=I would fix it or get a cab, if I didn't have time i would probably just pay someone the truck seems worth the effort.

[Irish_Alley]

blazin has done a few

[Captkaos]

Link is here: http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=5661.0

You can also find it in the related section (5 piece repair kit) in the catalog.

[jaredts]

How's the passenger side look?  That rust is pretty bad, but I'd fix it rather than a cab swap unless there are other issues (there probably are).

[turbokev]

Thats the thing, passsenger side floor area is very solid.. So is 99% of the exterior body.

Its like someone with salty nasty wet boots drove the thing for years with no passengers..
Only that spot is terrible.

Little hole on the passenger front fender, and another little rot spot on the passenger rear quarter down low behind the wheel..
Minor stuff compared to the drivers floor.

Heres the passenger front fender:



and the rear quarter rust:




and here's the drivers side rocker.. you'd never know what lurks behind it:




I'm struggling with the decision to fix it the right way or not.. Even that white truck in the link a couple posts up was not this bad.
My cab support is just gone.. the mount off the main frame is good, but everything else is just ruined.
I'm trying to think of a way to jack up the cab a little bit and angle something off whats left of the inner rocker over to the gas pedal area so it goes over the cab mount to give some support there, then put the new floorpan in on top of that. It's not like I want to 'restore' the truck, and have a mint 80's Chevy.. I just want a reliable winter / plow vehicle that lasts a couple years. (without the cab falling off when I go around a corner  )

[jaredts]

I had also planned on just welding in some metal to make it ok enough on my '83.  Once I saw how inexpensive the 5 pc. cab repair was from this site and saw Blazin's writeup of it, I just couldn't imagine hacking it together.  The right parts seemed like they'd be easier in the long run.  I think I was right.

[1980c10]

like jaredts says the parts are cheap so might as well do it right. Also makes good practice for when you want one make one mint.
I'm guessing adds just a few hrs to do it right versus quick anyway.

btw:
started with my first cheap 80's chevy just to make it a decent enough driver-eventually sold it-missed it- bought another-this time I made it mint and won't be selling it.

[Canadian 4X4]

That is one cool Truck, i would fix it, if not i would take it off your hands