Fabricating New Cab Corner Help

More of an art than a science - discuss metalworking and welding here.



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PostPosted: Sun Mar 24, 2019 11:45 am
I am on here to get some advice from people who have been doing this for a long time. I know that the rust has gone through the outside metal and into the cabin, but what would be the best way to go about making a new corner piece? Thanks in advance. I'll attach pictures below.
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 26, 2019 1:35 am
I'm no expert but there are many ways to make a suitable cab corner including bending it over a pipe or other form to create the correct radius, using a shrinker/stretcher, notching and welding the corner, etc but IMHO the best way is to take your favorite credit card, rub it between your palms until it is good and warm, and then order replacement cab corners online. :P No idea what year and model you are working on there but when you can buy replacement cab corners online for $15-50 for many vehicles I think they are worth every penny. Just my .02, and good luck with the repair. :goodjob:



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PostPosted: Wed Mar 27, 2019 6:08 pm
Well i too am no EXPERT by any means nore am I a Profesional BODYMAN that works every day in a Paint and Body shop or Colision repair shop, HOWEVER I am a Profesional mechanic with a few years of Restoration experiance.
I can tell you from experiance that your Rust is far deeper than what you are seeing on the surface and IF you remove the head liner and look BETWEEN the interior panel and the exterior panel looking at that outside skin from inside the Truck that rust is more extensive on the inside than you think! so your gonna need to replace more metal than what you think!
Ya its rusting on the Outside AND the inside! (Check it out)

At any rate making Patches for that is gonna Suck!
IF you have to ask how to metal shape Patches for that trust me its beyound your current Tallents!
IF this is your first project lets get it done the easiest way possible! BUY a whole Roof from a Junk yard Truck.
There are just too many expensive tools to buy!
Just to get it done by buying the panels, Buying everything to do everything is cost prohibitive.

That is unless you already have every thing to do Paint and body work ?????
That would include a Big Aircompressor, air hose, plumbing, air drier, water trap, regulators, Mig welder/Tig welder/Gas welder, a Good set of Hammers and Dollys, Paint guns, Paint booth, Metal saw, Die grinders, Sanders, sand paper, supplies and on and on.

Then Metal shapping
Big Stump, Hammers, Mallets, English wheel, Bead roller, Welders, Saws, Shears, screws, Clamps, Clecoes, and the List goes on and on.

Seriously while that cab corner may look easy to do Your skill leve and what you want it to look like in the end come to mind.
I personally am looking for as Perfect as I can get to original for most of the work I am doing, You on the the other hand may only be consernd with just keeping the water out. So you need to be a little more creative in what your asking I think?

Are you looking for perfect? do you have any experiance at all? what Kind of equipment do you have? What kind of repair are you looking for? What kind of money are you looking to put into this project? What kind of money are you willing to invest in yourself? for the next project?

If are you only interested in stopping Rain and snow and you plan to scrap the Truck in a Year or two? Get yourself a Can of Fiberglass Filler, some Sand papper a 2 hp aircompressor a cheap $20 harborfreight gun some cheap Paint and go at. Lots of Videos on You tube explain every thing you need to know to do this sort of thing.

:knockout:
Dennis B.
A&P Mechanic, FCC General radio Telephone Operator
Line Maintenance A&P Mechanic and MOC Tech specialist.



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PostPosted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 2:20 pm
Thank you for the advice, I've been saving some extra cash for a welder. I'm looking at a Hobart Handler 140 or the equivalent Lincoln counterpart. I plan on fixing this the right way, and have been informed by a lot of other people that filling the rust holes with fiberglass is only a temporary solution. And that is not what I'm looking for. I understand that the rust will most likely go a lot deeper than what it seems to be right now, and it will take a long time to completely fill in the rust holes.
I tried finding new cab corners, but have not had any luck with reproduction ones for sale online for my specific truck. I would also look for a roof from a local scrapyard, but there aren't any of those near me with the correct roof. Old Toyota pickups are very difficult to find in scrap yards in my area.
The end goal is just to have the rust removed, and make it look good. I don't care very much about it being factory specifications. I just want it to look good, and provide the function of stopping rain from coming into the cabin.
For tools I plan on buying very first will be: hammer and dolly set and a welder. I know there are thousands of tools you can get for auto body work, but like everyone else I'm doing it on somewhat of a budget. I can wait and save for tools I need, but if I don't have to have them then I will avoid purchasing them.
If you have any other questions, suggestions, or advice I would appreciate it. -Thanks



