Hello, just picked up a 94 DLX Ext cab for my daily driver. I’m really lovin this truck so far. It didn’t cost me much and I like that even more. It has 223k miles and counting. Engine and clutch are both in good shape, previous owner did a good bit of work to it. Suspension is good. But the body has some major eye sores. The body has a lot of rust. The majority is around the wheel wells and just past the cab on the bottom.

it’s kinda hard to look at and I want to do something about it but I’m just not sure it’s worth my time or money. I’ve read a lot about rust repair but I would have to be cutting so high up on the panels and bed it would look funny and don’t even know if I could put fender flares that high up.

my question is has anyone else has this much rust and have done something about it? And what does everyone else think? Cut it out and add flares or a little fiberglass/body filler or just leave it alone? It would be easiest to just get new quarter panels and a new bed but up in Alaska parts are few and far between and shipping is absurd so that’s not really an option unless I get lucky. I want to take care of it but since it’s so old already I’m wondering if I should just save the time and money and leave it alone. I’ll drop some pics down below. Thanks in advance for the input

and yes, with that much rust i did thoroughly inspect the frame and will be taking care of that, just some surface flaking but no rot.

 

The fenders are easy. Just replace them.
Here in Ca even sourcing a used bed from a PYP is feasible
The other rusted areas are probably going to require some cutting gerinding and spot welding.
How bad is the underneath?

 

underneath as in the rest of the truck? The rest of it is not too bad surprisingly. Underneath the panels are ok. I would like to get new quarter panels but having a hard time finding them. I might just cut them back. I was thinking about cutting and throwing some fender flares on there but they would be pretty high up.