Need advice on what to do.

[Brunc]

Guys I have started to take stock of the rust on the cab. The rest of the truck is in really good shape. Here are picks of the drivers side. The passenger is about the same. I don’t feel to uncomfortable with the lower corners, but the jams concern me. Some posts I have seen say find a donor cab, other say repair. I am inclined to want to repair and not just cover with body filler. I have also thought about paying a shop to do the jams and I’ll finish the rest

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[waterpirate]

Rust never sleeps even when you cover it up. On a scale of 1-10 for seriousness, that is a 3 or 4. I would grind clean, weld or braze, then smooth and fill with body filler. It will always come back, wash rinse repeat unless headed for the concourse.
Eric

 

[Brunc]

Does anyone know of a good body shop in the dfw area? I would like to see what the cost is to have shop fix it.

 

[waterpirate]

Drive it to a car show if possible and ask around. You will find someone.
Eric

 

[75gmck25]

It is challenging to find a shop that wants to take on a small body repair job for a reasonable price. Big companies make most of their money from insurance repairs, and they have consistent business. Then there are the custom body work companies that want to do a complete restoration, including first stripping the truck down to bare metal.

I have been told that the reason many small shops shut down, or only paint smaller repair panels, is that EPA regulations make it expensive to keep larger commercial paint booths operational and compliant. YMMV

 

[fast 99]

It is challenging to find a shop that wants to take on a small body repair job for a reasonable price. Big companies make most of their money from insurance repairs, and they have consistent business. Then there are the custom body work companies that want to do a complete restoration, including first stripping the truck down to bare metal.

I have been told that the reason many small shops shut down, or only paint smaller repair panels, is that EPA regulations make it expensive to keep larger commercial paint booths operational and compliant. YMMV

What you say is true about body shops however the NW has gone 2 years without a winter. Most body sops are starving, few crash repairs. I know of one local to me that is a relatively large. They are taking in almost anything. Some shops will not survive partially because Washington is an expensive state to operate.

As far as that cab, how are the frame mounts? If those are ok the rest isn't too bad. Its not in a big flat area so fairly easy to fix. However toss the door. It's too bad shipping is so expensive. I saw 3-4 good GM doors at the local pull and save last week without damage or rust.

 

[Brunc]

What you say is true about body shops however the NW has gone 2 years without a winter. Most body sops are starving, few crash repairs. I know of one local to me that is a relatively large. They are taking in almost anything. Some shops will not survive partially because Washington is an expensive state to operate.

As far as that cab, how are the frame mounts? If those are ok the rest isn't too bad. Its not in a big flat area so fairly easy to fix. However toss the door. It's too bad shipping is so expensive. I saw 3-4 good GM doors at the local pull and save last week without damage or rust.

Thanks. Tha was my thought was to toss the door. They are pretty cheap in the dfw area.

 

[Grit dog]

What you say is true about body shops however the NW has gone 2 years without a winter. Most body sops are starving, few crash repairs. I know of one local to me that is a relatively large. They are taking in almost anything. Some shops will not survive partially because Washington is an expensive state to operate.

As far as that cab, how are the frame mounts? If those are ok the rest isn't too bad. Its not in a big flat area so fairly easy to fix. However toss the door. It's too bad shipping is so expensive. I saw 3-4 good GM doors at the local pull and save last week without damage or rust.

Interesting observation that makes sense. Not Western WA I’d imagine but the rest of the state I can totally see that and the whole PNW and intermountain region probably.

 

[Dejure]

Eastern WArshington? Winter? What's that?

 

[fast 99]

Interesting observation that makes sense. Not Western WA I’d imagine but the rest of the state I can totally see that and the whole PNW and intermountain region probably.

When we have another bad winter people that moved here in the last few years may get an awakening. Last one was about 08 or 09. A lot of buildings didn't take the weight. A good friend lost a 40x60 shop and almost everything in it. Place I worked at lost a 40x40.

 

[peats]

Drive it to a car show if possible and ask around. You will find someone.
Eric

Maybe there is a HS or college auto shop class in your area that would take on your repair. That is not big damage and relatively routine to repair for a veteran body guy. In my experience, if you have damage (rust) in the places shown, there is more to be found where you may not have looked.

 

[Grit dog]

When we have another bad winter people that moved here in the last few years may get an awakening. Last one was about 08 or 09. A lot of buildings didn't take the weight. A good friend lost a 40x60 shop and almost everything in it. Place I worked at lost a 40x40.

Ha, you’re from Spokane. Just looked.
I just moved out here last fall. Medical Lake. Not really. I’m about 5 miles NW of Fairchild.
Funny you mention that. I’m getting ready to put up a shop and the snow load requirement is “only” 30 psf. Pretty typical for normal winter areas, central Midwest like Chicago area where I grew up.
But the propensity for wet snow when the warm Pacific weather stacks up against the mtns here is pretty great.
Just a foot of good ole Cascade concrete could be 30+psf before it gets rained on the next day.
I’m going up to 40-45psf. Especially if I end up going with a roof with no underlayment under the tin.

 

[Grit dog]

Sorry, derailed the rust talk.
About that….
I’d do some poking around first. See how bad it is. You’d need a donor cab imo but the good news is most/all the repairs are hidden once u shut the doors and put new trim on the belt line.

 

[Grit dog]

Eastern WArshington? Winter? What's that?

Right? Never got to be winter in most areas.
Good news is, the reservoirs are all plum full and busting at the seams. And even though they’re dumping water already, very unusual, there’s enough snowmelt left to come to keep em stuffed until irrigation season starts.
Prediction this year is all the water needed for irrigation and abilities to keep the stream flows optimal all year.

 

[fast 99]

Ha, you’re from Spokane. Just looked.
I just moved out here last fall. Medical Lake. Not really. I’m about 5 miles NW of Fairchild.
Funny you mention that. I’m getting ready to put up a shop and the snow load requirement is “only” 30 psf. Pretty typical for normal winter areas, central Midwest like Chicago area where I grew up.
But the propensity for wet snow when the warm Pacific weather stacks up against the mtns here is pretty great.
Just a foot of good ole Cascade concrete could be 30+psf before it gets rained on the next day.
I’m going up to 40-45psf. Especially if I end up going with a roof with no underlayment under the tin.

built my shop to 30# wish I had done more. Couple extra trusses doesn't cost that much. Also have to consider what is hanging on them, insulation, interior, lights. All I can say is this area is due for a hard winter.

Buildings I mentioned that cam down were up to code. Saw it first hand when a roof comes down with a snow load on it everything underneath is smashed flat. Even the 5 mile Rosauers lost part of their roof. Boats under tarps, smashed windshields. Have some pictures if you want to PM me.