Finally did some exterior repairs...

[Mark_88]

Since I could not find a replacement box anywhere of this vintage I decided to fix the side panels...got one on and working on the other...below are before and after pics...

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x399/akwarian8/PassengerBefore_zps4cc467e0.jpg

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x399/akwarian8/PassengerAfter_zps9e6473a3.jpg

I did bondo it and sprayed it with a rattle can but will finish it off some day properly...didn't get pics of that action yet though...

 

[jhammel85]

It's getting there! I'm right behind you, my fenders are just as bad.

When you cut the fender out, What did you measure? Did you outline the fender butted up to the old sheet metal and cut just inside the line?

 

[Lil-Pony]

Damn I'm glad I don't live in the rust belt

 

[pillen140]

Glad I moved from The rustbelt!

 

[BlackBII]

Why cant you use IMG codes bro?

Looks good!

 

[Surrey]

Thats quite the improvement!

 

[Mark_88]

It's getting there! I'm right behind you, my fenders are just as bad.

When you cut the fender out, What did you measure? Did you outline the fender butted up to the old sheet metal and cut just inside the line?

Thanks for the input guys...tried using the img code but for some reason it gave me an error and directed to a TRS error page so I switched back to the direct link.

As for cutting...I had a guy at a body shop do it because I just don't have access to a welder. He did a good job, but, unfortunately, he didn't actually cut anything out. He just ground it down and tacked it all the way along.

Can't really tell where the seam is with a good bondo job. Which, of course, I didn't do because the dang stuff hardened up too fast...I read the instructions three times and dang if I could mix it properly without it turning into a rock before I got more than a few swipes on it.

When I first approached this shop the guy said he could do one side for $250. I laughed and said I could almost buy a welder for that price...got him down to $100 for one side and didn't check till I got it home to see what he actually did. I was just so shocked by the difference I was in la la land for a few hours...lol

The panel shown is the actual size (not meaning real life, but the whole thing is one panel). Cost $99 plus taxes so the whole job for one side cost me $210.

Just a bit miffed because I originally bought the whole box for $100 at a junkyard 8 years ago...but now I can't find one in decent shape without buying an actual road worthy vehicle.

 

[BlackBII]

T
Can't really tell where the seam is with a good bondo job. Which, of course, I didn't do because the dang stuff hardened up too fast...I read the instructions three times and dang if I could mix it properly without it turning into a rock before I got more than a few swipes on it.

Sounds like you may have used too much hardener for the amount of bondo you had allocated for use.

 

[shane96ranger]

Mark, is there a reason you didn't just swap out the whole SOB'n bed? That's way too damn much work to put into a bed IMHO.

 

[Mark_88]

Sounds like you may have used too much hardener for the amount of bondo you had allocated for use.

I was thinking that too...but I might post a pic of the instructions...I'm usually pretty good at following things like that but I think the person who wrote the instructions was on some serious drugs...lol

Mark, is there a reason you didn't just swap out the whole SOB'n bed? That's way too damn much work to put into a bed IMHO.

Oh, yes...the main reason being in Canada the junk yards are crushing anything older than 1998...so the parts availability has become an issue. I would pretty much have to buy a whole truck or put on a bed from a later model and they just want way too much money for those now.

I talked to a guy about making a flatbed instead...his price was a mere $1000...so it was actually cheaper to do it this way. The rest of the box is still in very good shape because when I pulled it off I cleaned all the rust off the bottom end and primed, painted, and asphalt sealed it. But that was many years ago and when I did the sides I didn't put in a good inner fender like I was going to do to keep the road spray out.

Still looking for a complete inner fender made of plastic or similar.

 

[shane96ranger]

That makes sense.... except the part as to why the hell they would crush 98 and older vehicles. There would be some serious issues if that happened here. Cash for clunkers (another really swell idea by Obama's administration) blowing the motors in all cars that were traded in.

I will tell you what... this video just tears me up inside. Nothing wrong with this little hot rod.



Sent from the can

 

[Mark_88]

Yeah, I'm not sure when this took effect, but they all say the same thing..."We don't keep them if they are older than 1998"...

Probably an attempt to eliminate the older vehicles from the road...and get us to buy new or used ones...

It might last another few years this way...maybe longer if I cut out the bad metal and treat what's left properly.

 

[pillen140]

When I was in ny, I looked for a bed for ever... All $600 and still had rust on them... Now I'm down south and bought aan almost mint stepwise for I think $150... And he had 5 regular side beds for $75. Lol... I should sell them all to newyorkers!And Canadians!

 

[Mark_88]

There are still some here that are in good shape, but they are on the road. Probably one sitting in a garage somewhere that's just waiting for me...lol

I had a chance to buy a 92 with a really good box, 4 new tires, and I could have swapped over the front end...only thing I didn't like was it had the 3.0 in it and at the time I was looking for a 2.3...but the engine ran good...could have easily upgraded my whole truck...except it was a standard cab...and had almost 400,000 on the odo.

There is a market for those older boxes for sure...

 

[jhammel85]

That makes sense.... except the part as to why the hell they would crush 98 and older vehicles. There would be some serious issues if that happened here. Cash for clunkers (another really swell idea by Obama's administration) blowing the motors in all cars that were traded in.

I will tell you what... this video just tears me up inside. Nothing wrong with this little hot rod.



Sent from the can

That's terrible.....I HATE the fact that this happened. What the hell did we really benefit from it?....

As far as the beds go, I hear you on that Mark_88. They're pretty rusty up here in NJ. If you do find one, It's a short bed or they want way too much.

I'm buying my fenders soon for about 80 bucks shipped to my door. If it wasn't for the roll pan I welded into the bed, I would probably consider a cheap bed if I ever found it. However, I think I smooth it all out.