Preserving a Driver

[Hotcorner]

My K25 spent its life in So Cal and Nevada. It's not original paint, and appears to have an old re-spray that's nothing to write home about, but don't want to paint it any time soon. I'd like to drive it (fair weather, weekends, sunny Fridays, etc.)

I'd like to preserve the condition of the sheet metal and frame in a rolling resto kind of way. I'm thinking of applying POR15 to the frame, followed by chassis paint. Any prep suggestions? Wire wheel?

I would also like to treat the inside of the cab corners, which have just a little patina of rust. Suggestions? Light sand, POR 15, then paint?

Inside of door bottoms look good. Shop vac and then cavity wax inside?

Cavity wax inside of rockers?

Other suggestions to keep it from deteriorating for the next 5-10 years until I'm ready to do a more comprehensive restoration?

[Coley]

As a Canadian...we 'northerners' have to clearly deal with more rust than you in the south.
I am a very big believer in 'rust checking' my truck every year, even tho' I park it 6 months a year.
Its a super dry/solid california truck so I want to keep it that way.

Now, the product I use is called 'rust check' (also online) and it comes in a can....and I typically use 3 cans a year...maybe 4.
By appearance it is 'pinkish' but it is a rust prevention spray that has lubricants, rust inhibitors and creep agents in it in order for it to penetrate into crevices, etc.
Its a bit of a dirty job because it has to be done from below and working upwards mostly...so you have to be prepared to get a little dirty and greasy from the rust check.
I spray it INTO the rocker panels through the bottom edge drain slots.
Then I do the doors, the cab corners and most major seam connections.
Then I do all the fender, rad support connections, etc, etc under the hood.
One really important place is the underside of the very back of the truck bed.
The truck frame has a 'mud shelf' that sits fairly tight against the box...and this fills up over time with dirt, mud, etc...and will rot out the box from below.
That needs to be thoroughly cleaned out...then I hit that too with rust check.
Another place is the 'inner roof', particularly along the front, upper mid seam. For that I remove the sunvisor clips and use those holes to spray into that cavity...all directions.

Regardless....I'm going on a bit here but I do this yearly and I've never had to worry about that rust sneaking up on the truck over time.
I highly recommend this process or anything very similar to it.

Regards,
Coley

[Hotcorner]

Originally Posted by Coley

As a Canadian...we 'northerners' have to clearly deal with more rust than you in the south.
Coley

I'm familiar with the phenomenon, having grown up in NE Ohio😂

[Hotcorner]

Rust Check must not distribute to the US of A.

Anybody use Cosmoline as a rust inhibitor?
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[demian5]

Keep the water drain holes in the cowl vents and doors clear of leaves and gunk.

[Keystone_Hate]

Try some stuff called Fluid Film. I spray the underside of my truck once a year in the fall. Its a lanolin based aerosol product thats eco friendly so you can spray it all the hell over the place and not worry about it. It dries as a film, and creeps into gaps, and helps to prevent rust. Its usually used on farm equipment to protect the metal from chemicals and salt. I have found it to work very well. usually 4 cans will do the whole underside of a long bed single cab truck.

[Hotcorner]

Originally Posted by Keystone_Hate

Try some stuff called Fluid Film. I spray the underside of my truck once a year in the fall. Its a lanolin based aerosol product thats eco friendly so you can spray it all the hell over the place and not worry about it. It dries as a film, and creeps into gaps, and helps to prevent rust. Its usually used on farm equipment to protect the metal from chemicals and salt. I have found it to work very well. usually 4 cans will do the whole underside of a long bed single cab truck.

I did see some lanolin—based rust inhibitors available online. Thanks 👍🏼
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[flashed]

I cant believe you are teasing us with only one pic of that beauty .More pics ,PLEASE ?

[Hotcorner]

Here's a couple more.

[flashed]

Very nice .