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PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2019 10:02 am
i have the hobart handler 140 and its a good machine for me. IF you pick one up, very first thing to do is look at the gauge and if it isnt a smith, contact hobart to get it replaced. they packed some rather junk china gauges with some machines. they arent accurate and leak.



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PostPosted: Fri Jun 07, 2019 3:16 pm
HattedToast wrote:Thank you for the advice, I've been saving some extra cash for a welder. I'm looking at a Hobart Handler 140 or the equivalent Lincoln counterpart. I plan on fixing this the right way, and have been informed by a lot of other people that filling the rust holes with fiberglass is only a temporary solution. And that is not what I'm looking for. I understand that the rust will most likely go a lot deeper than what it seems to be right now, and it will take a long time to completely fill in the rust holes.
I tried finding new cab corners, but have not had any luck with reproduction ones for sale online for my specific truck. I would also look for a roof from a local scrapyard, but there aren't any of those near me with the correct roof. Old Toyota pickups are very difficult to find in scrap yards in my area.
The end goal is just to have the rust removed, and make it look good. I don't care very much about it being factory specifications. I just want it to look good, and provide the function of stopping rain from coming into the cabin.
For tools I plan on buying very first will be: hammer and dolly set and a welder. I know there are thousands of tools you can get for auto body work, but like everyone else I'm doing it on somewhat of a budget. I can wait and save for tools I need, but if I don't have to have them then I will avoid purchasing them.
If you have any other questions, suggestions, or advice I would appreciate it. -Thanks


Your looking at a very big Job here, easiest and cheapest way is to find a New Roof from a wrecked truck. Find a reputable Body shop maybe to help you locate one many have contacts with wrecking yards all over the country. Even with shipping costs being hi you'll be money a head finding another whole roof.

That brings up welding
If you think you can just Mig spot weld metal on to the edges and fill those holes your wrong you'll just make a big mess and more holes.
A Mig wont do that plus you cant weld to rusty metal.
All the rust has to be removed before any welding can be done. In your trucks case not much of the original metal will be left before you get to good strong clean metal to weld too.

Sounds like your on a budget and don't have a lot of money or tools to do this job.
May even be your first car I have no idea?
BUT Seriously Who ever told you Fiber glass wont last is wrong.
Done properly it can last many many years. I have removed many a hack job I had no idea was there before stripping a car to bare metal many here have experienced this as well!

Is it the right way to do it? NO! absolutely NOT! will it last ? IF done properly It should and will last much longer than the metal will if moisture gets to it again.
Its what we call Hack work and highly frowned upon BUT if you have no money OR equipment and just wanna save whats their for another day down the road go for it.

Just buying a new used roof, new Welder, an air compressor, paint gun, water filters, Paint Base coat clear coat and primer, some sort of Filler, Body tools, and the list goes on with Sand paper not to mention thinners and grease removers you can easily spend thousands of dollars just to get started. This aint no cheap Hobby!
Dennis B.
A&P Mechanic, FCC General radio Telephone Operator
Line Maintenance A&P Mechanic and MOC Tech specialist.



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PostPosted: Tue Jun 25, 2019 1:26 pm
I asked 2 online Toyota parts dealers about buying a new roof, but one does not have any, and the other, which is one of the largest Toyota parts dealers in the US hasn’t responded and I contacted them over a week ago. I have also checked at my local scrap yard and haven’t found any.

After doing some research I have come across a product called: “LORD Fusor”. I know that “gluing” in patch panels is a big controversy right now in the auto body world with questions of how long the repair would last, but if GM is approving of this adhesive to repair quarter panels as an alternative to welding, then could it be good enough to fix the holes in my roof and other small rust spots on my truck (as long as I remove ALL of the rust)? And would it expand and contract slightly with the metal as it gets cold and hot?

