Cut out the rust, weld in mew metal, prep accordingly and paint.

 

Not sure what we're looking at here. Is this a tear in the metal or just some old body filler and paint acne?
Best to explore by getting down to the bare metal.

 

first of all I applaud you wanting to do things the right way, for me I learned how to weld. Best thing I could have done for myself. Whether it be welding in new body patches or seem welding that slice back together, that is making the truck one piece again, instead of bonding the surfaces. I choose to TIG weld, but MIG welding is alot more user friendly espeically for a first time / new user.

 

Tear in the metal it looks like. This truck has never had body filler added to it.

 

Thank you!
I really would like to learn to weld, figure it will be useful for stuff like this.
I've read into TIG welding but haven't had a chance to practice with it. Haven't heard much of mig but I'll look into it as well.

 

That's what I've been told is the best way. Probably will end up going with it, thank you for the advice!

 

Unless that tear just happened, it is body filler. There should be a lot more rust if that was virgin metal there. No matter what, you need to clean up that area sooner than later. See what you have to work with and if you need some patch panels. You can buy an inexpensive welder at Harbor Freight, around $100. Then watch some videos on youtube and you can teach yourself how to weld.


Good luck and nice truck!

 

Ill ask the original owner is he's ever applied any, didn't think there would be but I could be wrong.
We have a harbor freight here, so I'll be sure to look. Thank you!

 

I would also say that is filler as you will never see a tear like that in a place like that.
You don't need to talk to the PO take a magnet to it. If it sticks it is metal, if it does not stick filler.
That is a tool to use when checking out a car/truck to check for filler.


The only thing about a welder from any place other than a welding shop even if it is a name brand is they are not made the same and some parts cant be gotten for them if they break. So something to think about when buying from a big box store.


Besides it is nice to make friends with the welding store people as they can help you when you have questions and to get supplies from.
They most likely have the gas you would need for MIG or TIG units too.


Look into a local school that teaches welding in say night classes to get the basics and go from there.
Dave ----

 

That's bondo cracking out

 

Starting to think it is myself, gonna test it with a magnet like the above comment recommended.

 

Didn't think of the magnet thing, I'll give it a try!
HF and all the other shops are an hours drive so I'll keep that in mind about the welder. Need to take care of basics on truck before I even think of buying one.
I'd take some classes but In a town with 180 people and no school to do so, im out of luck.
Thanks for your help!

 

If there are no schools available, there is still a great method to learning. Buy a welder, find some scrap, watch some YouTube videos, and lay down some welds.
Now, here's the key... join the WeldingWeb forum. Lay some welds down, then take pictures of your welds and post them on the forum asking for feedback. The folks on that forum are amazing. They can tell you exactly what you need to do differently just by analyzing pictures of your welds. It's a great way to learn. I actually did this while in welding school. I found the online community more helpful than my instructor.

 

Bondo if used PROPERLY is not a bad thing. There are few if any, including new vehicles on the road today without some type of body filler on them. You will need a skim coat to cover and smooth any weld seams you have. The trick is to use it properly over properly prepared surfaces. Another option vs welding is the use of panel bond adhesive. 3M has a lot of videos showing it's use.