New Frame

[Albatrossian]

If you can sandblast it, that would be a huge help, but if not, a good high pressure washer with an etcher/cleaner would be your best bet

[84 400]

if you where gonna Z it any ways that frame sounds like your best bet as long it was done well. IF it was me i would look into a replacement as apposed to cleaning it. It might be able to be fixed but you would save alot of time. I can't see the front of the frame but it probably looks close to the rear in condition. I have seen guys fix worst in Canada.........

[AfterThoughtVideo]

so how much work is it going to be to pull the cab and the motor and all that? I've never done an entire frame before

[AfterThoughtVideo]

update: the guy now decided he doesnt want to start a new frame so hes not going to sell the Z'd frame anymore

[84 400]

Originally Posted by AfterThoughtVideo

so how much work is it going to be to pull the cab and the motor and all that? I've never done an entire frame before

It is really not that hard at all. I did it on my 62. The hard part is getting it all back together if it has fresh paint. Depending on what equipment you have access too can make a huge difference. I went the route of removing all of the body and then pulled the drive line from the frame. This ment less time on the ground and I think it makes things easy. A fork lift or a front end loader can really make things go fast. It is nothing to be afraid of but it is also not something to rush through. Just take your time think through things and it will fo fine. Also a good cutting tool and a torch are always a good idea. IF it was Me I would get the donor frame all cleaned, checked, painted, then pull the other one apart.

[AfterThoughtVideo]

yeah we have a fork lift and a cherry pick so should be fine there my dad owns a camper dealership and we have 4 bays and all the tools you can ever need so it shouldnt be too bad and I'm painting it flat black so the paint shoulnt be too much of a problem..yeah good idea I'll def get the new frame first

[Rollinsqrbdy]

U know around here the frames r like new. Of course its so dry here. I had a guy try and give me a long bed frame a while back. Their everywhere around here.

[AfterThoughtVideo]

ship me one for cheap haha

[D13]

There's one in Coldwater (jackson or AA Craigslist) complete with 350 and trans for $300, a 1980 if I remember.

[tgh117]

I know I am not standing there looking at it, but from teh pics I don't see any serious issues with that frame. Looks pretty typical for a northern truck. I would suggest getting the cab off there and looking it over. If all looks OK, with maybe the exception of some of the crossmembers, I would wire wheel the whole thing or get it sand blasted, and then start with some paint. Several companies make new paint products that can be applied directly over the rusty frame and will seal it up and smooth it off so it looks better then before. I just got done doing mine, and although it wasn't as bad as yours this time, the previous time I did it 13 years it ago, it looked fairly similar. I used rustoleum that time, and it doesn't hold up like the newer products do. Check out por-15.com or eastwood. They are two companies that make this type product.

Good luck with your project.

[AfterThoughtVideo]

hey, I tried looking but couldnt find the one on craigslist can you please send a link?

yeah I will probably wire wheel it and go from there, but just in case and especially because its going to be body dropped and have air bags I want a frame that can hold up

[Albatrossian]

Originally Posted by AfterThoughtVideo

hey, I tried looking but couldnt find the one on craigslist can you please send a link?

yeah I will probably wire wheel it and go from there, but just in case and especially because its going to be body dropped and have air bags I want a frame that can hold up

I think if you have the frame cleaned, box it up and throw some POR-15 on there, it'll be plenty strong enough.

[tgh117]

Here is a before and after picture of mine. I used 2 coats of Por-15 and 1 coat of there top coat. Cost me about 200 bucks, but well worth it. I know mine doesn't quite look like yours now, but when I did it previously it looked very similar. These northern winters are hard on trucks, especially if they plow like mine.

Good luck

[AfterThoughtVideo]

I think if you have the frame cleaned, box it up and throw some POR-15 on there, it'll be plenty strong enough.

what do you mean by box it up?

[tgh117]

By boxing it up, they are meaning welding plate all the way down the inside of the frame so it looks like a square, instead of the C. It makes the frame a whole lot stronger then the C as it is now. Almost all, if not all new trucks are boxed or hydro-formed now, so they are a lot stronger then our old time frames.

I would have done it to mine prior to painting, but since I am making the truck nice, it really won't do much work anymore like it used to.


If you intend to bag it down the road, more then likely when you put the c notch in the back of the frame, you will want to box in that section just to help strengthen it all up.

[AfterThoughtVideo]

I think I get it, but anyone have picts just to make sure.. I'm new to trucks if ya cant tell

[Albatrossian]

On our frames, the main rails are a "C." When you box it, you weld in a flat piece of steel to the C to make it a rectangular tube. It adds very considerable strength and rigidity.