Rusted ... fix or ditch?

[Simple_serf]

Fix the windhsield rust. Other than that, if the frame is good, drive it. I once drove a truck till the frame snapped had holes in the floor and everything. If you really want, spray grease everything. That truck looks pretty good, if you ask me.

 

[ak96]

im so glad nothing rusts where i am

 

[Mark_88]

The frame is the main thing...if the frame has surface rust it can be cleaned up and primed/rubber coated and will last another 20 years...the bad news is you should remove the cab and box...the box can be replaced fairly cheap...or make a flatbed out of it...

The firewall on the cab is the key to whether it's worth restoring...and like someone said...the rust around the windshield could indicate much deeper rust...I'd say this is an issue with Rangers in the rust belt and I've seen many here with cracked windshields...they crack because the firewall and windshield support are so badly rusted that they can't support the glass properly...

Anyhow, if the engine is good and the frame is good you've got the makings of a new truck...a replacement cab (unless you go with a replica kit) can run you upwards of $800, but probably much less if you get a good donar truck that has a blown motor or similar problem...

BTW, what state are you in? Looks like they don't salt the roads in your area because they are ALL salt!

 

[Zorro]

State? Watcha talking about? We have provinces!!
I'm in Quebec ... and yes. they do salt the roads.
Quick story, last year I was driving back from Toronto to Montreal for work, in the Chevy Van and 28' enclosed trailer.
Winter time, it's around -20C, probably less.
I'm trendling along at 80km/h, big rigs overtake me as if I were standing still ... but the road looks pretty shiny to me ... ice. I did a quick brake test, perfect straight, no one around ... gently brake. With barely any pressure the ABS kicked in. I never slowed down.
5 mins before, a gust of wind had thrown me 2 lanes further sideways (with a big trailer behind me). Very unpleasant to watch the road through the side window. Trailer inertia brakes saved my arse.
That was in Ontario.
Province limit, I'm now in Quebec. Day and night. Black ice turns to slush and water.

So guess what? I'm glad our roads are made of salt in the wintertime. I'll sacrifice a fender or 2 to the salt gods if I have to.




Ok, back on topic.

I can't weld, but my parents have a Mig welder. Right now I have enough free time that I could learn/practice. I hate not being able to weld.

Firewall looks good. One rust hole around the passenger kick panel area (I patched it this spring) and that's it. It has minor surface rust here and there but I'm not about to push the pedals through the firewall. Floors are in great shape as well.
Inner fenders are fine as well, but the core support is hurtin'. The body mounts are pretty much gone. Some local guy can ahve one for 140$, easily fixed.

The bed, indeed I can get another one, I can make a flatbed (I actually always loved the Aussi style flatbed pickups) or get fiberglass fenders. Not much of concern, just an expense, a used bed is around 400$ here. No idea on making a flatbed.

As many mentioned, the windshield rust is a concern. Mostly because I can't fix it myself. I may go to a couple shops to get a quote to have those fixed.

I would love to get the frame galvanized ... but I'm not sure it's worth the effort. That's a lot of dismantling for a Ranger. If it were a Land Rover Series I or Toyota Land Cruiser, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

Buying another truck isn't really an option. If I'm gonna change it, I want to fix the things that annoy me. I want to get rid of the TTB front end, I want 4 doors and 4 seats ... etc etc. I can live with mine as it is ... but if I'm changing it, I want it to be better. And it gets expensive quick.

I'll start by investigating on the windshield rust. I need to have a better idea of the extent of the damage.

 

[Mark_88]

Ah, Quebec...where salt is second only to beer and wine...(sorry if you're a non-drinker) lol!

I restored my Ranger...frame off...it was a big job but it wasn't my DD so I had the time...sandblast, prime paint, rubber guard...even the underside of the cab...but I would NOT have even started it if there was rust on the cab firewall...that's what took my first Ranger from me and sent it to the Rust Pile in the Sky...

Anyways, if the firewall is good then it's worth it...how many miles on the engine?

Oh, and BTW...I was coming home from Florida one night in the same conditions you describe...except it wasn't quite as icy...when I saw the side of a transport coming into my passenger side mirror I knew that it was time to take a nap...I'd been driving for 17 hours straight and would have made it home in one shot if not for the road conditions...I remember renting a motel room and paying $80 to sleep for 4 hours...coulda had a hooker and a beer for that money...lol!

EDIT: I bought my box at a local junkyard for $100...let me know if you can't find one there...I know 94's are a bit more expensive, but $400 seems like an outrageous price for a box...

 

[Daniel_187]

I remember seeing something in a magazine I think Habor Freight. you could mount it to you truck and it would do something to keep salt from eatting it, some elcetical thing, they said salt miner trucks use them and they work great but I dont know am kinda slowwwwwww

 

[hunt-n-fish]

I remember seeing something in a magazine I think Habor Freight. you could mount it to you truck and it would do something to keep salt from eatting it, some elcetical thing, they said salt miner trucks use them and they work great but I dont know am kinda slowwwwwww

.. by the makers of .... Snake Oil

 

[pocket-rocket]

I feel for you man. My truck is no beauty queen either, thanks to salt. It doesn't have much body rust except for the bottom center of the tailgate, but the underside isn't that great. Frame wise it's fine, but I would like to blast and paint it. Mounts on the other hand... I fabricated a passenger side rear cab mount last winter. Now the drivers side has almost busted through, and while doing my rear axle swap this past week, I noticed the rear shackle mounts for the leaf springs aren't in that great of shape... Salt is good, but then again so is a vehicle that doesn't fall apart when you go over bumps. That's the reason I flew to Texas and bought my 92 Z34 and it doesn't go anywhere in the winter, I got tired of seeing rust pop up on my 91.

 

[ZMan]

Why haven't I thought of this?

If I had 15k to put towards a truck, this thread wouldn't exist ... hahahaha

Guess your banks don't give out loans in your area? and BTW, I never said buy new, I just said buy nicer! Sooo

 

[martin]

Rust? what rust?

 

[Zorro]

Guess your banks don't give out loans in your area? and BTW, I never said buy new, I just said buy nicer! Sooo

Over here 15k new gets you a Toyota Yaris. 15k is for a used truck.

Let's make a deal, you get that US dollar of yours to go back to 1$US = 1$CAD and I'll come pick up a truck from the sunbelt ... hehehe

 

[Mark_88]

I think it's already there...last I heard, the loonie was worth 86¢ US...

 

[Will]

I'm telling you, this shit works. Delay your decision by soaking your bad spots in this crap. This isn't the brand I use, but it all works the same.

 

[dude772]

i think you want to pull your dash and check inbehind it before you choose to spend any money on that cab. trust me! I've been there. If i knew what i do now when i tore my truck apart, i would have bought a new cab, or a new truck. But at the time that wasn't really an option.

Took a years worth of welding to get the cab rust free.

 

[ZMan]

Over here 15k new gets you a Toyota Yaris. 15k is for a used truck.

Let's make a deal, you get that US dollar of yours to go back to 1$US = 1$CAD and I'll come pick up a truck from the sunbelt ... hehehe

Why do you need another truck? You've already got one! Hell I went and bought a nice comfy car when I got tired of driving rusted out piles. I only paid $5k for it. Granted it had 100k miles, but 3.8s last forever pretty much.

i think you want to pull your dash and check inbehind it before you choose to spend any money on that cab. trust me! I've been there. If i knew what i do now when i tore my truck apart, i would have bought a new cab, or a new truck. But at the time that wasn't really an option.

Took a years worth of welding to get the cab rust free.

true dat..