I'm slowly trying to hunt down a truck from this era to do a build with. My plans are to find one with a solid frame and body but it doesn't have to be clean. I'm going to do no body work and just put flat clear coat over the patina. Then I'll put a crown vic front suspension under it with a decent rear end with the 5x4.5 bolt pattern and put in a big engine and clean interior. I just don't know what to look for so that I'm not fixing more than necessary when it comes to the body and frame.

 

Rust...you are looking for rust or lack there of.

Cab Mounts
Floor Boards
Inner Fender Mount Brackets
Radiator Core Support Mounts
Front Pillar
Rocker Panel
Cab Corners (inner and outer)
Bed Bolt area

 

How easy are some of those things to repair? I feel like as long as there aren't any holes in the body, I'm okay with patching other stuff. I guess just check to make sure it's structurally sound and go from there. I was going to spray the inside of the body panels with rust preventative and a clear on the outside to stop it.

 

You want to look for rust on the floor pans for sure. That is the only thing on my truck (so far) that is a real problem for me.

Similarly, I've seen several other people on this board who have had problems with rust around the cab mounts.

Drip rail and/or roofline should be looked at.

 

Those are the areas I figured would be the biggest problem areas. Deos anyone make replacement floor pans?
Are there any issues with the bed floor rusting? I want to be able to throw stuff back there is needed.

 

Dennis Carpenter, LMC Truck, and other make floor pans. They also make bed repair sections too.

 

That's good to know. Looks like it should be a pretty straight forward build. I just gave to find a relatively straight body with a price I like considering I only need the body and frame. Everything else will be replaced.

 

Body mounts, body mounts, body mounts. Did I mention body mounts?

 

IMO, the deal breaker is roof rail rust... there are no patch panels for that repair- Not even a repro roof panel.

...AND it takes a ton of work to do it right and moreso money if it is farmed out.

 

I'm scared of roof panels being rusty anyway. I don't want a hole to form and it start leaking into my fresh interior.

After this thread, I'm basically looking for a semi clean body with no cancer. I'll fix any problems with body mounts, floor pans etc. Shouldn't be too bad. Then I'll just focus on the go fast parts and the suspension.

 

And that's why I'm saying bye bye to my cab. Way cheaper to replace.

 

What kind of price range should I be looking for on one in the condition I'm wanting considering I won't be using any of the drivetrain or suspension?

 

It's highly dependent on your locale.

Longbed or shortbed? A non-running longbed in the SF Bay area would be between $500 and $800. Shortbeds are more desirable so budget accordingly.

Add more $$ if you're in a rust-prone area like the midwest.

 

saw a cab in Phoenix on Craigslist for $500

 

I'm in West ky. Willing to travel to Southern Indiana, Tennessee, possibly Missouri if needed and would even consider Atlanta area because I can stay the night free there.