I am not at all a body man and so need some help here. At the top of my cab, just above my door, it is rusting. It is the same place where a metal strip (kind of like gutter - I don't know what it is called) I guess to flow rain water off, exist.

Question is, whether the rust is fixable or do I need to get a different cab, or just the cab roof?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

it's a gutter, you guessed correctly

The rust is fixable, however depending how bad it is (i.e. surface rust, or an actual hole) determines if it's something an inexperienced person would want to tackle. Also, it depends if you want to fix it correctly, or "good enough".

The right way to repair a hole is to cut it out exposing clean metal, and weld in either a piece of metal formed to the shape of the area, or a patch panel that is manufacturered to the shape of the panel, then prime and paint.

If it's just surface rust, you can sandblast the area, skin with plastic body filler if it's a noticable indentation, then prime and paint.

I''ve seen people repair holes by putting fiberglass mesh behind the hole, then slathering fiberglass resin on front, then skimming with body filler, then sanding, priming, and painting. Doesn't last as long as welding in metal, but if the hole isn't vast you can get away with it for a few years.

Certainly replacing just the roof is doable too, cut and weld. And the entire cab is doable too... unbolt everything, replace the shell, bolt everything back in. Time consuming but you can do it with a set of screwdrivers and a ratchet set.

So there are some options here... I guess answering my first question or two for yourself will direct you into the path you want to take.

If it's a work truck that you have no love for, and intend to get rid of eventually, a piece of duct tape will last you a few months if you clean the area with isopropol or acetone.

 

Thanks for the good explanation. I think that answers my questions !

It is my daily driver truck. You will find a lot of post on it as I am trying to fix it to the best possible condition (as much as my limited funds will allow!!).