Considering your location and the likely hood that the underside is pretty rusty, I'd pass and find something in the south or southwest. A flight out and drive back will probably less expensive than trying to fix the rust.

 

You’re right, but this is a very low mileage truck that I can get for cheap/free. If there isn’t too much rust underneath, I will just try to fix the surface rust and replace the rockers

 

Hello, on this truck planning on fixing what ails it. PUTTING GLOSS BLACK WRAP on it this summer, keeping it until I die. In regards to fixing the rust I bought a rust converter which was water base to spray any visible rust I had. This is the stuff kills the rust from spreading and turning it in black metal. Si ce I wrapping it in black anyway its a win win for me. I bought a gallon of Krud Kutter through Amazon for $20. I used half a gallon on the undercarraige, using the rest on product panels as I find them. Thank you for your input on all of this. Have a nice day,work safe BE SAFE.
Hank

My response was to the OP that started the thread. Please start your own.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

 

My response was to the OP that started the thread. Please start your own.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

So, Sorry must of pushed wrong button.
Hank

 

If you need a project...that would be it. If the rockers are rusted thru...just a matter of time before there are more holes.

 

Just a few very small patches of surface rust/paint chipping and one little hole in the rocker

 

Speaking as a retired USAF body mech. I can tell you the worst thing to fix is rust. You got to grind the site, use a mig or tig welder to weld the patch or new piece. You'll have to shrink the weld, bondo over the shrunk weld, epoxy prime and paint. Also you got to clean BOTH sides of any holes, chemically clean it, put a profile on or chemically etch the back of it, apply a conversion coating to convert the instantaneous rust into something else, (I don't remember the name now) THEN epoxy prime the back side, then spray a ziebart type coating on the back side.

 

In reality once rust starts it gets into places you can't get to and it'll be a running battle as long as you own the truck. After attempting to out smart if for over 50 years I've come to the conclusion that you can't ever win completely. I drive them rusty and when the day something critical rusts thru I junk them. Anything else is a futile attempt to delay the inevitable and in my opinion a waste of time and money. A truck like the one the OP describes will last a minimum of 15 years if it isn't subjected to extremely salty conditions and under body washed regularly during the winter. It's never going to pretty again, tho.

 

Yes rust can be fixed relatively easy. Same thing happened to me, December bought a 2002 S10 crew cab in Iowa had major undercarriage and some body panels too with rust. You need to research Rust Converters. I used on called POR 15 available on Amazon for the body panels and bought a water base rust converter for the undercarriage sprayed on frame . The rust converter will stop the rust from growing/spreading and turns the metal from red to black its awesome. Let me know how it works for you.

 

Email and phone number deleted for your protection. The OP can always pm you if needed.

 

Do you want a show truck, or daily driver? Are you capable of doing your own work?

 

What I want is a nice looking daily drive. Yes I do alot of my own work. Have a nice night, thanks for your input. Hw

 

I have done most of the rust repair myself, I'v applied rust converters to most of it already. Paint is not an issue, my son and I are planning a full color change this summer from the gold to gloss black. Already have purchased 50 feet of vivvid ultra gloss piano black vinyl wrap for the . body. For the accent pieces like wheels, outside mirrors and fuel filler door those will be carbon fiber black. I will post the results of the finished product so everyone can see.
Thank you, Hank

 

I would be more concerned about rust on the frame and lines. A hole in the rocker panel won't hurt anything, but a rotten frame or fuel/brake lines could make it unsafe to drive. But I guess that depends on if you want the truck for a daily driver or to fix it up as a show piece. Take the free truck while you can.

 

Nice looking daily drive is what I am planning. Hw

 

You have to use some find of corrosion converter. While I working for the Navy there was no "Naval Jelly"; Naval Jelly was/ is a converter. For 18 years I worked for Shop 71; the painter/blasters; we media blasted using copper slag at one location and used steel grit at another. We blasted to "near white metal". After getting the grit out we got all the dust off we could and sprayed 85 degree epoxy paint on it, we shot for 0.250"; yep a quarter inch in one coat, this was ballast tanks and such. The hull got different paint. The hull was prepped the same way, but different paint was used. Different tanks (ballast vs. sanitary or potable water tanks) got different paints, but the prep was the same.
The thing is with vehicle bodies it's hard to get behind stuff when your prepping, you got to kill (convert) the rust some how to something inert. POR 15 is one way to do that. I hate repairing rust damage, it's so hard to get the back sides of the rusty places most times. If you can cover the rust with something that isolates it from oxygen it'll stop rusting, but it's better to convert it to something you can paint or coat, or bondo,
(think undercoat) so it's no longer exposed to the elements and paintable.

 

Before and after pics using those products would be cool.

 

Go to POR 15 website.

 

Here is what i am using on my 2002 Chevy S-10 LS $X$ Club Cab, Por 15 on body panels, Krud Kutter water based undercarriage, AGS Rust Solution paint, on body panels. I find it all to be good products, they all work for me. Thank you for your

inquiry. Hank

 

Found one 0.1% reason why it's good to live in The valley in California don't have to worry about my frame rotting away. Living in the salt belt sucks it just eats everything made of metal up.

 

I use these three products on the rust on my 2002 Chevy S-10 LS 4x4 Club Cab . POR 15, KRUD Kutter, and AGS Rust Paint, they work great for me ⁴

all available thru Amazon. Thank you for your input.
Hank

 

OK Hank...8 times in one thread is probably enough... 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂

 

Ok I will quit replying back to the emails I get, have a good night. HANK