TN Hillbilly Posted September 12, 2020 Share Posted September 12, 2020 Looking for your all's advice. I got rid of the red '68 and have acquired this 1974 F350, my grandpa's old truck. It has been mostly sitting since 1993, although my uncle has kept it road worthy and used it a little. Here's my question. It needs several things, including 6 wheels and 6 tires NOW. The drivetrain seems very solid, bed is good. My dilemma is what to do about paint. It has a lot of surface rest, and some serious holes at the bottom of the doors. Two estimates to paint it by body shops have been $5k +. I had a good friend look at it, who works in a big truck body shop. His estimate for materials, if we do the work, is $2k. Do you all think these numbers are realistic? I certainly want to take care of and preserve this truck, but I also have limitations on what I can justify putting into an old truck. I've bought it, will be buying the wheels and tires, and need to be able to use it in the meantime. Thanks, as always. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axial_al Posted September 12, 2020 Share Posted September 12, 2020 If I were you and have memories with grandpa and the truck, I would paint it and try to preserve it. I wish I had my grandfathers 1965 El Camino to restore! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wi Ih Posted September 12, 2020 Share Posted September 12, 2020 I would say the body shop numbers are right, it’s crazy what they’re getting for stuff now but you’ll never find another one so I’d fix it 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SASW6 Posted September 12, 2020 Share Posted September 12, 2020 I have been doing body work for 45 years those prices are pretty good even a little on the cheap side 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonyinca Posted September 12, 2020 Share Posted September 12, 2020 This truck represents more then money to you . paint it preserve it ! 5000 from body shop for rust repair and paint sounds very reasonable . make sure if he is just bondo it or is he cutting cancer out and making repairs . check on quality of paint. you don’t want to spend 5000 later realizing that a thousand or two more would make perfect. tony 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardDSalyer Posted September 12, 2020 Share Posted September 12, 2020 5 minutes ago, Tonyinca said: This truck represents more then money to you . paint it preserve it ! 5000 from body shop for rust repair and paint sounds very reasonable . make sure if he is just bondo it or is he cutting cancer out and making repairs . check on quality of paint. you don’t want to spend 5000 later realizing that a thousand or two more would make perfect. tony What Tony said! The importance of preservation of family history cannot be understated, 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TroyDairy Posted September 12, 2020 Share Posted September 12, 2020 ....5k is verrry reasonable if doing it right. Friend wanted to just repaint his pretty new pickup a diff color. 0 bodywork..$10000. If you wanna just stop the bad maybe get it like media blasted on the bad spots...just to loosen the scaly stuff but not paint, and clear it with flat clear. Just a idea if $ is tight for a proper body job. Or fix bad bad and primer it then scrub with baking soda and clear the surface rust and paint to stop it for now. Then at least youve stopped the evil and when $ affords you are 1/3 way there. What would grandpa do? My grandpa had a DeSoto sedan for a farm truck...be cool to have now. 0 idea where it went. Maternal Gpa had a little Dodge 50 4x. Only pickup i recall him having...and i would love to find ot and just toole around with it somedays. Hed take us fishing with it as boys. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lorenzo Posted September 12, 2020 Share Posted September 12, 2020 No one around here would do it that cheap. In fact, most body shops won’t even take a project like that in. They all want the insurance jobs , quick in and out. Something like that takes up too much shop space. You better do it . 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new guy Posted September 12, 2020 Share Posted September 12, 2020 Uh oh! Better get Maaco!! $5k is cheap. Probably won't be a show truck but would keep it nice for a long time. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonyinca Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 5 hours ago, lorenzo said: No one around here would do it that cheap. In fact, most body shops won’t even take a project like that in. They all want the insurance jobs , quick in and out. Something like that takes up too much shop space. You better do it . You know thinking about it , That's a nice looking truck , IMHO , looks as nice as the 1966 IH flat bed I am currently doing. If you have a friend that can do body work , might consider doing it with him , Try to get all the rust cut out and tin replaced, If he knows painting , Maybe you and a helper do the grunt work with his supervision , Get it ready for paint , then decide if you want a quality shop to do it or if your friend has paint experience let him do it but use quality paint . Reason I am saying this is because if you take to shop it could get complicated and expensive , They will want to remove cab , blast it do the rust repair then do all the sanding and block sanding before paint . Then your talking wires, gauges , all that goes with removing cab. "The Now that we are here " syndrome will kick in. Depends how extensive , and money you want to spend . If you go to" Builds and projects" page on this forum and click on my" 1200 IH flat bed "you will see that I started out like you and you can follow for an idea . JFYI , they quoted me 10,000 to 15,000 for sanding, block sanding, sealing , adjust gaps on doors and hood. Does not include the rust repair or the sound proofing and heat shield being put on by the restorer shop. Trying to help you as much as I can , so you can decide. If I was younger and had a little experience in body work and painting ,I would of tackled it myself. However, I am 74 and Only comfortable working on tractors , never good with cars, Much worse with painting , I get more on myself and everything else then I do on that being painted . lol , lol. Plus I wanted it done Before I am so old they take my license ! lol. lol. Best of luck, Tony 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exSW Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 Having run a few of those trucks back then I can tell you spend a little more on the body work. If you don’t the problem will just come back. The inner fenders around the hood hinges,cab corners, floor pans and the core support all need close attention. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diesel Doctor Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 Is a whole new cab available? Do it once and you hopefully will be done for the rest of your life. Sometimes this is cheaper in the longs run. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
