Do I go down this road?

[Surfdaddy]

I've got the grill on my GMC out for rechrome, and I've rebuilt the headlight buckets and painted them with POR15. I'm looking at the front and I now have to remove the radiator to replace the AC condenser and dryer. So I'm thinking that since I have to take almost everything off the core support anyway why don't I just remove the front sheet metal that holds the grill and the core support, media blast them paint the core support in POR15 (as you can see in the picture it's got a lot of surface rust), paint the front sheet metal the final color and put it back together. The problem is once I start down this road it's a lot of taking apart and down time. I know I'll do it anyway but I'm afraid to take the first step.

[Rich 5150 69]

If it were me and I was going that far, I`d go alll the way...LOL but thats just me...its your ball game..

[PGSigns]

I would just do it now, but that is just me. I just took the bed off mine and am doing about the same thing. Goal in January when I got the 65 was just to build a driver, all it needed was the brakes fixed and exhaust put on it. Well that did not happen so go for it.
Jimmy

[Patina]

Just my 2 cents but if you are going to take the time to media blast everything don't waste your money with por15. You wont get a quality finish. I would use a good epoxy primer and an underhood. Satin black like eastwoods. I think it will last just as long and give you a much better finished product.

Either way if you are in there you mind as well take care of the rust.
Good luck
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[jocko]

go for it now and I agree with Patina, POR 15 is a good product, but I think it's best in places that, well, don't show so much. Granted yours will be behind the grille, but I think satin black (paint) is a better choice. If you were not gonna blast it first, then yep, slog on the POR 15 and call it a day. But if you're going to blast it, then you should eliminate the rust in the process and make it suitable for a purdy paint job. Rattle can pretty anyway...

Regardless of all that - while you're in there, I'd paint that grille surround white and the background black (satin black paint) and that will have the most visual improvement. But you may already be planning that. Sharp truck by the way!

[Bears63]

If you go down this road now, you could very well be saving yourself from replacing or patching rusted through parts later. I would do it, it will be worthwhile.

[awbrown]

Well I am real lazy and that looks like a lot of work.. So I would get some friends together , lots of tools and a large supply of adult beverages and let them have at it... after is it painted and blasted call them all again and repeat the ritual except in reverse.....

[chevy_mike]

Yeah, I remember being in that same boat. "Well, since I'm this far..." 3.5 years later the truck is in hundreds of pieces and no idea if it will ever get done...

It's a slippery path to go down... choose wisely.

[Surfdaddy]

I though of blasting each part only because it costs about 20 bucks for each part. ( fender, front valance, 40 for the hood) and it's done. If I do it myself it will take days and a big mess which my wife won't like at all. So I though I could remove teh valance have it blaseted paint it and put it back on. I would think that should take a few weeks. for each part. I really can't do it the right way by removing the entire front clip and doing all teh parts together. So I'll have to do each part seperatly.

No por 15 if I sandblast ? I have the epoxy primer already so maybe that will save some time.

[Bears63]

If sandblasting then the Por-15 is a non-issue. Just use the epoxy primer since the blasting takes care of the rust removal. Make a plan and stick to it, no matter what. I got caught up in "well, this should be fixed too, I'll do it now too". That's where you get in trouble. Just make a plan and stay very focused on it.

[Slammed50]

It all depends on how far you want to go with the truck. I am a fan of stopping rust as soon as possible, and if all you have is surface rust that will clean up with some blast work then I would make a plan of tearing down the front sheet metal and nipping it in the bud before it takes off on you. As far as te por-15 goes I am a big fan of it ONLY if you buy the proper reducer and spray it out. I have shot many frames and engine bays with por-15 after it has been blasted and it works great. Very durable and a nice finish if sprayed. Etch primer works as well but you have to top coat it afterwards. Good luck either way!!!
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[kieth]

We bought a small Harbor Freight blaster (the one with the tall pot) after we called in a pro blaster to walnut shell blash the whole body of the truck we decided to try walnut shell blasting ourselves on smaller parts, it works great with the 150.00 harbor freight sand blaster and the media can be recovered (if you put a tarp down) and after screening reused 2-3 times. smaller parts can be done with no pitting and the oil from the walnut shells actually coats the part to keep it from rusting.

ps be careful, if you tear it down there is no stopping.........and it takes a long time to get it back together. Kieth

[oem4me]

Since you live in Newhall, CA I'm guessing the rust issue is not going to "take off" on you. It'll probably look the same for years to come. Ask yourself if you want the truck to look like it's half done all the time. Fully done trucks are nice, as are worn originals, and both styles have their audience. There is also nothing wrong with driving a project truck either, as long as the work progresses, if even slowly.

[Surfdaddy]

Keeping it Driveable is the idea. OEM4ME, as you proably know most of the newer home in this area have HOA's and my garage is a workshop that I can't put the truck into, so everything has to be done outside in teh driveway in plain sight. Though the neigbors likie to see what I'm working on they really don't want to have a torn down truck in the driveway. I plan was to do one part at a time which I think I can get away with. BUt thinking about it I'm not sure how practical that is. I can try and see how it goes. I know how taking one thing off starts you down a slippery slope, and the reason for the input is when I did my 66 Caprice I brought it home and started to take the grill off to straighten and polish as well as see how things were. This was on a Friday. Next thing I knew Sunday night I had the body off and a bare frame. Monday night when I came home from work I looked at what I did and said I was crazy. It toook 3 years and 7K to get it finished. I said I would never do that again. What is it they say about never say never?

[iehotrod]

I agree with a lot of folks. It is a matter of personal preference. Do you want work? If not other leave it. If you don't mind the work and if you have the time and money to do it right? remove the front clip but don't mess with the exterior color being the white and blue. Only clean up and repaint all the engine bay and what ever is in black. Semi flat black if a good finish for a truck with original exterior paint. It really looks clean and original versus the semi-gloss it will look newer and make you wanna keep going to continue other wise the rest of the truck look worse. That's my I.O.. Do you have a vision in your head?

[Surfdaddy]

What in invision and what I'm capable of are two different things. Basically I would like this truck fully restored and as close to showroom as I can make it. I'll try and do all of the body work myself, but it takes me a long time to do bodywork since I'm an idiot and can't seem to get it as good as I think it should be. So far I've completed the mechanical part and since I'm not too good at body work I'm kind of stalling. This whole thing will take time. The last two projects I did (the squareback and the boat) only took about 6 months each. This one will take longer since I plan on driving it as I go.

[iehotrod]

Your right! you are not alone what we have in our heads and what my be capable are two different things. If show room condition is what know you want then knock your self out. Take it in sections. The front end is a good starting point. Do you drive it everyday?

[Surfdaddy]

No, in fact I have only about 100 miles on is since I got it running. I just finished getting it running, rebuilding the brakes and trans and cleaning the fuel system. It runs pretty good but just need to adjust the valves which I'll do this week. The only machanical thing left (aside from adding power steering and brakes) is the AC which is where I got side tracked on taking the core support and front valance off. Everything from here on will be cosmetic.