A Cruiser named Crusty **NSFL**

How to proceed with crusty’s frame?

  • Buy a welder and learn how to DIY

    Votes: 5 33.3%
  • Hire the welders I’ve received a quote from

    Votes: 1 6.7%
  • Frame swap

    Votes: 8 53.3%
  • Seriously why are you so indecisive?

    Votes: 4 26.7%

  • Total voters
    15

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You made me laugh, William as I recall how "over the moon" my wife was when I brought my first rusted out 40 home from Salt Lake. "You drove all the way down there for that ?"
 
I like rusty vehicles. Glad to see somebody else thinks a rusty Cruiser deserve another chance at life.
 
I like rusty vehicles. Glad to see somebody else thinks a rusty Cruiser deserve another chance at life.
That's my feeling too. I tried looking for a brand new frame and found them but in the end I have too many other projects. I am glad to see William give it a go.

I can't seem to stop with the challenging old LCs. Just bought this carburated 80 at auction:
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Which -may- be very low mileage.
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I won't know for a few weeks when I see it in person. Looks to be a bit of a time capsule:
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You made me laugh, William as I recall how "over the moon" my wife was when I brought my first rusted out 40 home from Salt Lake. "You drove all the way down there for that ?"
I’ve learned that I have to act quick as soon as I get the blessing because it can be hastily redacted. I aslo try and mention the “free” and “if I can fix it someone will buy it” aspect. She doesn’t know those statements can be redacted too
 
Subscribed to watch this unfold. Suddenly I don't feel so bad about Sandy.
What's funny is when i commented on your build thread I was actually talking about welding my other truck, whose frame i've already had repaired and treated but the body has holes in it.

Back to Crusty-
So as you all can see the trans crossmember portion of the frame rails will need to be replaced. The company said htey would just do stitch welds to put it back into place.
I am hesitant to do that because id like to be able to take the crossmember off if possible. Am I able to drill into the frame once they weld the new portions in and install threads? I would be getting a new used trans crossmember probably anyways.
 
Am I able to drill into the frame once they weld the new portions in and install threads? I would be getting a new used trans crossmember probably anyways.
Nutserts would work for this application.
 
God Speed @D21FJ60 ! Weaker men would have taken all the parts off and sent it to a crusher. Looks like a fair amount of welding work might be in your future!
 
God Speed @D21FJ60 ! Weaker men would have taken all the parts off and sent it to a crusher. Looks like a fair amount of welding work might be in your future!
I thought about it, but honestly I feel the truck still has potential. Yes, it is crusty. Yes it will be some $$ and time to bring it back. But I am not one to sit here and lament if there is a spec of rust, or if it doesn't look exactly like it did new 21 years ago. Drive it to enjoy it. Drive it til you can't. Even if the welding is double the quote they gave me, i'm still in it a significant amount less than I would be buying a truck in OK condition with the same mileage.

And if it does get to be too much, there are plenty of usable parts I can move over to my 99, which needs love.
 
You'll need so much steel to weld in, you could single-handedly cause steel mills in PA to start back up.
 
I thought about it, but honestly I feel the truck still has potential. Yes, it is crusty. Yes it will be some $$ and time to bring it back. But I am not one to sit here and lament if there is a spec of rust, or if it doesn't look exactly like it did new 21 years ago. Drive it to enjoy it. Drive it til you can't. Even if the welding is double the quote they gave me, i'm still in it a significant amount less than I would be buying a truck in OK condition with the same mileage.

And if it does get to be too much, there are plenty of usable parts I can move over to my 99, which needs love.
Throw that quote out the window, buy a Harbor Freight Titanium Welder, and let the journey begin.
 
I feel just a little bit guilty....
 
Throw that quote out the window, buy a Harbor Freight Titanium Welder, and let the journey begin.
This is the encouragement I need because welding would help with my 99 as the body on it is significantly showing it’s age.

Is it really that hard to do? So long as I can get it to pass inspection and feel safe driving it I really don’t care what it looks like.
 
This is the encouragement I need because welding would help with my 99 as the body on it is significantly showing it’s age.

Is it really that hard to do? So long as I can get it to pass inspection and feel safe driving it I really don’t care what it looks like.
It takes some practice like anything worth learning. First pick was right after I figured out where the power button was, after practice things improved…still learning and working on it.

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^how many hours of learning and working with it before you did this?
 
Why not just go on car-parts.com and source a frame from a southern state? looks like you can get them anywhere from 500-1300 bucks. Shipping will probably be another 350 bucks but much better than patch welding what is already rusty.

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