Time for a restore......again.

[smudvapor]

I do, it is pretty bad. decisions, decisions.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Nobody likes a quitter











And be careful you don't cut out more than your replacement floor pan will fill if you don't have to.... it greatly complicates things.

Otherwise at least on mine it wasn't too bad too bad to replace the panel. All the other parts to that box are galvanized for rust prevention so it only ate out the interior panel.

And don't forget to hunt down the leak!

 

[smudvapor]

No, no, not quitting! Considering cheating a little and replacing the cab. The cowl is bad and that is where a lot of the floor damage was done. There is a lot of rust inside the pillars also. A new cab would solve a lot and cut a lot of time off the rebuild.

 

[4.0blue98]

Same thing here on an older non Ranger. Driver side was about as bad. I think the Flintstones were ahead of their time in floorpan rust prevention.

 

[smudvapor]

Yea, my cab is too far gone. If I patch it up it will take forever and just rust again. I am better off replacing the entire thing.

 

[Dirtman]

Do you guys ever think about the fact that even though there is life on this planet, the atmosphere is so harsh that it eats through metal and the suns rays so powerful they can turn plastic into dust?

 

[Curious Hound]

Do you guys ever think about the fact that even though there is life on this planet, the atmosphere is so harsh that it eats through metal and the suns rays so powerful they can turn plastic into dust?

Ignore facts. Ignorance is bliss

 

[smudvapor]

We got the cab off on Saturday, I didn't do much after that, I had some other things to do and then the playoffs were on TV. I plan to pull the drive train this week sometime. I cleaned a section of the frame and it looks like it will clean up well, it's just going to take some time.

 

[smudvapor]

Got the engine out today and started ordering parts. The hope is that once I get the frame ready I will have a stack of parts to start putting it back together. I want to have the frame, suspension, and drive train ready before I put the cab on.

 

[smudvapor]

I got the front torn apart today. The left side front looks good but it looks like I need a new spring tower on the right side.

 

[Roert42]

Looks like you ended up pulling the drive train anyway. Second thoughts about powder coating the frame yet? you're 99% of the way there.

 

[smudvapor]

Once I started really getting into it I decided to go ahead and take it all the way down. I have to find the parts before I can finish the frame. The RH shock/spring tower is too far gone to repair so I have to find a replacement and it also rusted a small hole in the frame where it is located. Time and money won't allow me to get it powder coated and it isn't going to see bad weather once it's finished. It saw over 30 years of everyday driving and it made it this far so I think it will be okay. If I take care of it after this, it should outlast me.

 

[smudvapor]

Coming along slowly but it is starting to look nice.

 

[Saddle Tramp]

Beautiful!
Just a thought here. Would using por-13 be a cost effective compromise between just painting the frame and powder coating it?

Genuinely curious for my own future project.

 

[Shran]

I'd paint or POR15 a frame long before I powder coat. I love powder coated stuff but it's not appropriate for a frame IMO. One little spot missed and water/salt will get under it and rust from the inside out.

Looks really good by the way! I admire your dedication to rusty things!