Well, i guess this is the right forum, not fabbing anything yet, just sanding/grinding/blasting all the rust off the frame of my new rig. Figured might as well get some pics up.

This is the 85 I bought about a month ago. Flew to PA & drove it back (1000 miles or so). Really runs well, should be nice when I get done with it.



Have the front suspension all out & the axle off, trying to get as much room to work as possible.



This is an idea what the frame looked like before any sanding. I was really concerned it was going to be trash under all the rust



But it really isn't bad at all. If anything the above looks worse than it really is. A lot of Toyota paint still is on the frame, and the rust you see there is a really thin layer, POR15 should seal it up well.



I have a sanblaster to hopefully clean up the areas I can't get the grinder into. I wish I had the space to get the body all the way off the frame. I'm going to try a big, temporary body lift to hopefully get enough working room.



I have the interior pretty much all removed. The seats, dash etc are all in near perfect shape, I think the SR5 seats are more comfortable than the seats in my 97.



I'll have some body work after I get the frame/suspension/axles ready go.

 

Looks like a good project rig! Keep posting pics so we can see the build!

 

Looks like alot of work. That thing was rusty!
What is the POR15? I have an '86 that has a fair amount of rust on the frame and body that I will eventually address in the spring (no shop) and looking for solutions to treating it. Previous owners drove on salted roads (Missouri) and the rust slowly continues to grow. Figured I'd treat the rusting fenders by sanding and applying rust converter and then filling the holes with insulating spray foam to build up. Then applying fiberglass, smooth that, and cover with black undercoating for truck beds. It's cheap, takes abrasion well, and will make it look like fender flares! He he! Anyway, the frame looks like more daunting of a task, but I haven't known the best thing to do for it. Not sure if that is even the best way to go for the fenders, but I think it will work. Not to mention the insulating foam will keep water out ot the inside of the body. Right now I have nice layer of dirt in the bottom of the walls. Ha! There was a point when mice had even gotten in through the rust holes (I haul alot of animal food, long story) and lived in the walls, ceiling, and dash. What a mess! Anyway, congrats on your find! I love mine. Wish you luck on your project.

 

POR15 is a special paint that a lot of classic car restorers use, stands for Paint Over Rust - http://www.por15.com/product.asp?productid=6

It's supposed to bond really well to light layers of rust, and completely seal it so that it won't spread any farther. Kinda pricey, but sounds like good stuff. The hardest part so far is getting at all of the frame.

I think the key is to either get rid of all the rust before coating, or use a really good converter. I've heard of guys using bedliner over rusty areas & it didn't seal well enough so the rust keeps going underneath the bedliner, until the metal is all gone.

This truck was a PA truck, so I know what you mean about salt. I'm going to have to replace the gas tank, the access panel to the fuel pump is completely rusted, including the screws that hold it in.

I had too much vacation time saved up, so i'm taking this week off. Hopefully I can make some real headway. I just about have everything loose from the frame, loosing the body mounts now.

 

Thanks! I got this so I'd have something to do besides surf YT 24/7 this fall/winter. It's been fun so far. Hopefully I'm not in too far over my head.

 

por15 is very good stuff but watch that you dont get on your skin. its a pain to get off. if you have acces to a sand blaster and bunch of silica sand that would work very well. blast it and then por15 right over the bare metal.

 

Thanks for the advice! I've seen your threads & know you do really nice work. I picked up a hopper style sand blaster from sears, haven't tried it out yet, maybe later today. I've heard that about getting it on the skin, guess it has really strong fumes too. I think my mask will work.

back to the garage...

 

Looks like a big job! but you will love it after it's all done!

Let the War on rust begin!!!!!

 

Holy s@#t! That stuff is expensive! Then again how much does one need for that much surface area, as in the frame? And I suppose it's cheaper than dealing with rust damage later down the road!

 

It is kinda pricey, i spent a couple hundred on the stuff i have so far. Not sure how much it will do yet, figure I only want to do this once though.

Did some sand blasting today. Lifted the front half of the body about 6" to get some working room. Weird how the blasted metal looks white.

 

that cuz it's clean looks good

 

Wow that is a ton of work.
I was once helping a friend in a similar project(war on rust) and we eventually quit in the middle. Which amounted to lots of time and money wasted.

Good luck, looks like you're getting it done!

 

I think i'm just about in the middle, of the frame at least. not quiting yet, although the part out value has occured to me

It's going to be slow with all the family coming over the next few weeks, but hopefully some paint on the frame will fire me up.

 

I consider my self lucky, because my dad bought an 85 new, and gave it to me a year ago, and there is NO RUST on the truck what so ever, and the damn thing runs like its new! Sorry for the bird walk, but hope you can get it all done with out much hassle. Im just glad i dont have to do that.

 

Warning: cynical post ahead.

Since you are sand blasting, I'd skip the POR15 all together. I've done what you are doing and used to be a huge POR-15 advocate... but after all of the prep work (many, many hours), the many coats of metal ready, the many coats of por-15.... The rust reappeard after one winter. I spent over $200 on POR-15 for that project and almost cried when I saw it three yeras later (I was the only one to drive it in the winter, next owner never let the thing see rain, let alone snow/salt.)

I think the Eastwood Company has some better products.

Or... sicne you are going so far, consider doing two things:
1 - metal etching primor w/ a nice eurothane top coat.
2 - coat the inside of the frame w/ used oil or a rust converter.

I admire your project - looks like a lot of fun!

 

Wow, that's kind of a kick in the marbles, thought i had this planned out just right. Can you tell me more about the rust that started showing up, was the por15 flaking off leaving bare metal? was the rust everywhere or just some spots? Your comment about the inside of the frame bring up something I've been trying to not think about - short of immersing the frame in some sort of bath I can't see a good way to treat it.

I have somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 the frame blasted, and a bunch of por15 sitting here. It'll be a bit before I can get back after it, so I'm curious to hear some more. Thanks for chiming in!

 

I just had some 1/8" steel fabricated and "boxed" a section of frame from under the door to over the rear axle behind the fuel tank. I etched it with metal ready and painted it with POR - 15. I painted the (rough) exterior as well, and I have been using it for a dozen years with excellent results on daily drivers, musclecars, and Harleys. To do the rear 1/2 of the truck frame and the body with a brush took 2 pints, thinned 20% and 2 bottles of metal - ready. I also found that an 89-95 bed, except for one pair of bolts, is a direct bolt in, right down to the tail lights. I scored this one in a bone yard for $400