Here is what I’m looking at







I was hoping to get the truck fixed to the point where at least I wouldn’t have any water coming into the cab and I could put in carpet. So I contacted a body shop and the guy looked at the pics and said he can’t get the necessary panels to repair this and he can’t fabricate either. Do you guys think there’s anything that can be done apart from getting a new cab or finding a decent donor cab to cut out the pieces I need?

 

It could be done with donor parts but consider how hard it is to find a good cab , or find a better fabricator to do the repair , ,,If it was mine , I have average welding skills and I would try and do it myself if it was mine , get a good mig welder an new metal and go to town so to speak, cut some pieces an weld in , grind an sand little filler on surface area were needed and it can be made to look good,,it is work but can be done , , most will be hidden with seal , just take the time to mold it in there to the right contour ,

 

Thank you for giving me hope. I’m keeping my eyes open for a donor truck, but if I can’t find one I’ll try to find a welder that’s willing to work on it or maybe take a welding class at my local community college.

 

You need to be shopping for a new cab. That is structural support rust, and no amount of cutting/grinding/patching/coating will make it go away.

What you are looking at is 2 gallon cans of fiber-strand Bondo, a bunch of rebar and steel patches and caulking holding my roof and windshield together. Every year or so, a new hole appears, as the rust is growing from the INSIDE. And every year, it gets another patch and more Bondo. It does not leak, but it does not last nor is it safe.

Mine is a work truck, so I don't care much. It is a supercab, so it is extremely difficult to find an affordable, rust free replacement cab. It IS a safety issue, and both you and I should be replacing our cabs as soon as possible.

 

What is considered affordable? My bed is rusted really bad too and replacing that would be a no brainer. I think I can get a whole new truck for $2500-3000. Do you guys think that’s my best option assuming the new truck has less rust? I kind of hate to do that after all the work I’ve put into this one. For example, I recently got the exhaust manifolds taken off to put new gaskets under them (imagine how hard that was), replaced break booster and master cylinder, replaced water pump, replaced carburetor, and maybe a year ago I replaced all the exhaust pipe, and a couple years ago I got $1,200 work done on my breaks (yes my mechanic was ripping me off and I was too naive to know), replaced gas tank, etc, etc. i drive the truck every day to work and this latest round of projects was aimed at making it more comfortable (less noisy and no exhaust smell). I even found a new bench seat, replaced the window seals, and I was planning to put sound deadening material on the floor when I really started to notice the rust issues in the cab. Future plans were to get carpet, body work and paint, I was considering cutting out the floor of the bed and putting in one of those wood floors, and the holy grail...getting an AC system from Vintage Air. I also purchased an $800 gauge cluster from Dakota Digital which I haven’t installed yet. Also, although my engine is fine for now, but if that ever gave out I was going to swap in a 5.0. If I need to find a cleaner cab, what I’ll find is that the whole truck is cleaner and I guess I can use my current truck for parts. What do you guys think? I have developed a fondness for this truck though so it would be a little sad.

 

From Harbor Freight, purchase a Sheet Metal Brake and a Shrinker and Stretcher (I'm assuming you have a MIG welder, although a wire welder would work too) and get you a pile of the right gauge sheet metal and go to town, become "the guy".

 

Yes. Opinions may differ to mine. While you have already invested some money you are still farther ahead to bail out now. It will only get worse both in money and frustration. You can buy a replacement cab but that is a lot of work and if you can't do it yourself paying someone will be expensive. Some folks can swap a cab no problem because they have experience, tools and place to work but it does not sound like that's you. Extensive rust is no picnic even if one knows how to fabricate and weld. I've done enough of it to know and have no desire to do more. Even though I'm in PA, I finally wised up and quit buying rust buckets 20 years ago after buying and old car from CA and was awestruck how everything came apart like it was just put together a week ago. I spent $1200 to have it shipped but that was a drop in the bucket to what it saved me not having to deal with fighting rusty bolts, rotted floors, radiator supports, trunks, or quarters, etc. Point in saying that is whatever it costs to get a rust free truck to start with is usually well worth the extra money and far less expensive in the end. Buy Once, Cry Once, the quality remains long after the price is forgotten.

