1980 1/2 ton shortbed...

[80stepsideguy]

You really need to invest in a welder dusty if you plan on doing any type of metal work.What your really doing is putting a band aid over a dirty wound.If you plan on doing any type of metal work you really need it.

thanks
pat

[hotrod24]

I know man I am going to try and borrow a mig, I really need to just buy me one but cash is so tight right now i can't and i need to do it right the first time. But if i can't borrow one i guess its bondo lol... for now anyways...

Here is more pics... 

[80stepsideguy]

Best thing in this case is pull the cab off and set it on jackstands, roll the frame out and throw some tarps over it and work on that cab.Putting filler over them areas isnt good either.Put the stuff called all metal over the areas you fix and then some  quality filler.Worse comes to worse , send the cab this way n ill repair it for you.ill go easy on the labor.

thanks
pat

[hotrod24]

Yea i dont think i am going to be pulling the cab off just yet lol, I think if i can get a mig i am going to just go ahead and rebuild the cab if i can, just get the floor, rockers and all rebuilt. All i would have is the firewall and coil, which I could get a peice from a another cab like the link you gave me, but yea i would love to just send you the whole truck and that could be your next project lol becuase what your 80 is turning out to be i would like mine to be that clean and nice maybe one day...

[jaredts]

By the looks of those pics, you need a different cab.  Anything can be done, but that's some bad rust in some hard to fix spots.

[80stepsideguy]

Keep a lookout on craigslist for fenders and a hood.But if you want your truck to look good and ride good you need to start trying to spend some money of your own and get cracking on this cause if you dont this truck will end up like your 78 did.

thanks
Pat

[hotrod24]

Yea I have been looking on craigslist and ebay some.  I think when I get everything settled with the truck, I am going to go back to where i got it and search his yard for a front clip and a cab or just get some peices from a cab so I can rebuild this one.  Just depends what he has.  Yea I am going to have to start selling some more parts to make some extra cash to spend on the truck and get it looking better and riding better...

[hotrod24]

Ok got some more pics of progress not much but its getting there lol, My planes have changed i am sanding all the rust and just primering it all and saving up for a mig and fix it right the first time but. Anyway i am going to finish the firewall and cowl and put the fenders back on and drive the truck until i get saved up and then just pull the whole front clip off and rebuild the cab and by that time hopefully i will have a new front clip as well as a mig...  

[hotrod24]

WoW it has been a long time since i last updated lol.  So far i got my fenders back on and hood, I had a battery tray that i had made for my pontiac a while back so i thought i would use it because mine on the truck was rusted out but the pontiac tray was too short so i added to it. A lso my headlight houseing had been welded to the core support so i cut the welds and rivetted it to the support.  After i got the front clip back together, I started on the windsheild with taking it out and cleaning the channel and wire brushing with a angle grinder and it was not that bad, a little surface rust.  After the channel was all clean i taped the opening and then i sprayed rust converter and let that dry then masked it off and primed the channel and top coated it ater that was all dry.  I  started putting the windsheild back in and almost had it in; when I was almost to the corner of the passenger side, I put my knee on it to try to hold it down while I popped it in and it CRACKED down the middle.  I guess it happens to the best of us lol!!! 







 

[hotrod24]

 Update!  When I took out my windsheild and I put it back in, I did not have the lock strip tool to put the lock strip back. So last week I ordered the tool and put it in yesterday and the tool worked great!  Very easy, just took a little soap and water.  Now that I got that done I can move on to more rust which I have already worked on a little.  More updates to come..
                                 
                                   Installing the lock strip












                                           Lock strip is in...

[bake74]

     Thanks for the pics, it sure helps to see what someone is talking about when trying to follow some install like this.

[hotrod24]

Thanks and your welcome bake74 I like to be up to date on what i do.  Update, ok starting with the firewall and cowl, which I had already sanded and primered, but left the holes and they are fixed now.  I riveted up some peices of sheet metal and sealed them with silicone but I am not sure if I am going to leave the sheet metal or not because I might just fiberglass the firewall the same way I am doing the cowl, so it looks a little better.  Besides that I am getting good with fiberglass. Lol.. This is all temporary, so I dont want to do to much work and just have to take it all back off, but I want it to look good for the time being.










 









 

[80stepsideguy]

I hope them patches you put on with rivets is a temporary fix cause truthfully that wont last long..Take your time, take the front clip off, take the motor out, and tackle it from there.Or take the cab off and go from there..

thanks
pat

[Bitzer!]

Any updates bud? howz it holding up??

[hotrod24]

Bitzer thanks for checking in i know it has been a while but, I have been working my butt off around my carport and getting ready for my new apartment.  But now it’s the 80s turn. 

OK Update...
So I have got the pass side firewall sanded and primered and then sanded it again lol.  I finally made my mind up to just fiberglass the cowl and I am debating on fiberglassing the outside firewall.  I also edited and updated the top post a little bit, if you want to check it out.  Anyway after I am done with the cowl and firewall, I am moving on to the floor taking care of more rust and putting in some slip on floor supports and patching the floor.  I don’t want to feel like Fred Flintstone anymore, lol.  My wife has to put her feet on my dash because she is scared she is going to fall through the floor lol… The 80 is finally going to get what I have been planning for so long and it deserves it because it has been drove hard…

Alright enjoy the update..  Here is some pics