depressing

[Budweis]

hey all,
well i was under the truck today trying to figure out what all i need for my project and saw that my rockers and supports for floor boards are wasted as floor boards have also seen better days. the supports are barely even there at all near the rockers. rockers look more like big clump of putty than metal. has me wondering if sinking 10k into this truck is even worth it. problem is already bought 5k in parts so cant stop now. the main problem is i cant weld and truck wont move yet. i was wondering if i should look into learning to weld and rent some welding equipment or if i should pay a welder to come out and weld up for me once i get laid out and rust removed and patch panels in. if i decided to learn to weld which kind of welding and equipment would i want to use for a project like this? mig? and would i be able to learn to weld in one weekend lol as thats prob all i can rent it for. i wish i could buy a setup but money doesnt allow right now, i got 5k left to get this truck done and prob not gonna make the way it is. any advice or tips on equipment to rent appreciated, the truck is in the central missouri lake of the ozarks area where im doing project at. if anyone lives in this area who welds and feels bad for me and wants to weld up for me id gladly pay too lol. after looking at it today it has me pretty depressed , letting truck sit for 5 years really screwed it up, gonna be alot of work to get it straightened out.

[Bluegoose972]

Good News/Bad News:


Good first:
I'm pretty new to the restoration/metal fabrication game, but I had pretty good success on my first project. It is well worth the money to purchase a welder. I purchased a small hobby welder at Home Depot for $400 and it has been a life saver. It's a small wire feed unit that uses shielded wire. The only problem is that since it doesn't use gas, it welds hotter which causes splatters and warping of the metal. Add on another $250 and you will be completely set up with a complete welding station. If you try to hire out the repair, it will cost you an arm and a leg, since the work is very tedious. You can purchase patch panels at many locations and all the support members. Just take your time(be patient) and only remove one portion at a time (to keep things from deforming when the supports are removed). My welding doesn't look that great, but you would be amazed how good things look after a little touch up with a grinder!

Bad News:
Your budget doesn't look to good right now. My budget started out around $15k, and I've already spent that and probably have another $5k to go to be finished. I would recommend focusing on the important items, like drivetrain and rust damage. You can slap a primer coat of paint on the truck for minimal cost and fit in with the latest trends. I plan on waiting for the paint and outer trim work until next year since I've blown my budget.

Don't get depressed. This is a hobby and for fun!

Rick

[Budweis]

ok now you got me thinking so i looked up some prices on mig welders, question is will 1 110v gas/mig welder work ok or will i need a 220v to acheive best results on sheetmetal and floorboard framework. i need to learn to weld anyway so i guess now is the time. i seen some 110 ones used for like 200.00 to 300.00 in varying amperage but most like 135 amp. would something like this be sufficient for what i need it for? any advice on brands to stay away from? for right now i just wanted budget setup that will work for task at hand and that i can learn on i guess.

[Mudder]

I have a really good body man pretty close to you and he doesnt charge ya for both arms and legs. Good body men are very hard to find. He has two cabs like yours in his shop right now. He enjoys working on these old trucks. Pretty rare in this day and time.

[Budweis]

forgot to add if anyone has any good links for mig welding methods or guides please post i took a 6 week course already on oxy/acetelene welding and brazing but this is going to be a different ballgame. on the oxy accetelene you more or less pushed the puddle around in tiny circles making sure you got good pentration on other side. on mig i couldnt tell you so any advice appreciated. thanks again also advice on kind wire to use if i get a wire feed one. i think gonna try myself mudder thanks for input tho. lol somehow i went to school for auto body for 2 years yet never used a mig welder. they only had a 6 week course on welding. i worked in a body shop for 2 years and never mig welded once lol was a painter tho. its high time i learned as im sick of stuff slowing me down

[454_72_4X4]

Miller and Hobart are the best welders in my opinion. Lincoln isn't bad either.

The 135 amp 110 volt versions will work excellent for body work, or even up to 1/4 steel if need be. Even thicker with multiple passes.
If you can afford it at all get one with the gas. CO2 works good and it's cheap. Argon is for aluminum or maybe stainless.

My best friend is my Miller Challenger 172, (called 175 now I think). It's a 220 volt version but they also make a Challenger 135 that is a 110 volt. Ones of my friends has the 135 and it works just as well as mine.

After you learn to weld you'll never understand howyou got by without it!

[Devil'S Ride]

Yeah, definetly learn how to weld. I prefer miller or lincoln. Great weld machines. Also, I too would get the Co2 machine. especially for sheetmetal. With out the gas, the heat from the weld will warp things much easier. therefore causeing you more pain in the long run as you will have to fix the warp damage.

All in all, take your time, move slow, and remeber to always have fun. Thats what this is all about!!

[Budweis]

yeah i looked at a few. what about clarke? i found one brand new thats got the tank and cart and everything i need with it and its priced brand new at 474.90 at welding depot. seems like a nice enough deal. i like the idea of having new over used. ive redid budget a bit and i figure i got 500.00 to spend on one. i know tanks cost like 69.00 and most dont come with. as far as budget i was figuring this budget to just get to primer. gonna take my front clip off tomorow looks like i might need a passenger side inner fender well too as it rusted through where some brackets go but looks like thats all the major dam combined with the floorboard and rockers. whole front clip looks pretty good and bed not bad passed the magnet test but no telling till start sanding. anyone know what guage the lmc replacement panels are? what gauge is the oem on out trucks? need to go get some practice sheet metal