Those with experience in treating Rust Belt Syndrome.

[SSChevyManiac]

Alright, I'm still wet behind the ears when compared to most of you "well seasoned" vets around here. I've got a '78 K5 as seen below, in other words more rust than I know what to do with. Rockers are about shot as are the front cab mounts, and well rest of the floors up front along with numerous other areas. At this point in time I've got the new front mounts and am eyeballing where to start. The question is where do I start? Can I do it with flux core or will it be too messy? Basically do me huge favor and school me. I've got access to 110 power and 220 for limited amounts of time about a mile from home. Maybe we can sticky this and make it a general help thread for those of us with RBS.

[DanStokes]

Re: Those with experience in treating Rust Belt Syndrome.

WAY more experience than I want.

First choice - let one of us from a low rust area find you a donor body and transfer your drivetrain into it. Worst case is that you'll also have to transfer your VIN plate. You can weld 'em up and make them a LOT better but it's very hard to keep rust away once it starts. Believe me. Been there, done that.

If you're determined to fix what you have get prepared for a BIG job. Buy all the patch panels you can - and pretty much the whole truck is available. Unless you have an English wheel, brake, etc. you won't be able to form stuff as good as the patch panels and they aren't THAT pricey. Try <shermanparts.com> - they are usually the cheapest. Rock Auto sometimes has good deals, too. Don't be surprised if you have to massage the patch panels a bit to get a good fit - it's just the nature of the beast.

I prefer shielded arc, not flux core but either can work. Use small diameter wire and fit the parts carefully. Remember to move your welds around to minimize warpage and hammer the patches into alignment as you go. It's not rocket surgery, just time consuming.

Find Seth's thread on the van and mine on the front end repair on my grandson's Toyota. Most of the metal work and refinish (tech term for painting) details are in there.

Let me know what else you need.

Dan

[SSChevyManiac]

Re: Those with experience in treating Rust Belt Syndrome.

I haven't read into the other threads yet, but can I cut out the inner and outer rocker and expect it to maintain shape?

[DanStokes]

Re: Those with experience in treating Rust Belt Syndrome.

If you need the whole inner and outer deal I suggest that you STRONGLY consider the rust-free body option. I'm tellin' ya, heavy rust repair is a PITA and it isn't cheap in the long run. I'll wager we can Red Ball it to you once we find a candidate. One reason I stress this option is that you're telling me that the structure of the body is shot (not just cosmetics) and that's an even bigger pain to resurrect.

If you really want to weld up this one, weld in a reinforcement across the door opening before you cut out the bad stuff. Any piece of sturdy metal (1" square tube, 1" angle, something like that) will hold the body more or less in alignment. Weld it across the door opening up above the rusty area. Some guys even do an X across there. I also do one side at a time so you keep as much structure as possible intact. Once the new bits are welded in you just cut out the brace and grind the welds smooth.

Try to leave the door in place on the side you're fixing so you can test fit the new panels. Remember that the door has to fit in the repaired hole and it's easy to get the angles wrong, too narrow or too wide, etc. Once the structure is back in place it's often easier to pull the doors for access and to allow painting the jambs.

Dan

[IRONHEAD]

Re: Those with experience in treating Rust Belt Syndrome.

without see'n the underside of your truck..
you need to out line.. what needs to be replaced...
are the floors near the rockers solid??
is the floors rotted at the kickup of the fire wall??
under your feet?
if the metal is mostly solid at the rocker.. replace the inner rocker first..even if you just tack it in.. untill the other work is done.. you need to fix the floor before welding on the new cab front mounts..
and then last the outer rocker..
do 'n it this way. cause your not gonna park it an do it all at once..
your gonna piecemaill it.. alittle at a time..
I'd first get under it.. with a screwdriver and start poke'n around.. and see just how bad it is..
there is alot more than what you "see" as holes..
the rustless southern body.. is a great idea IF, you have the time to change it over and don't need the truck .when it's down for the change over...
if the body's that bad .the frame and everthing else is on its wat too..
I'd get some patchs.. and fix it so the front mounts are mounted to solid floor metal..
and some 1/16th flat plate for the innerrockers.. and drive it..
if the rockers are that bad.. the bottom of your ddoors and fenders/ sides of blazer are all as bad..
these trucks rust from the inside out...
good points is everything is made for them.. bad points is there is a REASON for that.. and your looking at it..
better question is.. are you in love with this truck... if not.. and it's only for a few more years.. butch and fix it to make it safe..
it you want to use it as a way to learn to weld, and alittle body work... then go for it.. the patchs are cheap...
but know.. 6 months after you've repainted the rockers. the rust monster will return .some where else..

finding a rustless southern body.. without dents all over.. might have been an option 10 years ago..
but the bodies you'll find now.. cheap are gonna need bodyworking every panel..
body guys.. see this as easy compaired to rust.. and it is..
but.. will dent repair be easy for you??
and unless you have a month of nights and week ends to treat the new body.. it'll in a year.. be doing the same thing..
as the southern body is rusting on the inside too. it's just not half as bad,yet.. and if you don't treat the light rust on the inside of the 1/4 , doors, kick panels/etc.. it'll really start rusting up where you are..
and you'll be in the same boat with in a year..
unless your willing to treat the newer body.. and then fix the dents/repaint it to match your fenders/etc
your.. not gonna.. like doing it all over in a year or two..
unless your set on THIs truck.. I'd fix it as cheaply as you can and drive it.. while looking down south for a complete truck.. that you can... drive up and coat the inner side of the metal. and then change over the parts you want to save..
and junk the rest..

[SSChevyManiac]

Re: Those with experience in treating Rust Belt Syndrome.

I appreciate the solid advice guys. This is the truck I've known since I was 3, and family friends have owned it since '78. Dad traded a '67 pickup with a 283 3spd for this so we could all fit. That said, I'm more rational than you would think on the idea of it being too far gone. When I get home over break I'm gonna start looking it over. Last summer I did the tail panel and some bed floor work, one weekend with my Dad, so it's really not pretty.

I know how bad the rust can be on these, cause I can see how bad it is on mine. It has been well taken care of up until about 5 years ago when it became mine after dad got an '04 pickup. Then it went to sitting in the stone driveway every night. You're correct in assuming it's my only transportation. I've got no where to store it cheaply, and any spare cash I do have is either patch panels or a new beater. I think my best option might be to unfortunately just make it safe, then try and find either a replacement body, or a new rig all together, which of course would lose some sentimental value. I've gotta get under it again with a camera this time, but I can tell ya it is NOT pretty.




These were not all that long ago: