55.2-59 cab rust - is it bad?

[regan56]

Originally Posted by dsraven

i wouldnt worry about fenders until you get the cab done. do like ogre says, poke around the roof gutter, all the way around, to see if you have any soft spots. blasting the cab will reveal any spots as well. before you go cutting anything apart i suggest to install the doors, if theyre off, and once they fit the cab then brace the door openings on the inside, like an x, and also the front area from door post to door post, then the doors can be removed and tinwork cut off as needed without worry of the cabchanging shape as you fit and weld stuff back on. if the windshield fit well you may also wanna brace the windshield opening just to be sure the windshield fits back in the hole when done repairs. that eyebrow panel is/was available and also comes with the complete roof panel. there are guys here who have replaced the roof and posted pics so you know what you are getting into before you start. I suggest to download a free copy of the 55-59 chevrolet truck factory assembly manual from the trifive site and peruse through that as it will show you where all the spot welds are located and how stuff fits together.
most of thesecabs have the rusty floors and hinge pillars because water gets trapped in the cowl plenum and drains out through the foot vents. the inner cowls have drains at the bottom but it doesn't take much to plug them at the little hole they have at the bottom. leaves, pineneedles, dirt, whatever.

Originally Posted by dsraven

since the cab mounts are connected to the hinge pillars and cab inner steps make sure to check those areas well and look for a floor that is flat on the inside, fore to aft, because bad cab mount supporting sheet metal in the pillar area allows the heavy front section of the cab to sag and the give away is a floor that isn't flat up near the pedal area.

Originally Posted by dsraven

on one truck I had there was a mouse nest in the eybrow area that extended to cover most of that area. pretty common I guess.

Originally Posted by dsraven

check kabwe's build as he removed his roof. you can see the inner structures in his pics.

all great stuff..thank you!

[leegreen]

are you up for 40 hours of driving rather than at least that many of rust repair?

https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...78#post9311478

big back window though.


From what you show of your cab there is nothing that can't be fixed. But it is crusty enough that once you start poking around you will find more to fix. From this distant POV I'd say it is possible your cab is best suited for a patina or primer ride...fix the essential structural problems treat the rest with wax based rust inhibitor and finish getting the truck drivable and on the road.
If you want a shiny well painted truck your cab may be an uphill struggle - and good learning experience for body work and welding if that is what you want. But you will either put many hours into learning to make panels or many dollars into buying patch panels.

There is a risk to looking too closely at the cab you have. As it sits it has value (in Canada at least), but if you poke holes in or cut out all the rust and then abandon it it will have little value.