searcyfarms Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 i would def do it - fix it right and extend its life 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TN Hillbilly Posted September 13, 2020 Author Share Posted September 13, 2020 Well thanks for your thoughts. Yes, Tony, I've followed your flatbed truck thread (and for sure that baler thread - WOW!) and I can see how wanting to do it right could spiral into a bigger job. If you all agreed that the $5-7k is a realistic number, I just cannot justify that right now, with more important family obligations pressing. I know there are some shops around that would cram body filler in the rust holes and spray it for $2000, but I'm not going down that road either. I guess I will leave it for now, use it, keep it clean and parked inside, and try to do the prep work myself as time and funds allow. My buddy said we could prep it a door, a fender at a time, here, then take to his shop to spray it when all is ready. Thanks for the advice, as always. Even not painted, I like it, and I figure its better off here being run a little, than parked in a dirt floor garage just sitting. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TN Hillbilly Posted September 13, 2020 Author Share Posted September 13, 2020 Rounded up some square bales that busted in the field and took to the horses. Made a nice evenin picture. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hardtail Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 Don’t know how bad the rust is, you could try treat it with a rust converter to halt its progress, then if it needs patch panel repair later or new doors etc I would try and seek out genuine replacements, the fitment of aftermarket usually has other issues that creates more challenges and repair, I notice the fender doesn’t have the trademark buckle over the front wheel which is a bonus 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pt756 Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 brother in law just got his 2001 7.3 extra cab redone , used box for 2k from a 2010, front fender , rocker panels and cab corners, and repaint . only 13 k, 150 thousand miles on it. claims he can sell it for 20 thousand now but not his intentions, guess I thought that was kind of high, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red211 Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 What Troy said, also heard clr water mix with scotchbright pad and then clear. Patina looks great and it is still original like you remember it. You can do all and have friend shoot the flat clear to preserve. Can always paint it later but can't go back to original. Just a thought Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ky966boy Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 I like that truck what motor is in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TP from Central PA Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 Yeah, its hard to stop it once it starts.................We did a frame off on my '72 K-20 I drive back in '00'ish................Because of strange events, I had to run it every day all winter one year, rust started even with washing and its starting to get bad again. Was hoping they would start repop'ing new steel cabs and would just switch it, but hasn't happened yet...............And the good no rust western iron is drying up as popular as they have become. So as long as I can keep sliding it through our state safety inspection, I am going to drive it. Even in a garage with concrete, it still is spreading like cancer on the floor and door bottoms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hagan Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 We are out here in the dry climate but a friend who used to live up the road and passed on purchased a rare pickup he thought and its paint was sun burnt and more or less gone. He and his daughter purchased a gallon of farm tractor red paint at the local tractor supply and some paint pads and painted it in the garage. As soon as they were done they drove it outside in the hot sun that afternoon and you could not find a run one on it. I do have to honestly say the paint job was worth about as much as the pickup. But he was a guy whom it did not matter to how it looked 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TN Hillbilly Posted September 14, 2020 Author Share Posted September 14, 2020 3 hours ago, ky966boy said: I like that truck what motor is in it. It got a Jasper 390 in 2004. Not many miles since then. Runs strong. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TN Hillbilly Posted September 14, 2020 Author Share Posted September 14, 2020 What would you all use for a rust converter to try to keep it from getting worse? Something like Rust Kutter? Or just deal with the rust area by area as we prep it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TN Hillbilly Posted April 11, 2021 Author Share Posted April 11, 2021 Well...the decision was...paint. I thought it turned out great. 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig61019 Posted April 11, 2021 Share Posted April 11, 2021 Very nice in my opinion you can’t beat those old Fords, have a 77 super cab we are working, getting new cab corners and repainted? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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