2001 Chevy Silverado RUST repair

[Cutlass]

I thought I posted my rust repair adventures here but I can't find the thread. So I'm thinking I never posted it here. So here goes.
April 2012 I had both rockers and cab corners fixed in our body shop. Cost me about $1200. I got a HUGE discount BTW. It probably would have cost $3000 to $4000...no joke.

Here's the pics I snapped:



Hard to tell in this pic, but someone used foil tape, bondo, and paint to previously "repair" the rockers. Funny world, huh?

[Cutlass]

I had chip guard added to the rockers and cab corner for increased protection

[Cutlass]

March 2013, I removed the factory hitch to have it sandblasted and powdercoated. My buddy swore up and down it would come out SUPER nice. Well it came out nice and I like it, but it didn't turn out as nice as his did. Mine was so pitted that parts of it came out looking like a "Hammertone" paint job. And the guy said he used a primer coat and heavy topcoat. As you might know, powdercoat is baked on and flows out smoother then most paint, but as you can see its not super smooth in this case. Overall I'm happy because powder coat is WAY thicker than paint and it should last a good 3 to 5 years without much rust reappearance. It cost me $120 to have it sandblasted and powdercoated. I suspect it was discounted quite a bit as I know the guy through some friends and he did it on the side. But I'm not sure how much the discount equals.

[Cutlass]

Next thing I have planned for this month or early May is rust repair above the rear wheel wells on both bed side. I found some rust repair panels for about $55 each side and I'm talking to the body shop about an estimate.


No rust here when I bought it, but it just starting to poke out now. I gotta get it early before it get worse, right?








Here's the repair panel I plan on using

[5.0THIS]

Damn that truck's led a rough life

Did you consider just buying a take off hitch from craigslist? I see them fairly often for 100$ or so and in good shape, some barely used.

[Cutlass]

Yes I did. I almost bought one but it was 1.5 hours away. In the end it would have cost more in gas and the cost of the hitch then powdercoating this one. All the other hitches for sale around here were too rusty to be worth it or were off newer trucks. The ones off newer trucks (08-up) didn't look like an exact fit, but I wasn't sure.

These trucks get rusty around here. Rockers, cab corners, doors, tailgate, and rear wheel wells are the hot spots for rust. I don't think the new body style is gonna hold up much better

[konigandy6]

That'll be the only rust free GMT800 truck in the midwest! lol

Looking good!

[5.0THIS]

That'll be the only rust free GMT800 truck in the midwest! lol

Looking good!

If I saw that truck here in Colorado, AFTER he had the cab repaired, I'd still turn around and run away. If that's considered good for the midwest, I feel bad for what you have to deal with.

[Cutlass]

You guys don't use salt in Colorado?

[0rion]

GM's in particular get that rocker and cab corner rust.....they have for years. It's hard to find one with any kind of miles on it that doesn't either have the rust or is starting to rust there. Myself, I wouldn't spend a lot of time worrying about that hitch. It's a hitch. If you use it very much it'll be right back where it was at some point. Just pull it and rattle can it every couple years.

[5.0THIS]

You guys don't use salt in Colorado?

We do, but the lack of ever-present moisture helps out alot. They've started to use alot more magnesium chloride out here as well for the roads. It can wreak havoc on clear coated aluminum wheels if you never wash it off, but doesnt seem to cause rust like the salt can.

[Firebirdjones]

Boy I sure am glad I moved out of the rust belt, and that's one of the reasons why. That's also why I always came out west to buy our cars when I lived in Ohio, then I kept one beater in the stable to subject to the salty winters.

Sure doesn't take long, that truck isn't really all that old Cutlass. None the less that rocker repair looks great

[Cutlass]

Looking good!

None the less that rocker repair looks great

Thanks. I'm happy with the results

[Cutlass]

Got my truck undercoated and inner panel rust proofed today. Undercoating is pretty self explaining. Its that standard black sticky mess they spray on everything under the truck. They did a great job masking off most things that don't need undercoating but I still had to spend about 30 minutes cleaning it off a couple spots on the exhaust, driveshaft, and the back of the wheels. Looks good under the truck now.
The inner panel rust proofing involves them sticking a really small wand/tube in the drain holes of all four doors, the tailgate, rocker panels, and the cab corners and spraying this light gooey backcoating in these areas. the wand sprays in a 360 degree pattern to make sure everything gets covered.
For a rusty pile crap like my truck, this is more of a coverup and slow down the rust, rather then a rust proofing. But it was dirt cheap at $155 and its worth it to me.

[5.0THIS]

Wisconsin: Home of Aaron Rodgers. And rust!

[0verkill]

nice work i need to do this so bad. i have a 3500 drw so i luck out on the rear fenders are plastic. and the hitch can be a big issue if you use it. i know its only a 1500 but if you load a stock one to much they like to brake. i put a class 5 on my truck a year or so ago and it was less then a new stock one.

[REVNORR82]

I need to do the same thing rockers are just ate up with rust and I'm afraid to take my fender flares off to see what's going on there.

[Cutlass]

Next thing I have planned for this month or early May is rust repair above the rear wheel wells on both bed side. I found some rust repair panels for about $55 each side and I'm talking to the body shop about an estimate.


No rust here when I bought it, but it just starting to poke out now. I gotta get it early before it get worse, right?








Here's the repair panel I plan on using

I've been struggling to find time to get my rear wheel wells fixed but finally that time has come!

July 2014, Peeled off both Z71 decals and he cut out the out the section to be patched above both rear wheel wells. Then flanged the original sheetmetal to accept the patch for a strong overlap weld in repair. The bare metal was rattle can'd flat black because I'm still driving the truck while this part of the repair is being down and we didn't want the bare metal to rust. Next day he finished up attaching the inner wheel well to the outer patch panel. Then we slapped on some USC All-Metal body filler. No plans to work on it for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, but come Monday, I'll be leaving my truck at the body shop and he'll sand the filler, slap on more filler if needed, sand again, slap on some glazing putty to smooth out and air bubbles or imperfections in the heavy filler, sand again, prime, and paint!!



Left side


Right side






Body filler


Back side of cut out rusty panel



MORE UPDATES TO COME NEXT WEEK

[5.0THIS]

What's the body work on the bed running you? Just curious, as I see used complete (and straight) beds for these trucks for a 3-400$ fairly regularly.

[pajeff02]

How has the new undercoating held up? I have shot our Suburban twice now and it is generally gone within a few months.