The truck in signature is from an arid climate. I installed a windshield and the original pinch weld was literally like brand new still shiny red paint and not even a spec of surface rust to be found. Just one of many examples how much easier it is to work on a rust free vehicle.

 

Find a new body shop. If tracking down donor sections or fabricating simple bends and channels is out of their capabilities, I'd look elsewhere.

Or, track down the sections of a rust free cab (or an entire new cab) yourself and bring it too them. Seems like a straightforward problem to solve...

 

X2 Find a body shop that works on old vehicles (Broncos, Chevy trucks, etc) that are also prone to rust. They'll pull the windshield, cut out the rust and bend up/hammer out a new piece if they can't find a donor. I've seen much worse.

 

Find a rust free truck you like with no engine or a blown engine/in a general state of disrepair (other than the rust and body). Transfer your good engine over, your new brakes, exhaust, etc. Less work in the end. Turn your original truck into a parts truck and enjoy the profits.

Keep an eye out on craigslist and ebay for decent rust free trucks in this condition. They are out there. I see stuff in your area often.

 

Actually you can cut the rust out after removing the windshield , just cut enough to get to all rust and then you can mold in the new metal , there are some hand tools that can help with the right bending or getting proper curve of the metal , the bottom lip is were 2 pieces of metal meet an spot welded together , you can replace that with one piece of metal to match the thickness properly , you can easily cut the top skin of roof of metal , the inside will be more tricky but can be done , anything can be repaired its just a matter of cutting out all the bad rusty areas of metal but you will need to get to all rust for proper results , if you go through some of the build pages you will get many good ideas , mine can give you direction but there are many better ones on here, I have been looking for this one build but cant find it yet , its a member not in the U.S. and harder for him to get parts truck , but his fabricator did some awesome work and rebuild windshield area and much of the cab areas most would not even attempt , if I can find the link I will post it,

 

Thanks for all the responses guys. I am considering both options. If I can find a rust free truck, I'm likely gonna go that route to save myself a lot of trouble. I'm not looking to do a frame off restoration or make a show truck, I just want a daily driver that is comfortable, looks nice, and definitely won't have water/mold in the carpets. I found a truck on FB marketplace this morning that looked perfect. 73 F250 with a 390 a couple hours from where I live and the owner says he got it from California last year, but so far he has not responded to my inquiries (typical FB teaser). I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much, but that truck looks like the Candy Cane truck on here, just not as polished and he was asking $2500. I'll be surprised if it's not sold already actually. In the meantime, I'm asking everyone I come across if they know a good welder or body man.

 

Try FlashbackF100s. Both my brother and I purchased donor roofs from him. Worked out well.

Flashback F100's - Home

 

Thank you for telling me about that place. I’m pretty sure the truck I was inquiring about in Jacksonville, NC isn’t gonna pan out. So far the owner isn’t responding. Reidsville NC is only a 4 hour drive for me and they have a rust free cab for $1300 and will deliver for another $300. They can get me a bed for another $1300 and deliver both for $400. Doors and hood are extra. Honestly I doubt I could get my cab returned to a rust free condition for that price. The only trouble is that replacing the cab seems pretty daunting. I think my best bet would be to have it delivered to a body shop and then I might as well get doors, a hood, and a bed, have them all painted, etc. And while I’m at it then I suppose I might as well redo all the wiring, etc, etc. I wasn’t really looking for a frame off, but I guess for $5000-10000, that’s what I can do and know I have no rot. Or maybe just keep shopping for a cleaner truck.

 

A cab swap isn't that bad. They get more complicated if you don't get the same heater or AC as your truck. The day I put my sun visor down and the sun was shining at me through a hole above the windshield was the day I started looking for another cab. I had bad floor too. I swapped the cab by myself with a engine hoist on a weekend in the garage.