my 78 F250 has alot of rust. i took this truck on as a project and id like to get the exterior looking decent. my doors are rusted through at the bottom and my bed and front fenders have some deep rust. is there anyway to fix this or should i go ahead and find a donor truck for the doors, fenders, etc.

 

You can buy patch panels for all the common rust areas but when it comes to doors and fenders it is easier to just find good replacements.
-John

 

I'm not an advocate for doing a hack job but WWII fighters and bombers that got shot up were often repaired with riveted patches. I'm a Navy vet and we did this same procedure in my squadron (P3C Orions) with approval from the maintenance chief and the QA reps.

Grab yourself some aluminum sheet, 1/8 aluminum rivets, and a drill/drill bit and go to town. Cut out the rust to keep it from spreading and then size a patch to fit at least 1/2-inch beyond the hole. Form as necessary. Pre-drill the patch (evenly spaced to make it look intentional!) to guide drilling the holes on the fender, cab, etc. BEFORE popping your first rivet, lay down a bead of sealer (3M seam sealer) and then rivet it in. Don't forget to seal the back side so moisture doesn't get trapped.

There is a chance of galvanic corrosion due to the dissimilar metals but it tends to be a slow process.

Good luck.

 

Only way to get rid of rust for good is to completely cut it out. Like johnboy said, there's patch panels for almost everything. I had wondered once if a temporary fix like grinding off the rust, por15 over it, then body filler over that would hold up. Por15 is supposed to prevent rust and they make body fillers that go over paint. It's not the right way but may work as a quick fix

 

I've used Por15 and will no longer use it. I don't think it works that well at all especially for the price.

 

Why? What happened?