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Rust anyone.

S

sho_shane

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Leonard Tx
HEy guys im new to the forum. My name is SHane ANd im about to come in contact with my new truck. Im trading my 1984 Mustang LX for a 1978 K-5 with a 1985 Front clip. The truck has a 4" susp lift and a 3" body lift Porcomp everything. What I want to know befor i do this is how much rust is to much? Now the only rust on this rig is a 6" by 6" hole in the passinger front and a 4" by 4" hole behind the passinger seat. Someone has already took some stuff and covered the holes up. By screwing it to the floor. Now I know thats not the right way to fix it. So is it beter to cut it out and weld in new? Anyway I just want to know if this rust is anythng that you guys would be worryed about?

Now the guy im getting the truck from says that these is the only rust on the truck so is it worth more then my mustang and is it worth the trade for me?

Now I love my mustang but iv always wanted a 4x4 truck. I really like this truck alot and the guys seems to be very truthful with me in trying to tell me everything it needs. Like he says it needs a carb. Cus when it runs you can see black smoke and smell fuel really bad. Its a gasser 350 with a crapy carb.
I like it tho and I think its worth more then my mustang. So again what do you guys think?

Here are some pics of the truck. the front end is done now:

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That K5 has less rust than my 78, I dont think the truck is a rust bucket, but be sure to check by the tailgate, they love to rust there. Looks like a project, and I think you would like it better than the muffstain.:D Also check the frame near the steering box for cracks. I'd do the trade..
 
anything is worth more than an 84 stang, fwiw....

but yes, thats a good trade...
 
say bye bye to the F(found)O(on)R(road)D(dead). The K5 Looks good. I would deffinately check the floor boards. Old carpet that got exposed to weather will rust the boards out quick. The only other concern would be if it has a np203 transfer case. They are huge, and werent built well. Outside of that, you have a good start for a wheeler.
 
Rust issues aside...

My guess is there is a reason there is no hood on the truck right now. The pre-81 truck had the hinges for the hood mount on the sides of the fenders...the 81-up has different hinges mounted on the cowl then the fenders go on after that. It's not a straight bolt up deal. There will need to be a hole cut.

hinge.jpg


All the info is here: http://coloradok5.com/grilleswap.shtml

Hopefully that'll help you out during the negotiations, because it looks like he left the hardest part for somone else to do.

As for rust, lift any carpet it has and have a very good look. These things are well known for having rust issues and it is no fun at all to fix. Check the seat belt mounting areas...specifically the lower mounts for the front seatbelts. They should be bolted to the sidewall right behind the front seats. That is a prime area for rust because the backside of that is open to road debris from the rear tires.

Open the tailgate, lift any carpet at the rear and have a good look. Check where the rear posts meet the floor back there too. The back of the floor should be a striaght line from tailgate post to tailgate post. Any sagging at all indicates rust weakened tailpan.

Walk on the bedfloor...it should feel firm under your feet.

Check underneath the truck paying special attention to where the body mounts to the frame.

Good luck.

Rene
 
The hood is on the truck now. The pic was a week old. :) It has new carpet in it all around. It also has a new tailgate. This reason for the new frontend he says. Is cus he was trying to get out of a creak and hit the driver fender with a tree. He had a 85 in the back yard so he swaped the frontends. I will check out the rest tho. I dont think rust will be a big deal, this is a texas truck.
 
tRustyK5 said:
Rust issues aside...

My guess is there is a reason there is no hood on the truck right now. The pre-81 truck had the hinges for the hood mount on the sides of the fenders...the 81-up has different hinges mounted on the cowl then the fenders go on after that. It's not a straight bolt up deal. There will need to be a hole cut.

hinge.jpg


All the info is here: http://coloradok5.com/grilleswap.shtml

Hopefully that'll help you out during the negotiations, because it looks like he left the hardest part for somone else to do.

As for rust, lift any carpet it has and have a very good look. These things are well known for having rust issues and it is no fun at all to fix. Check the seat belt mounting areas...specifically the lower mounts for the front seatbelts. They should be bolted to the sidewall right behind the front seats. That is a prime area for rust because the backside of that is open to road debris from the rear tires.

Open the tailgate, lift any carpet at the rear and have a good look. Check where the rear posts meet the floor back there too. The back of the floor should be a striaght line from tailgate post to tailgate post. Any sagging at all indicates rust weakened tailpan.

