Ok, this is not a joke. I'm looking for suggestions on how to rework/refinish the bed on my '69 F250. The exterior is straight and the paint is in good shape, but the bed has a couple of thin spots from rust. I was thinking of sand blasting it and then have a Rhino liner sprayed in, but I'm afraid I might blast right through. Any suggestions for ways to stop the rust or repair sections would be appreciated.

 

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 16-Mar-01 AT 11:42 PM (EST)[/font][p]A couple of ways to fix it:
1. clean the area and use RustFix (DupliColor) or RustMort (Sems) or Extend from Napa. These are spray / brush on type rust converters and I've heard great things about them from others here. I'm using RustFix on the inside of the doors and inner fenders. I'm still testing the effect on the inside the cab between the inner and outer walls because it's tough to get to in order to clean properly.

2. use Por 15. This is a paint that is used on frames and other areas and is one of the toughest finished surfaces (so I've heard) Someone said you can hit it with a hammer and it won't chip. This is about $100 / gal and is very popular for frames because of how long it lasts.

3. remove the rusted area and replace with new parts. This is tough because it requires good welding skills and replacement panels. I had a welder mis-align a 1/4 panel and now the door looks like it's open at the bottom and closed at the top!

I just talked to the guys from Por15 2 weeks ago about a roof that's completely rusted thru. They said you can use fiberglass and Por15 to repair sizeable holes or an area with many sizeable holes.

One thing about the 1st option, I removed ALL the rust I could with a wire brush, sand paper, scraching awl... Whereas Por15 wants some rust there and is mosture activated, but it seems to be thicker whereas the RustMort is VERY VERY thin (like water) and this seems good for very small rust spots.

 

Go to lmctruck.com or autokrafters.com they have catalogs that sell all kinds of parts. They have body panels for nearly all parts of a bed or cab. Unless you are a really good welder take it to a body shop or someplace like that and they should line it up right and weld it in good.

 

JCWhitney sells panels for the bed floor. But I would check the rear area of the bed where the tailgate is. There is a channel brace that runs along the back of the bed and is tied in to a box/channel that runs up each side and incorporates the taillights. If this area is rusted I would not spend any money on the bed. If this gets weak the tailgate won't stay shut and it's just not worth trying to repair this critical area.