Low-Rust Trucks For Sale

[special-K]

I see them advertised all the time.For years I`ve been going to see them only to be disappointed.For years I never saw a truck with a rusted header panel,roof,cowl area,firewall,etc.They are showing up now.These are considered high-rust and most people walk away from such rust and I`m no different.But,these low-rust trucks are all over the place and it just occurred to me what a fool I`ve been wasting my time looking and passing them up.I`ve bad mouthed these sellers for wasting my time,even.I could have hundreds of those by now.I just was misunderstanding what low-rust means.You guys have seen them alot too and most have owned one if not many.Have you passed up on these,too?What are we thinking???

Low-rust:rocker panels,cab corners,core suppoert,inner fenders,floors(bed and cab),tailgate bottoms,K/5 torsion boxes/lower front of 1/4s,Suburban lower 1/4s/rear sills...even frames.A truck can have the whole lower couple inches rusted away...gone...and still be at lest 90% rust free.I`mnot sure if even 10% of the body is rusted with all that gone.

This is all low-rust and I`ve been dealing with some very honest sellers all these years and never realized it until now....DOH!!!

[Stocker]

Ya see, here's the problem: you should have been looking at rust-free trucks!

They are said to be at least 50% truck and not much more than 50% rust...

[QKENUF4U]

well being im not joe-body man made outta money i sure as hell dont want anything to do with all that rust patch crap either. my 71 was 100% rust free but still had its issues (rockers banged up from being a farm truck). being from pennsylvania i know all about rust bucket crap and ive wasted way more than enough time on RUST FREE vehicles let alone have to replace half the car to have a RUST FREE car. (8 yrs on a 68 camaro that still never got finished, and a year on my 71 prostreet c10 before i had to sell it to move out of my ex's house) screw that rust panel replacement crap. thats why i live in phoenix now. nice and solid 90% of the time.

[arkansas]

No see you were reading the ad wrong on a low rust truck, they mean the rust is down low, ya gotta get on your hands and knees to see it. Rust free means they aren't going to charge you anything for the rust.
Or you could look at it as natural hotrodding. The hp to weight ratio is improving naturally.

[Keep on Trucking]

Originally Posted by arkansas

No see you were reading the ad wrong on a low rust truck, they mean the rust is down low, ya gotta get on your hands and knees to see it. Rust free means they aren't going to charge you anything for the rust.
Or you could look at it as natural hotrodding. The hp to weight ratio is improving naturally.

Yep and if its HIGHLY rusted it means the drip rails have issues.

[FRCvette]

I hear ya.I have been looking at trucks all over kentucky and Tennessee hoping to find a better truck than I can here in Ohio.No luck so far.I ask every owner on the phone if there is any rust or evidence of rust repair.Everyone has told me no rust at all.All trucks that I have looked at the first thing I find is rust in the doors or cab corners.

[Spray-Bomb]

Nope, I havent passed on any

Just look at this beauty that I have to work with right now

Passenger side



Drivers side



I love the minimal rust

[67CHIP72]

Tim, now that's hitting below the B85!

[jb4short]

Tim- I bought a "Rust Free", "Daily Driver" "with "Fresh Paint" sight unseen......wouldn't run, tires had unwound cords sticking out through the bubbled sidewalls and about an eight pound chunk of bondo fell off the quarter panel while it was being unloaded out here. I don't think he was a dishonest seller....I think he and I just have different standards

[QKENUF4U]

Originally Posted by Tri-ProAutomotive

Tim- I bought a "Rust Free", "Daily Driver" "with "Fresh Paint" sight unseen......wouldn't run, tires had unwound cords sticking out through the bubbled sidewalls and about an eight pound chunk of bondo fell off the quarter panel while it was being unloaded out here. I don't think he was a dishonest seller....I think he and I just have different standards

OMG NOW THATS FUNNY !! but sounds like good ol east coast junk that i was used to being that im from PA. originally

[jb4short]

Originally Posted by QKENUF4U

OMG NOW THATS FUNNY !! but sounds like good ol east coast junk that i was used to being that im from PA. originally

Tennessee junk! (Not yours Josh)

[hgs_notes]

I consider mine to be rust-light. It has some, just not rust free.

[neonlarry]

I must be spoiled, if they use the word "RUST' in the ad free or otherwise I just pass. I guess that comes with living on the left coast. The only salt we have is in the ocean.