Walk on the bedfloor...it should feel firm under your feet.

Check underneath the truck paying special attention to where the body mounts to the frame.

Good luck.

Rene
Click to expand...

Is a tailpan something that can be fixed or is it to much to work with. Im really just trying to find out if its worth more then my mustang. And can I build a good truck out of it for not alot of money?
 
Call me a suspicious old coot, but I've seen too many rust piles hidden with new carpet.

The rust you seem to be referring to is just surface rust on the frame and suspension which isn't critical.

Ask to see under the carpet, specifically at the back. The tailpan is at the very rear of the bedfloor where the tailgate meets.

Rene
 
Ill take a look at it tomarrow befor the trade. He seems to be a really good guy. He told me that he has had the carpet up and that the only bad spots are the ones I told you about. If the tailpan is bad would you guys not make the trade?

Also for the surface rust. Can I spray undercoating on it or do I need to sand the rust away first?
 
You could power wash the frame and coat it with something like PO15 or Rust Bullet. Both with nuetralize the rust and both are designed to go right over the rust and seal it.

I've found there are certain indicators on K5's regarding rust. If the tailpan is bad I definitely look at the other areas I mentioned because the tailpan never rusts by itself...

Rockers under the doors rust from the inside out...so if you see any bubbling on the exterior they are done and will need to be cut out. Rust in the floors is a red flag for the rest of the truck. Definitely look at the problem areas yourself, lift the carpet yourself...nice guy or not I wouldn't take his word for it. The bottom line is rust repair is very labour intensive and frustrating. Take the time to thoroughly examine every part of the body on this truck.

After having done all the rust repairs on my truck I will say I'd much rather buy a pristine K5 that needs any other kind of work rather than a mechanically good one with rust problems.

Rene
 
I'm with tRusty. I have a 91' that has some rust on the tailpan, bottom of the doors. It runs and drives fine but the rust is killing me. There is always more rust unless you remove the body and go through every corner and crevis. I ended up buying a m1009 (k5) with NO rust but it dosen't run. I am much happier knowing that once it runs I can get rid of, or take off the road my 91' and not have to worry about rust for a long while (CARC paint on the 09 is some good shi*)
 
I don't want to scare you. Just be prepared. Your in TX look around, should be alot of rust free trucks down there in the SW.
 
I just thot that this would make a good truck with alittle work. My mustang needs a 1000.00 rebuild. And if I was to take that money and put it in this truck it could be nice I thot
 
My first question would be ,why was the whole front clip replaced?I am sure the response will be 1.Must have been done by the previous owner
2.It looks better than the original flat hood front end
3.Doesn't know ,take the deal or walk away
Check for any indications of a previous wreck.I have looked at lots of K5s like this one and 50% of the time it has been in an accident either with another car or better yet with a big tree while 4 wheeling.
Look around the power steering box on the frame for cracks or signs of welding.I have seen guys weld the power steering box to the frame to send it down the road.That K5 looks pretty good in the pics but with these vehicles it is what lies beneath that can make or break your wallet.
The main thing is take your time.GM built alot of these beasts,so they are plentiful out there.Bring someone with you that is mechanically inclined to really go over it.:D
 
89K5guy said:
My first question would be ,why was the whole front clip replaced?I am sure the response will be 1.Must have been done by the previous owner
2.It looks better than the original flat hood front end
3.Doesn't know ,take the deal or walk away
Check for any indications of a previous wreck.I have looked at lots of K5s like this one and 50% of the time it has been in an accident either with another car or better yet with a big tree while 4 wheeling.
Look around the power steering box on the frame for cracks or signs of welding.I have seen guys weld the power steering box to the frame to send it down the road.That K5 looks pretty good in the pics but with these vehicles it is what lies beneath that can make or break your wallet.
The main thing is take your time.GM built alot of these beasts,so they are plentiful out there.Bring someone with you that is mechanically inclined to really go over it.:D
Click to expand...

The frontend was replaced be cus he hit a tree in a creak. He had a 85 in the back yard.:)
 
No need to be scared, we're just trying to give you all the info you'll need to accurately assess this truck. A lot of us here have been stung, so our advice comes from 20/20 hindsight and firsthand experience.

Rene
 
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