I have an 81 long box 4 speed truck with a recently blown head gasket that burns a lot of oil and is very rusty. I was wondering whether I should rebuild the existing 22r or replace it with one that has fewer miles?

And also, would it be cheaper to buy another box for it or ditch the box and build a flat bed?

 

I would buy another and rebuild both

 

depending on what you want as a final product ? it's hard to answer your questions .

if your wanting to restore , then We can build you a box .. if not , then a wood flat deck is your cheepest option



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I'm also with u on the bed issue. Mine is not terrible, but I hate working with rust.

 

get a fiberglass replacement, source a used factory bed from the internet or junkyards, or build a custom bed...many options

and then rebuild the motor

all of these things are covered in depth on Yotatech

 

craigslist and other classifieds sites are youre best bet to find a good bed. I picked mine up for $100.

 

Thanks for all the helpful tips, I think for now though I'm going to start looking for another engine and remove the box.

I have checked underneath and it looks like I may have to do some serious frame work since it looks to be patched already. I hope to get pictures up as soon as I can. I have been looking for a box, but I can't find one that isn't rusted out here in Alberta it seems. I may just go with a flat bed though since I like the looks of them.