[Jcentsr6]

Mine is rust free. Every panel is in great shape. Really. But Do you count surface rust?? Cause some scratches in the bed (small) have surface rust starting.

[N2TRUX]

See you just don't know how to interpret the ad. If it says "low rust" that means all the rust is located on the lower part of the body. Rockers, corners, fenders are all low rust.

[drivethechevy]

well dang im glad i usualy dont pass up on buying trucks i find then, most i turn around for more trucks or cars and some become parts trucks but i rarely find find trucks with rusted up roofs and cowls,i think ive got 2 one with a bad roof and one with a rust free outside and a jackolantern cab(cant close the doors no matter how u try) i guess mn has tons of great potential for our trucks i thought otherwise

[D'Animal]

East Coast Rust = The frame is marginal. The rest is history

Midwest Rust = The Usual Factory Rust. Rockers, Cab Corners, Tranny Hump, Fenders, Inner Fenders, bumbers, Bed is shot and the Cowl has a rust hole near the driverside hood hinge.

South West Rust = Key knicks around the door lock and rock chips that have began to discolor.

[special-K]

This thread was made in humor over seller`s descriptions and that was my point,low rust must mean rust in the lower area of the truck which is where you would generally find it.We always called those rusty trucks.And,I`ve coined the rustfree=no charge before...pretty funny stuff.What I like is when I ask if there is rust in the doors,rockers,or cab corners before heading out and the sellers says there isn`t.I pull up and before I get out I see bubbled paint.I guess bubbles aren`t rust so they were honest?If I asked "Is any rust showing?",I guess it would still be honest cuz you can`t see it until the bubbles pop.
For you guys bragging about having no rust where you live I have news for you.I`ve been buying my trucks from the southwest for about 20 years to get the good stuff.I`ve seen plenty of bubbles on California trucks.I`ve seen rusted rain gutters and header panels from sun-baked seam sealer more on western trucks than back east.I`ve bought rust free trucks from PA,too.My mechanic runs a rustfree`71 Cheyenne Super he bought from an old guy locally.Just required a scuff and paint.Rust is everywhere.Just not such a concern in some areas.I`ve never dealt with a rusted frame before and when I hear about them I wonder how it ever got that bad.I`ve plowed snow and come home with my truck white from salt with two arcs in my windshield from the wipers being the only area not coated and crusty.But,I washed it thoroughly before I did another thing.Never had a rusty frame.The salt in the Pacific Ocean is put into the air and on the coast you can see some pretty rusted older vehicles.Definately not like the rust belt,but the rustiest truck I`ve ever seen was in California.

I took this PA truck out to the North Rim of the Canyon and the lady that ran the only campground out there said it was on of the nicest camper she had seen.I had guys stopping my all over out there saying there`s no way that`s an east coast truck...no way.It was no daily driver for the original owner I bought it from and trucks like this are the exception.But,a true buff seeks this stuff out and that`s what it`s always been about for me.There`s 1oos of thousands of them,but you have to search for the good ones.

This picture is in New Mexico.

[Huck]

Having looked at hundreds of 67-72 trucks over 20 years, I have yet to see even 1 truly rust free truck. Even bought one from LA --had it shipped to KY--only to find a hole in the bed floor after powerwashing the underside of the bed where it wraps down over the rear bed support!! Had a 77 truck in 1980 that was already rusted through---!
Now when I look, the key issue is how much and where~~~Huck

[72freak]

Rust free and never off road!!!!

Unfortunatly we have chosen to play with a make, model and years of a vehicle that is known for its severe rust issues. As I mentioned in another post.....I think there are only 2 other makes that rust worse than our trucks........early Toyota trucks and everthing made by International Pre-1980

[special-K]

^ I totally disagree with that.Actually,I`ve found these truck`s bodies to be one of the best surviving designs ever.They outlasted the design that followed,Fords of the same years,and way past those 61-71 Dodges.In`77 I had a`69 Dodge Power Wagon and I rarely saw another Dodge,2wd or 4wd,from that design.I did a frame-off resto in`79 when I junked the cab.I used a cab from a larger truck that rarely saw hiway use.Te`67+ Fords were going around with sagging cabs in less than 10 years as well as rusted rockers and cab corners.They looked bent in the middle.Then there`s that seam on the bedside that rusted like a Toyota.Less rust is one reason I stuck with these.