Worth saving???

[Ledzep]

Hi all, new here and new at body work. That being said, I've been a mechanic 3/4's of my life and had my 98 1500 z71 trailering package from factory which includes 373 g80 rear end extra leafs in rear. 178k miles 5.7 vortec with newer trani, it is mechanically sound. Had this truck for 18 years and consider it part of the family. Dont want to part with it but the normal rot in the north east. I'm new at welding and body work but not afraid to do the work or learn. Both sides...Inner and outer rockers, cab corners, 3 lower doors, small rust at rear above tires on one side only, small area on tailgate, and dont know what you call it but both sides of tailgate hinges all junk. Is it worth saving??? Frame is sound front and rear. If I do all this work, i will most likely have it painted and maybe even continue with a restoration. What u all think?

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[skylark]

I think that I'd be shopping for rust free body parts. There is a ton of labor there.

 

[Hipster]

Rust work tends to explode. The deeper you go the further you have to go.

That being said, the aftermarket parts are not 100%. Cab corners don't fit quite right. Generally the material of the parts are not the same thickness. The aftermarket lower door skins are generally too long lengthwise.

Do-able but it's fair amount of work.

 

[DerekTheGreat]

Right on. And nothing gets better than the pretreatment & paint system the factory used. So unless it becomes a museum piece after you "fix" the rust, it's only going to come back and within 3 to 5 years, from the inside out. I never heard of a bodyman who could clean & pretreat welds from the inside & inaccessible areas...

This is why I prefer to find mechanically clapped out vehicles opposed to rusty ones rescued from the bottom of a lake.

 

[Ledzep]

Thanks for the input, ya ideally I'd rather go the other way and find a truck with perfect body and go from there. Still trying to decide. Would be a good doner to learn on though. Hmmmm

 

[Hipster]

Right on. And nothing gets better than the pretreatment & paint system the factory used. So unless it becomes a museum piece after you "fix" the rust, it's only going to come back and within 3 to 5 years, from the inside out. I never heard of a bodyman who could clean & pretreat welds from the inside & inaccessible areas...

This is why I prefer to find mechanically clapped out vehicles opposed to rusty ones rescued from the bottom of a lake.

That's the running joke. You can spray crap in the holes but are you really getting it sealed. You can't dip the body in the repair process like factory. It's easier to change an engine then a rocker.

 

[Ledzep]

I expect the jokes and negative comments, it's all good. Actualy would love to dip the entire truck into magical new dipping tank and call it a day, like everyone else. Just care for the newer GMC and Chevys that much. Like that old body style

 

[Hipster]

Thanks for the input, ya ideally I'd rather go the other way and find a truck with perfect body and go from there. Still trying to decide. Would be a good doner to learn on though. Hmmmm

If it's something you want to do, go for it. I do collision work for a living so I might be biased. LOL They no longer turn into the personal conquests looking for that euphoric self-satisfaction for me anymore. LOL I bought my 92 for chump change/salvage value. I would have paid triple. It wears it's original rockers in an area where 3y/o trucks are rotting. A Texas truck. A few mechanical things and a quickie paint job later.....

 

[Hipster]

I expect the jokes and negative comments, it's all good. Actualy would love to dip the entire truck into magical new dipping tank and call it a day, like everyone else. Just care for the newer GMC and Chevys that much. Like that old body style

I'm not picking at ya man. Just pointing out what was said. It's not always possible to go back and corrosion protect on a repair. You can't always access the inside..

 

[DerekTheGreat]

Yah, I work in the pretreatment business developing cleaner & pretreatment systems. Studying the how & why of rust is life for me. That is also why I recommend finding a clean car. Rusty stuff just fights you every chance it can..