Body Work Hell

[swampdigger]

So I grabbed an '80 Bronco for free. Looked decent enough... well, I guess someone had done a nice bondo job on it before me...

Base of the b-pillars are totally rotten off. Floor pans make you think Fred Flintstone drove it. I'm not worried about the rotten quarter panels--I got some shiny new ones for that.

But have anyone of you guys taken on a real rust monster, and had it hold up over a couple years? I'd like to know which methods held up!

 

[69oiler]

how is the frame? i had a '78 f250 plow truck rustbucket that held up a couple years until the 400 crapped out. but if the floors are gone and the pillars are gone i dont know what you are hoping to get out of it.

 

[LCAM-01XA]

Cheap trick for fixing floors - as you drive around look for a street sign that will fit nicely, then visit it again after dark and with tools (don't you even think of messing with STOP signs and others of that sort tho) - I've seen many a Chevy fixed up like that, seems to work great actually as aluminum is very easy to bend. Dunno what to do about the B-pillars tho, never had a vehicle where those are gone.

 

[Dsl_Dog_Treat]

But have anyone of you guys taken on a real rust monster, and had it hold up over a couple years? I'd like to know which methods held up!

Check out the pics in the operation golddigger link in my sig. You can redo the b pillars, just gonna take some time getting things all lined back up and squared off. Use plenty of bracing to keep the cab in place while welding in the new sheet metal.

Gonna have plenty of hours getting it into shape panding how far ya want to go with it.

 

[swampdigger]

Ha-HA!! DSL! Glad to see you've overcome what I'm up against!

I fixed the b-pillars by forming new pieces and BOLTING them in, but I think I'm going to switch my focus back to the hot glue gun (welder). Looks like it worked good for you!

What paint technology did you use to deal with the rusty metal?

Anyone use undercoating before?

If I were to wirewheel or sandblast a rusted area, and spray it with asphalt undercoating, you guys think it would hold for a few years minimum? Would it stink too bad to be acceptable for interior sections of the floor?

 

[Agnem]

Cheap trick for fixing floors - as you drive around look for a street sign that will fit nicely, then visit it again after dark and with tools (don't you even think of messing with STOP signs and others of that sort tho) - I've seen many a Chevy fixed up like that, seems to work great actually as aluminum is very easy to bend. Dunno what to do about the B-pillars tho, never had a vehicle where those are gone.

I'd recommend visiting your local class 1 railroad mainlines, and relieve them of one of those large no tresppassing signs, that are always in the way of me taking my pictures.

 

[Dsl_Dog_Treat]

Ha-HA!! DSL! Glad to see you've overcome what I'm up against!

I fixed the b-pillars by forming new pieces and BOLTING them in, but I think I'm going to switch my focus back to the hot glue gun (welder). Looks like it worked good for you!

What paint technology did you use to deal with the rusty metal?

Anyone use undercoating before?

If I were to wirewheel or sandblast a rusted area, and spray it with asphalt undercoating, you guys think it would hold for a few years minimum? Would it stink too bad to be acceptable for interior sections of the floor?

Sandblasting is definitly the way to go. It'll get into places where the wheel won't.

I cheated by using the local sandblasting shop. Couldn't beat the price. 325 clams to blast, primer/seal and paint the frame, blast, primer/seal the cab, bed both bumpers and core support.
Heck, I couldn't buy the materials for that, let alone the man hours involved. The guys did a helluva job and are quite proud of the outcome as they demanded to see it completed.

The sandblasting alleviated all of the rust that I couldn't cut out and replace.
As far as paint went, I used the Napa Crossfire acrylic goodies.
Price was right since I have that jobber account. Bout 150 clams for a gallon of paint.
As you can tell I primer/sealed EVERYTHING then painted and cleared it all even underneath. I then undercoated everything under the truck. I think the cans of rubberized undercoating ended up at 12 cans.
Yeah that stuff aint cheap neither.
But tis what I wanted and so far it has made 2 winters of road seasoning and is holding up really well.

I'd recommend visiting your local class 1 railroad mainlines, and relieve them of one of those large no tresppassing signs, that are always in the way of me taking my pictures.

Or I could just put in an order for ya hey Mel.