I have a 68 3/4 ton pickup that I have taken the hood the fenders the doors and the bed off and had them sprayed with primer and I am getting the rust fixed on them. I still have the engine and the cab installed. What do you all think, should I take the cab off take the motor out and have the frame blasted and painted as well, along with the cab and engine bay? I know what I would do next and that is to rebuild the motor . The only major problem is I am not knowledgeable enough to take the motor out but I could pay a mechanic to do it and they'll cost me somewhere around $500-1000.
How far would you go on this?

 

You'll stop restoring when you sell the truck. These trucks are a "work in progress," you'll always be fixing something.

 

Theres two types.
Those who tear their trucks apart, and those who try to keep them running and driving

 

Three types. Those two plus:
Those who try to keep them running and driving, but end up tearing them apart anyway.

 

I'm still deciding if I am going to keep this truck or not. If I'm keeping it, I would want to take it all down and blast and paint it. If not, then maybe I'll stop here. But on the other hand, I'm having a lot of fun and enjoy learning all of this.

 

Bad advice but it may apply: run up your credit card, do it right, spend the time and heartache and money, then refinance your CC as a car payment and you might come in maybe well under the cost of a New truck with a personal investment and knowledge and experience gained. Take with a grain of salt.

 

If you are enjoying the process, then don't cheat yourself out of the experience. Doesn't matter if you sell it in the end. You will never recoup the true cost, but then again no one ever does!

 

"Ask the man who owns one."

 

It all depends on the background of the truck. Rust free from southern Nevada or Arizona, I’d probably leave the cab in place.

Rust bucket from a northern tier state where they salt the roads, and body’s and frames can have extensive rust, I’d probably do a full frame restoration.

 

There’s alot you can do without removing the cab and tearing everything down. Thats the route I usually go since I dont have thousands to invest in restoring cars.
Things like cab mounts, radiator frame are crucial though as youve got to at least have a base to go on while you have a running and driving restoration project.

 

If you have the time and space to do it I think it actually makes sense to do the cab/bed off with paint. The cab bushings probably need to be replaced anyway and getting a good look at your frame also isn't a bad idea. But what it takes in time, tools and space to do it, isn't available to everyone. I think you start with the question, what needs to be done to make this truck drive safely and as reliably as possible? And then move up from there to what will make it more comfortable (interior stuff) and finally look good? Some don't go for looks they leave it as is or rehab the worst parts and leave the rest. But those who say that you are never done and you'll never recover your investment are absolutely correct and it is about learning and the sense of accomplishment as much anything. The thing that you want to avoid is taking it all apart and never finishing it because the task out grew your resources. Then the entire project is nothing more than a giant rusting paper weight and you miss the actual experience of owning a usable truck. (yes, I learned this the hard way) There isn't a real right or wrong way its just a balance between the vision in your mind and the resources you have available.

 

I've come to the conclusion that I'm going to spend the time and money to take the cab and engine out and have the frame and cab media blasted. I was sanding the cab today and had planned on shooting it with epoxy primer but there are so many nooks, dips and cracks that it will take forever and then some for me to get it all sanded off. Thanks for all the advice, I guess its time to jump in with both feet.

 

+1 what greenrat said. I try to find things to do that will help me want to keep the truck and not sell it. “People take care of beautiful things” sort of thing. On mine, I’ve worked on getting original ac working, bucket seats, carpet, mostly original paint, 67 rear view mirror. My wife/kids might do some art-worky sort of thing on a headliner. I like making stuff and I’m planning on making a nice metal center thingamagig between bucket seats to keep my special size coffee mug, extinguisher, etc. I put a nice stereo and speaker in to have that in place. I’ve spent a bunch of time and money ‘rustproofing’ and undercoating so that I can have peace of mind if it’s in the rain or snow, even though I will garage it.