on my 1979 f-100 regular cab i was wondering if i should replace the whole cab or should i just use patch panels to fix it? the cab corners need replacing, same with part of the door jam rocker panel, the drivers floor board and there is a couple inches of rust on the roof right where the eavetrough is. i plan on posting some pics soon but this will at least give you an idea of what i am running into, any advice would be great.

 

k i got some pictures up to help me show what i have got.

 

I checked out your gallery, dont you hate how previous owners/used car salesman sometimes just cover-up rust and dont care how bad it will get?
I had similar damage hidden under 1/2-1 inch of body filler and paint. I'm going to have to replace my whole tailgate.
you might want to check out various junkyard, and take a metal cutter for hte rusted cabin areas.
- Sean

 

ya i know but hey, am i better off to replace the whole cab or not. i took a closer look today and i will need 2 cab corners, 1 rocker panel for sure, and 2 front door lower pillers, and the drivers side floor board.

 

How is the rest of the body? My advice is to try and find another truck from the 73-79 era that has a good body on it, and then swap out all the body parts that you need. Also, if you get cheap enough, you can save a lot of maney on parts in the future.

Just Remember...you can't polish a tird!

 

I think your cab is very repairable if you have the time and ability to learn the skills.

If you had another cab for a couple of hundred dollars that was in perfect condition then I would agree to just swap them however most you will find need the same repairs as the one you have now.

Another option is to find another cab so you can work on it and keep the truck together and street worthy. Then when you have the cab repaired and painted you can do the body swap in one move - and save some downtime for the truck.

Just some options you might consider...