Tree fell on my '86 diesel -- body repair question...

[ducarngr]

Tree fell on my '86 diesel -- bed replacement question...

I've had a run of bad luck it seems

A huge black oak dropped a branch on my truck last night -- branch was 40 ft long and about 18" thick at the base. It was rotten at the base.

Landed across the bed and banged in the bed sides pretty good... Don't have pics yet, but dents are pretty wide, maybe 10" on one side and 8 on the other.

How much work is involved in simply replacing the bed sides? LMC sells inner and outer bed sides. I thought the bed was a box bolted onto the frame... and that I could pick up one from a salvage.

I wouldn't bother if this truck wasn't so special -- they only made about 3000 turbodiesel Rangers in 1986 and I love it. It only has 180k miles on the engine and only has needed an injector pump replacement.

Any input would be helpful. What year of Rangers can I use -- how late can I go? it's a regular cab, short bed, 2WD model.

Plan to take it to a body shop next weekend, but am trying to get an idea of what is involved -- mainly because it will determine the future of the truck. My wife is NOT happy about this expense.

And no, I did not have collision/comprehensive on the truck. Geico won't insure except for liability if the vehicle is that old... :-/

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

The easy fix would be to just replace the bed.

The bed would still need paint (same as the bedsides) but you wouldn't have to drill out about a million spot welds to put in your not so cheap bedsides.

And if it crushed the outer bedsides, it would have crushed the inner bedsides too, you would need to replace/repair them too.

The made a ton of 2.8 '85 Rangers, and it is actually part of the grand scheme to replace the box on mine for one from down south without the rust.

 

[ducarngr]

Thanks, that is sort of what I was looking for. Have you shopped a salvage bed? How much do they run? How late of a model year can I use? (Regular cab, regular bed, 2wd)

I figure the body is the same from about the start (83) thru 90? or even later.

 

[Ranger Dave (B25)]

You can use a bed from anything up to '92.

Definitely do the bed-swap. In the long run it will be cheaper; you can have them paint it while it's off the truck, then you can install it yourself.

 

[86 slo-vo]

its totalled! now sell me the truck so i can steal the motor lol

been looking for one for years

 

[Ranger Kip]

pics?

 

[superds]

 

[superds]

I would probably replace the bed too. Most likely easier than trying to repair it, and either way you would have to paint it. I even found one for you: http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?p=738660#post738660

 

[baddis]

i bought a complete truck and got the bed and everything for a 5 speed swap for $225 a couple years ago