ROAD SALT victim in Texas

[1968aj]

I thought i had found the truck i was looking for. A 72 cheyenne super.it was a unmolested 1 owner solid blue with wood bed floor.i drove 75 miles to see it. The cab looked great inside and it fired right up. Everything worked on it.well; then i noticed a dealer emblem from minnesota . Looked under the truck and never have i seen this in texas. Everthing was rusted. You could stick your finger through the trailing arms and the frame was almost that bad.anyway the asking price was quickly cut in half but i couldnt tell him i would not give $500 for it for parts. I did not take pictures. Why do they use this stuff on roads? There has to be a better way. Anyway the search goes on.

[C10 - C90 Bill]

Some of those "salt state" trucks can be pretty rough.

I've seen a few.

[In The Ten Ring]

Wow, life in TX must be pretty grand....

My dad bought my truck new off the lot in 1972 and drove it as a work truck for about 10 years, most of the time in winter he rode to and from work with a friend. My truck has pretty bad rust.

Front end was in bad shape. Inner fenders, passenger out fender, one grill bracket, core support: trashed. Junk. Rusted beyond repair.

Cab: holes in floor. Rockers: yuck.

Doors: bondo babies.

Rear fenders: bondo babies again.

Frame seems solid.

At least one A arm is rusted through.

And that was just 10 years of very limited use in winter as it is a two wheel drive and according to my dad "no matter what you did---lower tire pressure, put in bed load, use chains---you go backwards on hills."

These trucks were neither designed nor protected against rust. Salt is evil (and it is, for the environment) so gravel should be used.

[mike16]

we are spoiled here in SE Arizona

[72 tigger]

That's why most of the trucks I've restored are from TX & most of the trucks I've parted are from IN. That is one advantage to living in the salt region- lots of donors available with good trim and interior pieces

[1968aj]

Originally Posted by 72 tigger

That's why most of the trucks I've restored are from TX & most of the trucks I've parted are from IN. That is one advantage to living in the salt region- lots of donors available with good trim and interior pieces

sounds like I should start buying up all these rolling frames I have been seeing. frames are plentiful and cheap. I gave away complete 72 frame cab and bed to the local scrapper.wish I would have kept it now.

[In The Ten Ring]

Originally Posted by 1968aj

sounds like I should start buying up all these rolling frames I have been seeing. frames are plentiful and cheap. I gave away complete 72 frame cab and bed to the local scrapper.wish I would have kept it now.

Probably wouldn't be a bad idea. Buy what's cheap now and hope it gets more valuable later.

If I had the storage space, I'd buy an extra frame or two.

[C10 - C90 Bill]

If it's '72 and older, I save everything, lol.

[1968aj]

Originally Posted by C10 - C90 Bill

If it's '72 and older, I save everything, lol.

I do to now. a few years ago I was getting out of 67-72. I sold a running 72 highlander and a bed full of parts for $500. I gave away a 72 super parts truck. now here I go again.

[Curtb1971]

Originally Posted by 1968aj

I do to now. a few years ago I was getting out of 67-72. I sold a running 72 highlander and a bed full of parts for $500. I gave away a 72 super parts truck. now here I go again.

Same, it's funny how when I was 18 all the original stuff on my truck wasn't cool like the perfect hub caps, camper mirrors, dealer bumper, emissions equipment and even a blue steering wheel made it to the trash. Ah years later I'm like wow I just hucked all those parts! I figure now someone or even me has a use for even the smallest things. So while I have the room might as well hang on to the old stuff because you never know what you'll drag home next.

[too much stuff]

Originally Posted by 1968aj

I thought i had found the truck i was looking for. A 72 cheyenne super.it was a unmolested 1 owner solid blue with wood bed floor.i drove 75 miles to see it. The cab looked great inside and it fired right up. Everything worked on it.well; then i noticed a dealer emblem from minnesota . Looked under the truck and never have i seen this in texas. Everthing was rusted. You could stick your finger through the trailing arms and the frame was almost that bad.anyway the asking price was quickly cut in half but i couldnt tell him i would not give $500 for it for parts. I did not take pictures. Why do they use this stuff on roads? There has to be a better way. Anyway the search goes on.

And welcome to my world. Remember what dealer emblem was on it?
Get an AZ body and a MN interior and you will have a pretty decent truck!

[custom10nut]

Salt and the "Rust Moths" are the reason ANY classic (72 and older) vehicle from down south (or out west) are so valuable.
I grew up in Michigan, home of the Worlds Largest Salt Mine, (under the Detroit area) where your car loan was guarenteed to outlast the undercarriage of your vehicle.
I've bee in the south for over thirty years now, and would walk many miles rather than drive my truck on salty roads.

[tmontg01]

Originally Posted by mike16

we are spoiled here in SE Arizona

We are!