Fixing bed rust?

[hambo]

Hey everyone,
I recently picked up an 87 k20 and its got some rust issues on the bed. Pretty much most of both fender wells are rusted out, through both layers of metal in someplaces. Is this worth fixing? Im on a low budget so I wouldn't have the money to find another bed and have it painted. If this bed isnt worth fixing, im tempted to just make a flatbed. Is this rust worth my time to fix it? Thanks in advance.

 

[MadOgre]

No you need new panels the rust above the wheel well goes higher then the patch panel. You could if you like welding and can make your own panels for the rust that goes beyond the patch panels.

 

[hambo]

Okay. Ive welded before but not much. I just hear all the new panels they make arent nearly the same quality as oem.

 

[89Suburban]

Many of the aftermarket panels I have bought are a thinner gauge but they get the job done. I am still self learning sheet metal patch work from bare stock. Mainly on the underside where you can't see how horrible I am LOL. But I get it close as I can and strongest welds I can and just seal the seams up & paint. Gets me by and I love trying to better my skills.

 

[hambo]

Many of the aftermarket panels I have bought are a thinner gauge but they get the job done. I am still self learning sheet metal patch work from bare stock. Mainly on the underside where you can't see how horrible I am LOL. But I get it close as I can and strongest welds I can and just seal the seams up & paint. Gets me by and I love trying to better my skills.

Thats true! It can only help me get better. I think im just trying to use this as an excuse to make a flatbed for my truck. Lol. I cant decide!

 

[89Suburban]

Flat bed trucks are cool too.

 

[Lastwords]

I think by the time you pay for wire, body filler, sand paper, time and panels you still have to paint, you could save up for a new bed. if it's a choice between hrs of body work and building a flat bed, I'd go flat.

 

[hambo]

I think by the time you pay for wire, body filler, sand paper, time and panels you still have to paint, you could save up for a new bed. if it's a choice between hrs of body work and building a flat bed, I'd go flat.

Yeah. Planning on taking the bed off to fix the rust anyway, so I would make a temporary wood flatbed, and if I like that enough Ill just run that and not bother fixing the bed rust. Any idea how much money you think I would have into wire, bondo, and patch panels/metal? I dont know much about body work

 

[CSFJ]

By the time you get done with it, you'll find out it would have been cheaper and much quicker to source a clean bed. I've been down that road before. Thought I'd save money and learn about body work. I learned I'll never do that again.

 

[hambo]

By the time you get done with it, you'll find out it would have been cheaper and much quicker to source a clean bed. I've been down that road before. Thought I'd save money and learn about body work. I learned I'll never do that again.

Thats the route I would take, but then I would have to get that bed painted to match, and even then I doubt it would match my faded paint.

 

[CSFJ]

Paint is the easiest part of the whole process. The secret to that is the prep work. I have a jeep I redid a few years back, borrowed a welder, made my own patch panels, (except for the front floorboards), ended up redoing everything from the doors down. When all was said and done, I could have bought a clean body for it for a few hundred less than I spent. It's not so much the metal and paint that drives the cost up, it's the little things, like sand paper and bolts and other supplies that you don't think about unless you do body work all the time. With the truck I'm starting to restore now, I'll gladly paint whatever needs paint, as long as i'm not cutting, grinding, or welding metal.

 

[CSFJ]

If you decide you still want to fire up the welder, design a flatbed out of metal instead of wood. I've seen some nice ones over the years, and almost went that route with the truck I'm doing now. Except somehow, my plan changed from just wanting a nice solid truck to put to work, to seeing how close I can get to a full on resto.

 

[bucket]

Eh, I don't think a flat bed looks any better than a stock bed with cosmetic rust. They both have the 'old work truck' type look. If you simply want a flatbed for the function of it, that's fine. But it's really not any improvement in the looks department.

 

[CSFJ]

If I were to attempt it, I would try to duplicate this..

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or this..

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[CSFJ]

I think trimmed out properly with some short side walls and an under bed tool box or two, gives it an all business look with out looking just thrown together.