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rust question

8

89K5Blazer12

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hey all. i got an 89 k5. everything is vairly solid bodywise, except what the previous owner hacked up. In the back corners of the cargo area floor behind the back seat, right by the tailgate is rusted through and is fairly decent sized. i've heard this is common when the weather stripping from the rear window is shot it'll leak down into those corners and rot out the floor. my question is what is the best way to fix this problem? the tailgate mounts are fine it's just that section of the cargo floor that is rotted out. i'd like to fix it right because my plans are to load it up with stuff and go camping and the such with the truck. thx for any help. i've already found this forum to be awesome for info.
 
the bed pans have that corrugated ribbing which makes them harder to repair than simple floor panels. the route i'm taking is aftermarket bed panels from classic parts, a wire wheel on an angle grinder, a rotary cutting tool, and a welder.
 
that's what i was kinda afraid of. unfortunately i don't have the equipment or setup to be able to do that on my own. thx for the tip though and confirming what i pretty much knew already.
 
Carpet will hold moisture back there and it will rot out. But the main culprit of rot back there in those corners is the tires kicking up all kinds of sand, water, snow, road salt, etc. right there at the underside of that section right where the tailgate hinges bolt on.

If/when you do get it fixed, seam seal the crap out of everything back there, coat it all real good with protectant. Then make a mud flap or something to deflect dirt and debris away from that section.
 
Save up and buy a decent mig welder. You will find that you will use it alot more than you think. With a welder and an angle grinder with cut off wheels you can make alot of cool money saving items.
 
yeah unfortunately i think i'm gonna have to pay to have the job done this time. before i joined the army i had a mig available to me and could've fixed it myself. unfortunately, with all the moving the army life mandates i can't really get another welder right now. thx for the tips on how to prevent it from happening again.
 
if you could pm me the cost of the job i would really appreciate that. i'm also considering the option of having a professional do my rust work because of how extensive it is and because of my limited welding experience. only thing is, most "custom" shops won't give me an estimate, just a contract to sign at 50 dollars and hour:eek1: and nothing else.
 
yakmastermax said:
if you could pm me the cost of the job i would really appreciate that. i'm also considering the option of having a professional do my rust work because of how extensive it is and because of my limited welding experience. only thing is, most "custom" shops won't give me an estimate, just a contract to sign at 50 dollars and hour:eek1: and nothing else.
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If it's extensive then you'll be good by the time you're done. :waytogo: You'll end up sinking a lot of money into it if you pay someone else to do it.
 
hey yakmastermax, i haven't started looking around just yet. i have some other things i need to get squared away on it before i get to the cargo floor.
 
yakmastermax said:
if you could pm me the cost of the job i would really appreciate that. i'm also considering the option of having a professional do my rust work because of how extensive it is and because of my limited welding experience. only thing is, most "custom" shops won't give me an estimate, just a contract to sign at 50 dollars and hour:eek1: and nothing else.
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That's because it is near impossible to quote something like that. Rust hides much further than you can visually see. Every job is different and almost never a simple panel replacement. When they remove the offending rusty panel it is not uncommon to find addition rust damage on adjacent panels. On top of that not all patch panels are available, sometimes patches have to be made/fabbed up. That's why lots of shops don't even get into rust repair/restoration type stuff.
 
I bet if you had all the rust cut out, and the floors blasted and ready for patches, and made or bought patches that could be welded in... That you could actually get a decently close quote cuz all they would have to do is maybe make a few panels, and weld in. The most time consuming part is not the welding. Its getting rid of the rust and thats something you should be able tp do on your own.
 
Deuling said:
I bet if you had all the rust cut out, and the floors blasted and ready for patches, and made or bought patches that could be welded in... That you could actually get a decently close quote cuz all they would have to do is maybe make a few panels, and weld in. The most time consuming part is not the welding. Its getting rid of the rust and thats something you should be able tp do on your own.
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You would be hard pressed to find a shop willing to take on a mess like that. Think of it as buying a 1000 piece puzzle in a bag with no picture to reference for reassembly and being told to put it together.

Anyone doing that kind of rust repair/resto work will want the job from start to finish as far as metal replacement goes. Measurements, panel alignments, panel gaps, body sag, how did it look before as opposed to how it is supposed to look, these are the big rusty chunks I cut out so this is how the new panels fit in........ and that is just off the top of my head. It's not like chopping an exhaust off and driving to an exhaust shop and saying "Put an exhaust on." It's slightly more involved.

It's like those old signs you used to see hanging in the shops....

SHOP LABOR RATES
$50 per hour
$60 per hour if you watch
$70 per hour if you tell me how to do it
$100 per hour if you help cause I'll have to do it twice
 
That would depend on how picky u are getting. If you bring me a rig with everything cut out and say make it look factory, then yah it'd be alot harder. If you bring me your rig and say make it so i cant see the ground and so its sealed and its gonna have carpet over it anyways.... Is another story. I vote the 2nd way. Who cares what it looks like if u cant see it.
 
i'm more than prepared and capable of cuting the rust out. i just don't think i can weld that thin. i could barely do my exhaust without blowing through in several locations. we'll see, maybe i'll be more confident next summer.
 
Well in that case what are you using for a welder? What settings? Flux core penetrates much more than solid wire with gas mixture. Also .024 wire is best on the thinner stuff and flux core doesnt come that thin. .030 is the thinnest ive seen. With a mig setup on c25 and .024 wire you will be amazed at how much easier it is. Also you have to do quick tacks. Dont try laying long beads as the metal gets so much hotter and melts faster. Sorry about the spaces, my phone has no enter button lol.
 
yakmastermax said:
i'm more than prepared and capable of cuting the rust out. i just don't think i can weld that thin. i could barely do my exhaust without blowing through in several locations. we'll see, maybe i'll be more confident next summer.
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I'm only 65 miles from you, and will be happy to come show you how to weld thin metal, fit panels, etc. I am NOT a painter, that would be for you or someone else. I can rattle can primer but that's it. Hollar at me when you are ready.
 
British Slave said:
I'm only 65 miles from you, and will be happy to come show you how to weld thin metal, fit panels, etc. I am NOT a painter, that would be for you or someone else. I can rattle can primer but that's it. Hollar at me when you are ready.
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I was going to say CO has plenty of members that might offer to help in guidance or even do the job for reasonable $$$
 
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