I ask about it because it’s a LOT cheaper than welding, and looking on other forums I have found that some say it is better than welding with it being more beginner friendly for body repair.

Fiberglass seems like it is a good way to fix the rust, but it always has a 50/50 good and bad responses to it on many forums.



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PostPosted: Wed Jun 26, 2019 2:47 am
I whole hardily approve of adhesives used for repairs in place of welding when USED CORRECTLY! and by that I mean how the repair is done. By that I mean you dont just slap to pieces together and wait for it to cure and call it good.

Its a fools errand to try to find a Roof from any dealer even if they had one it would be cost prohibitive to buy it. You will have to extend your search to other states if you want to find one. I have had to purchased unatanium from 6 states over before and paid dearly for it! Dont let them know your calling from 2 or 3 states away the price increases exponentially in many cases!

Think about this maybe?
http://www.streetbeatcustoms.com/sunconkit.html

And as Far as Fiberglass goes I have a 69 Short box 4x4 I bought 20 years ago some one did a Half **** job on repairing a hole in the floor before I bought it and its still On the floor of the truck to this day and its still bonded to the metal just as strong as the day when I bought it. I have told myself many times I am gonna cut it out and weld new metal in But why? Its a strong repair been there years and I aint lookin to sell the Truck and it aint bothering me any! Keeps the feet in Mud and dirt out its doin its job! Why mess with it I have better things to do!

In life as on the internet Every one has an opinion SOME STINK! There are a lot a guys out there with little to no experience running there mouths thinking they know how to do stuff when there just repeating what they have read by some other wanna be Body shop expert they have never done it and never lived it.

There are many ways to fix your truck correctly all of them involve some serious money time labor and experience and Tooling! to pull off a nice job.

This will help a LOT How old are you? and do you have a Good Job? Is this your only car?
I ask Because it Matters if your less than 20-25 Have squat for money and this is your only rig or its your first rig or the first rig you wanna fix up Heck with it! Your not gonna restore the truck to perfection and spend 30 grand on it nor are you gonna keep it till retirement! You just need to keep the Rain out and Make it look Half **** good. Let the Metal adhesives Fiberglass and Fiberglass filler FLY!
Beat to fit Paint to match and be done with it my friend, it lasts as long as it lasts probably long after your done with the Turd.

Be honest Because You can get a Great nice older Toyota Truck on Auto trader some where in the USA at any time and not pay a heck of a lot for it as compared to restoring a beat up rusted out one. Ya there great trucks and all But So is My 69 Dodge Power Wagon.
Dennis B.
A&P Mechanic, FCC General radio Telephone Operator
Line Maintenance A&P Mechanic and MOC Tech specialist.



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PostPosted: Thu Jun 27, 2019 12:53 am
Doright wrote:I whole hardily approve of adhesives used for repairs in place of welding when USED CORRECTLY! and by that I mean how the repair is done. By that I mean you dont just slap to pieces together and wait for it to cure and call it good.

Its a fools errand to try to find a Roof from any dealer even if they had one it would be cost prohibitive to buy it. You will have to extend your search to other states if you want to find one. I have had to purchased unatanium from 6 states over before and paid dearly for it! Dont let them know your calling from 2 or 3 states away the price increases exponentially in many cases!

Think about this maybe?
http://www.streetbeatcustoms.com/sunconkit.html

And as Far as Fiberglass goes I have a 69 Short box 4x4 I bought 20 years ago some one did a Half **** job on repairing a hole in the floor before I bought it and its still On the floor of the truck to this day and its still bonded to the metal just as strong as the day when I bought it. I have told myself many times I am gonna cut it out and weld new metal in But why? Its a strong repair been there years and I aint lookin to sell the Truck and it aint bothering me any! Keeps the feet in Mud and dirt out its doin its job! Why mess with it I have better things to do!

In life as on the internet Every one has an opinion SOME STINK! There are a lot a guys out there with little to no experience running there mouths thinking they know how to do stuff when there just repeating what they have read by some other wanna be Body shop expert they have never done it and never lived it.

