Who to search for input on restoration

[MMD]

Hi everyone,

I purchased an 87' longbox dually crew cab last year. She's getting some rust and I contacted a couple local body shops for some tips and recommendations. The main recommendation is to ditch the truck for a Texas truck and start from scratch. I'm not opposed to the idea, but I'd like to receive a recommendation from someone who might deal strictly with classic vehicles. The first body shop I contacted didn't want to work on anything that old =-)

She's a sharp looking truck. The frame does have some rusting issues, and the cab has been worked on a few times. Maybe it's a pain in the butt to work on a truck that's already been worked on? I don't mind buying new fenders and having the cab repaired.

Anyone have recommendations on an approach? I'm located in lower Michigan.

Thank you,

Mitch

 

[87R10]

I can vouch for issues with Northern trucks. I'm in Southern Ont and if your state puts as much salt on the roads as we do here....rust can be everywhere.

I started with a truck that didn't look bad at a glance. After I did floors, rockers and cab corners, I discovered pin holes in places like around the windshield seals. holes under the foam strips and blocks in the firewall (places covered by the fender) and of course across the rear of the cab wall and a few spots near the inner door posts. I feel as if I replaced 30% of this cab. The more I dug, the more I found and the more I chased...NEXT time I will go southern

Previous body jobs can hide A LOT.

Great looking rig BTW

 

[Old77]

1. Any body shop that says "we don't work on anything that old" just run from and don't look back. That's just a BS response because they want the quick flip jobs paid for my insurance companies and are easy $$$

2. Great looking truck and I doubt there's anything there that isn't repairable. Don't be afraid to track down an individual that is a one man shop. May take a little longer but many times the work will be top notch and they'll welcome the challenge.

3. Don't be afraid to take on the job yourself to at least get quite a bit done without the help of a shop. You'll save $$$ and it'll be invaluable experience. It takes practice but you'll pick it up quickly and you don't need a large quantity of special tools.