1972 F100 cab - Salvageable ?

[North56]

This is a project truck I am working on. I pulled the mats and screwed in patch metal from the floor of the cab today. Do you guys think it is salvageable or should I look for another cab? Remember I am just learning to weld. Thanks for looking.

[Jacksdad]

I guess it depends what your priority is right now. Getting the truck fixed as soon as possible, or learnIng to weld. Having the truck up and running would be awesome, but being able to weld and repair stuff like this is something I don't think you can put a price on.

Everything can be fixed - it's just a case of being prepared to put in the time. One thing though - check the condition of the roof/drip rails, because that can be very tricky for a beginner.

I learned to weld on an old station wagon someone gave my dad. It supposedly had no transmission, but in fact it was just the gear shift that was missing. It was rotten though - floors, chassis, inner and outer fenders, etc. My dad told me to start learning, and over the course of the next few months, I started at one corner and worked my way all around it until it was solid. We used that thing for years at his shop, and as the tow car for his comp altered dragster.

It might be daunting, but rust like yours is definitely a great way to learn. I'd say dive in and start burning some metal. You really can't learn to weld on a solid cab.

[jzjames]

No man!
I don’t think it would be much fun after a very short while. But it would be a decent parts truck.
Saw your other pics and the cab mounts are gone, lower A-pillars, floors, inner fenders, right?

Why not find another 67-72 and make one good one. These are great trucks but you don’t see many of them left in the road salt states. What state are you in?

[Jacksdad]

A new cab would absolutely get you on the road a lot quicker, but I've repaired worse. My dear old dad's shop was in the north of England, and we got a reputation for working on old/oddball stuff that it wasn't always possible to buy repair panels for, so we made new ones from scratch using cardboard templates. That said, you still need to factor in damage like roof rust. That is not an easy fix.

Just for context, the climate in Britain is perfect for rust like yours. I wouldn't be able to do half the things I can if it wasn't for projects like this. If you have the time, and a long term spot to park it, it's fixable. Nothing ventured...

Like I said, it depends what your priorities are. On the plus side, either way the truck gets fixed

[tsherry]

Around here (Ea. Washington) that's a scrap cab. Far better ones are being crushed in the wrecking yards.

[cep62]

I am just learning to weld.

If you're not a welder now , you will be when you get done.

Seriously , that's a lot of work for some one who knows what they're doing .
It could turn you off of doing body work.

before you start check out the roof rail and the back of the cab supports.

[North56]

A new cab would absolutely get you on the road a lot quicker, but I've repaired worse. My dear old dad's shop was in the north of England, and we got a reputation for working on old/oddball stuff that it wasn't always possible to buy repair panels for, so we made new ones from scratch using cardboard templates. That said, you still need to factor in damage like roof rust. That is not an easy fix.

Just for context, the climate in Britain is perfect for rust like yours. I wouldn't be able to do half the things I can if it wasn't for projects like this. If you have the time, and a long term spot to park it, it's fixable. Nothing ventured...

Like I said, it depends what your priorities are. On the plus side, either way the truck gets fixed

I live in Manitoba Canada. The roof is solid no rust. Parking is not a problem, I am in a rural area.

[North56]

Thanks for all the reply's, greatly appreciated. I think I will keep an eye out for another 67-72 F100. At the same time I will price out rust repair panels for the cab. Would be nice if there where pillars, inner and outer rocker rust panels around. I haven't been able to find any in Canada. I am not ready to give up on the truck yet .

[WhitsEnd]

In my opinion (low value), you will be money ahead by obtaining a new cab, even if you have to ship it from central or southern USA.

A good body guy could spend up to 100 hours trying to fix your current cab. I'm not suggesting you take it to a professional to do so, I'm just saying the time involved would not justify the result, when compared to getting another cab. What's your time worth?

I think you could find a good cab for $1k US and have it shipped for another $1k US. That amount of money won't even get you started with the rust repair. These trucks are still out there and Ford made hundreds of thousands. It's not like a gullwing Mercedes...

[Jacksdad]

Check out this thread. Lot of rust and a ton of work to get it fixed, but this young man did an incredible job. Might make you feel a little better about yours

http://www.fordification.com/forum/view ... 22&t=76312

[North56]

Thanks again guys for the input. I am still tossed about what to do. Since I am retired, time is not a problem right now. I am leaning towards doing the work on it myself and not really putting a time table on the finished project. If I can finish in 3 to 5 years, I would be happy with that. In our cold Canadian climate I will only be able to work on the truck in the summer, since my garage is not heated.

I think I would have to buy a new welder. I got a Lincoln Handy Pak a few years back with no gas valves. I was thinking of getting either the Lincoln mig pak 140 or 180. The 140 is about $150.00 less than the 180 here. It would be used for mainly the body on the truck. What are your opinions ?

[Ranchero50]

That's probably replacement territory. Once you take a torch and check the other rusted areas for weakness I think you'll agree. Lot of corrupted metal in that floor.

[Jacksdad]

If you can afford it, the bigger set up would be better. Even if you don't need to weld anything thicker than sheet metal (you will...) the 180 should give you a greater duty cycle than the 140. Not necessarily a deal breaker, but it helps if you're doing a lot of continuous welds. In truth, either would work for your needs though. My MIG is a little Lincoln SP135 and it's a very capable machine for light duty welding. For sheet metal work, I bounce between that and my oxyacetylene gear depending on the application and my mood.

Whichever you choose, definitely go with a gas set up. It's a little more expense, but much nicer to use with less spatter and clean up. And you can still use flux core wire if you need to weld something thicker.

.

[Ranchero50]

Must have gas. Run .023" wire on a 120 volt machine because it'll run hotter with less amps as well as run colder on thin stuff. Floors qualify as thin stuff.

[North56]

Must have gas. Run .023" wire on a 120 volt machine because it'll run hotter with less amps as well as run colder on thin stuff. Floors qualify as thin stuff.

So that would be the Mig Pak 140 ?