There are many ways to fix your truck correctly all of them involve some serious money time labor and experience and Tooling! to pull off a nice job.

This will help a LOT How old are you? and do you have a Good Job? Is this your only car?
I ask Because it Matters if your less than 20-25 Have squat for money and this is your only rig or its your first rig or the first rig you wanna fix up Heck with it! Your not gonna restore the truck to perfection and spend 30 grand on it nor are you gonna keep it till retirement! You just need to keep the Rain out and Make it look Half **** good. Let the Metal adhesives Fiberglass and Fiberglass filler FLY!
Beat to fit Paint to match and be done with it my friend, it lasts as long as it lasts probably long after your done with the Turd.

Be honest Because You can get a Great nice older Toyota Truck on Auto trader some where in the USA at any time and not pay a heck of a lot for it as compared to restoring a beat up rusted out one. Ya there great trucks and all But So is My 69 Dodge Power Wagon.


Everyone has their opinion on everything, whether or not I agree with it. I just try to find out what most people have had the best luck with and go from there. I will most likely give fiberglass a try on some spots of the truck, just so I can see for myself how long the repair will last. And thank you for the approval on the adhesive route for repairs and your experience with fiberglass because the more feedback I can get, the more confident I will be to give it a shot. The truck will not be perfect, and will not have a showroom paint job, but I want to give it the best possible outcome with the money I am willing to soak into it, so as long as the repairs last even 5 years I will be more than happy with it.

The Toyota parts dealer was referred to me on another thread in the Body and Paint section as Rancho Toyota in California. I contacted them about getting a new roof and still haven’t heard back from them a week and half later. I will most likely just go with patch panels since nobody in the US has any roofs for sale.

I am currently 18, and have a good job that pays well especially for my age. This is my first car that I am fixing up. I know that it is a very expensive and time consuming hobby but I don’t want to sell the truck, but rather continue with it as a project vehicle as I planned to do with it when I bought it a few months back. I have other cars that I am able to drive, so this isn’t my daily driver, which is a big plus. I can leave this be for as long as I need to get it fixed, especially when I need the time for body filler and paint to dry. I know most people would say to leave this be and don’t drive it while you work on it, but I want to still drive it around and enjoy it. So leaving it for months is not an option, I will do the body work in stages, but I understand that once I start laying body filler then eventually paint it, I will have to let it sit to allow it to dry properly.

The next few purchases will be a hammer and dolly set, and a slide hammer kit to get some of the smaller dents out of it. Once I get that job done, I will start buying body filler and the LORD Fusor adhesive to start with the rust repair patch panels. Another question about adhesives is; will they expand and contract with the conditions? Especially on the roof, because it is always getting hit by the sun.

There are better trucks out there, don’t get me wrong, but this was the closest one to me at the time (geographically) and that fit the criteria for what I wanted (5 speed, particular trim level, A/C, etc.) but ouch you called it a turd.



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PostPosted: Sat Jun 29, 2019 5:10 pm
I kinda figured you were young and short on funds.
Your in California Those roofs are available in Junk yards expand your search to other city's.
Some one has one some where may be more than what you have available to pay for it though. You may be better off looking for a whole Cab? may be a better option!!!! A junk yard that has a Good cab will be more interested in selling whole cab than cutting the roof off of it. Changing a Cab is not all that hard to do either Labor intensive but I am sure you have more time on your hands than money. if you go for whole cab there no need to worry about welding either or temporary repairs to correct later.

What does inside of cab roof look like? is there an internal structure preventing you from getting to the Skin? I bet there is.
To do it right you need to replace the roof and it will require welding.

A good temp repair is possible with fiber glass depending on access to back side of Skin metal. Your wind sheild Glass will need to be removed Back glass as well and access to back side skin will need to be exposed to be blasted clean. This may or may not be possible?
Fiberglass will not bond to rusty metal. even if it does it quickly dis-bonds as the corrosion eats the metal further with time. thats why its important to blast the metal clean.
Dennis B.
A&P Mechanic, FCC General radio Telephone Operator
Line Maintenance A&P Mechanic and MOC Tech specialist.
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