How rusty is too rusty??? Caution, rusty photos attached

[Onebean]

I'm on the hunt for a 71 or 72 Chevy pickup. LWB 2 wheel drive with a decent body I can tinker with and drive for fun. I found a pretty decent non running truck, but the cab rust is much worse than I hoped. The rust is up onto the kick panels, the rockers and cab corners are real bad, and the floor has complete rust through where it meets the rockers. In spots a baseball might fall through. At what point is the rust beyond normal repair? I'm not a body man, and I'm not confident in my ability to repair that much rust. It would have to go to a body shop. Take a look at these pictures and let me know your thoughts.

Onebean

[garyd1961]

I don't work at a body shop but if all you have is just that sheet metal in the photo's that's bad, it shouldn't be too much to fix. All I see is mostly floor pans rusted out, I've seen a lot worse on here fixed.

[camtoys1]

if that the worst of it can be fixed

[Lanman1972]

Floor extensions, rockers, cab corners, etc. not a big deal. Roof rust is another story.

[Moose Monkey]

How about the bed? More details about how bad. Could become a everyday fun driver!

[Onebean]

Originally Posted by Moose Monkey

How about the bed? More details about how bad. Could become a everyday fun driver!

Yea, I just want something fun to drive occasionally and tinker around with, I'm not looking for a show car. I hope to see the truck in person this weekend. I'm at the mercy of the sellers photography skills right now.

Onebean

[custom10nut]

Ezee Peezy.

[randy500]

Blue on blue truck which appears to be high options since it has factory carpet...that rust is fixable, if its a stripper truck that needs lots of other upgrades...possibly a parts truck.

I don't like having to change the floor supports and the outer floor, but it is easily fixable.

I would spend the money and buy the whole floorpan, over and done with it all.
Probably much easier to install too, one piece instead of about a dozen individual pieces.

[67 chevelle]

Thats not that bad

[57taskforce]

Theres guys on the east coast that would kill to have a truck only needing floor work. Looks like a good start to me. Like said above the roof and around the windshield is much more difficult.

[Steeveedee]

Originally Posted by 57taskforce

Theres guys on the east coast that would kill to have a truck only needing floor work. Looks like a good start to me. Like said above the roof and around the windshield is much more difficult.

Yup. I sold a Buick Skylark GS recently that I could have made more money on if I had driven it to the east coast. Enough for fuel and motels, and plane fare home, with a profit above what I sold it for. But I'm not a greedy SOB.

Depending on where you live, you might be better off just finding a different truck. Not knocking the body shops! They need to make a living, too.

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

I say run but I'm a novice. My 72 cab is pretty rusty, and I'd probably be on the hunt for a new cab to restore the truck. Yours looks worse as pictured, though like others have warned, how's the roof? My gutter is bad.

Just seems to me a truck looking like that has rust you haven't seen yet, and rust you'll never see. I have it in the gutter, typical four corners, recently found some on the firewall. No reason to reach down into the cowl.

Again I'm no expert. A lot of these easterners looked at mine and said big whoop.

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

Again I don't begin to know how to repair a rusted cab, much less weld. But I look at it this way, my window frame and roof are bad, some holes on the ceiling panel.....Well there's two panels in places, how the heck does someone correct between those panels? Sign of rust here and there, heck, it's a safe bet between the panels is bad. Yeah, you could probably repair/restore enough till death do you part, but eventually, any unresolved rust will see its way through.

[BlazerBill]

I am getting another cab, mine looks very similar to yours. It can all be fixed,it just takes time. It would be a lot, of great experience you will get buy fixing it.