Budget Crusty Toyota Rehab/Restore thread

sounds good!

like rustygreen said, you'll definitely want to use a mig welder with smaller for that. i've tried doing body patch panels with a flux-core and 0.030 wire, and it's like trying to flip pancakes with a sledgehammer...

that video definitely makes all of those things look way easier than they are!

a few rough notes-- check out eastwood.com. it's a sales shop that specializes in auto rebuilding tools and materials. at the very least, looking through their catalog has given me a good idea of tools/materials any project needs. i've barely bought anything from them-- many times their tools can be easily substituted for simpler options, but they offer some videos with how their tool works that makes it easier to substitute a cheaper option to perform a similar task.

that video said nothing about panel warping, which is really disappointing honestly. it'll make sense as soon as you see it. but a quick explainer, welding holds metal in place. but to do it, it creates heat. heat makes metal expand. cold makes metal contract. if you try welding a sheet metal panel straight across, it will make it expand that when you're done, it will bubble out in various places because the sheet is now 'larger'. 2 ways to get around this:

1, and the most critical that's always mentioned in any other sheet metal welding video: small spot welds like he did, but alternate throughout the workpiece to give time for the welded area to cool and the metal to 'relax'(ie, on a 12" long patch, you might tack it at the start at 0", then at 5", then at 8" then at 12", then go back to 0.5", and repeat)

2, keep a wet towel near the workpiece, and as soon as you're done tacking an area, hold the towel over the weld area to contract the metal again. generally it's a less ideal technique to use, but if you start to see warpage, it's easier to use this technique than it is to grind out and entirely replace the panel.


sheet metal work definitely falls somewhere between 'art' and 'voodoo', but done patiently, can be extremely rewarding. i can't wait to see your results!

 

Yeah my one huge advantage is a friend who is a pro welder with good equipment I can borrow and actually knows whats hes doing. Im aiming on borrowing him for the first couple of patches until i figure out what I;m doing and what equipment I should invest in (or dont invest in)

 

Lest you think Im not making this truck earn its keep aroun d here.,....

 

Decided to stop letting the "perfect" be the enemy of the "good" and to make some progress. I've been struggling with getting the bed bolts to loosen up, so with limited time and energy I decided to attack as much of the visible rust as I can now until I can get the bed off. The major areas that need attention are predictably the drivers side frame and leaf shackle area. I beat it with a hammer to get as much loose crud off, then hit it with a wire wheel to get as much surface rust off as I could.

 

CLeaned up

 

Good news is I didnt see any rot thru, I think Im catching it in time to save the frame. The factory undercoating has held up pretty well on the forward part of the frame, just the rear is gettin rusty. I referred to these reviews to choose my rust converting spray/paint, he seemed to do thorough testing and unbiased reviews.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tu1n1POMg98&t=589s

I went with the Rust Kutter to convert exisitng surface rust:



Applying it:

 

There is certainly a lot of rust on this old beast but I am happy to see you bringing it back to life.

 

Yeah it might ultimately be a lost cause but if I can get a few more years out of it I'll call it a win. Its a good truck, just needs some attnetion

 

I see you're past this part but what was the meaning behind this?
Trying to remove the wheel?
They make a special tool for it.
What I did was put a breaker bar on the nut, rest the breaker bar on the d.s. frame and turn the key to crank the engine, SLIGHTLY.
The bolt will break free.

 

Yeah keeping the pulley from spinning while youre trying to break the bolt loose or cranking it back down. I;ve seen that technique with the breaker bar for breaking it loose, my bolt was coming out by hand so I cant comment on that, but the strap method is useful for tightening it back down to spec, even if youre by yourself

 

If you have a garage, sufficient tools, and sufficient time, money, materials, and talent - you can turn this truck around.

Only you know if it's worth the effort.

Either way, good luck, friend. Proud of you.

 

Thank you, I def have some of most of those things

 

The older I get the more I have become OK with "done is better than perfect"...
(Check my signature line )

 

Decided to check my airbox for the hell of it and.... This might be the filter mod that actually DOES net me +5 hp!!

 

haha holy shit. nice project! love a budget build

 

ONce the Rust Kutter dried:

 

STarted poking around on the passenger side and... NOOOOOO



Only two small spots luckily, I was thinking I would escape unscathed. I'll have to weld some patches around these

 

You should probably remove the cab and bed from the frame, man. That frame is a little crusty. If you’re going to do the job, maybe go all of the way.

 

Watching

 

Want to get the bed off at a minimum. Cab... maybe, idk if thats a bridge too far. I dont have a dedciated garage space for this, I'm mostly working on it in my lawn haha. I PB blastered the bed bolts again this AM , will see if I can get them broke free.