A Cruiser named Crusty **NSFL** (1 Viewer)

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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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.

View attachment 2818463
This is really what I think is the best strategy. I was going to do this and even found a frame down in Richmond VA for 850 bucks, but I just ran out of time and patience.
 
The company said they would just do stitch welds to put it back into place.

Where did you go to get this looked at? Asking 'cos my trans cross member is slowly starting to flake apart. I cleaned it up and is coated right now. But some welding would do it some good.
 
10-20, watch videos, practice on scrap
That is the amount of time I thought it would take me, so glad to see my estimate isn’t wrong and my method is identical to yours.
 
Crusty did serve some purpose today:

60EC6B68-C7B8-4476-964B-966C87F4019F.jpeg
 
So contemplating the frame swap route- I may have found a frame that i've been told "looks good", obviously ill inspect it before I agree to it.
How feasible is a frame swap in the back yard so to speak? I would likely cut all the old rusty bolts and brake lines since theyd all have to be replaced.
Is it anyhting more than just making sure everything is disconnected? I don't want to go that route and be in over my head and have it sit there for 6 months.
 
So when I had a second earlier I wanted to see if Crusty would start with carb fluid.

Found a nice little nest- this was after I pulled a huge clump out:
4F195CFF-764A-4606-9040-4944B6949F94.jpeg


Of course I managed to snap the bolt holding the intake manifold back bits on (you can see the ruptured brake line in the back ground):
87C4DC7E-F3AE-451A-B8EB-519E212F72ED.jpeg


And finally, we have success- please excuse my wheezing and sucking air, been having a hard time since COVID:
 
That being said, I am going to pull the fuel pump and strainer to check for any blockages, and if there are none then I will be purchasing a new OEM fuel pump.
It does help the interior is already removed, I just have to take it out, which if things go my way, ill have some shelves in the garage to store it all on in the next few weeks.


****Note to self:
 
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Nice, good to see it was a fuel delivery issue and not something more serious.

I would absolutely buy a welder and start some projects with it, but there is no way I would I would weld on that frame. It's not just sticking metal together like when welding with clean mild steel on a bench, standing/looking down on your work., with plenty of room to move and get angles right. Welding under a vehicle on your back onto varying thicknesses of contaminated and perforated metal next to all kind of surfaces and lines that don't do well with that kind of heat is a different animal.

Frame swapping is the way to go but an extraordinary amount of work; especially given the level of corrosion on the rest of the vehicle.

I hate to say it but I'd put my effort into making some money and freshening up the nice 100 you already have with parts from it. With the lower miles on a well running drivetrain, ABS booster, etc. it would be worth the effort and you'll come out well economically speaking. I love seeing a vehicle saved and dont want to be a naysayer so if you head down the path anyway I wish you the best of luck. I've tried it myself and wouldn't wish it on, you know.
 
Nice, good to see it was a fuel delivery issue and not something more serious.

I would absolutely buy a welder and start some projects with it, but there is no way I would I would weld on that frame. It's not just sticking metal together like when welding with clean mild steel on a bench, standing/looking down on your work., with plenty of room to move and get angles right. Welding under a vehicle on your back onto varying thicknesses of contaminated and perforated metal next to all kind of surfaces and lines that don't do well with that kind of heat is a different animal.

Frame swapping is the way to go but an extraordinary amount of work; especially given the level of corrosion on the rest of the vehicle.

I hate to say it but I'd put my effort into making some money and freshening up the nice 100 you already have with parts from it. With the lower miles on a well running drivetrain, ABS booster, etc. it would be worth the effort and you'll come out well economically speaking. I love seeing a vehicle saved and dont want to be a naysayer so if you head down the path anyway I wish you the best of luck. I've tried it myself and wouldn't wish it on, you know.
I appreciate your insight, and have enjoyed your technical input on your own build thread over the last few years.

Regarding Crusty, the more I think about it, the more a frame swap really does seem to be the answer for this truck.

I have a lead on a frame, but my reservation is in that while I have significant experience doing 1-3 banana jobs (on a 5 banana scale), I may get in over my head and then be stuck with a frame and truck partially disassembled in my back yard work area and no real path forward.
While we aren't destitute, I don't have it in the budget to buy all new lines, rubber, suspension and everything else you'd want to do "while you're in there" doing a frame swap.

Crusty has a lot of much nicer pieces than my other 100, and would certainly benefit me to swap most all of the interior over, and the wheels and tires are in better shape. An interior swap would enable me to address the body rust on my truck.

But I like Crusty's color more, which is why I am more intent on saving it.

Absolutely hate the idea of a potentially good truck being stripped down and scrapped. Something in me is opposed to that, maybe it's because i've wanted cruisers so long and finally have them?

Quite the conundrum i've gotten myself into.
 
Heh and here we have more of our favourite mineral: crust.

View attachment 2835454


As you can see the screws are morbidly crusty.

View attachment 2835455


Tried the PB Blaster and no luck so far.
Ran out of time so ill leave it for now
View attachment 2835457
Best thing in my experience on screws like that is to take a screw driver and a hammer and center the screw driver and hit several times hard. Add more penetrating oil and do it again, then try turning. Shock breaks the rust "seal" and oil works in better is my theory. It works.
 
I used my hand impact driver on it, but it didn't seem to move a lot. Ill try your method though and use as much oil as I have on hand.
If you intend to use that tank or assembly at all, be cautious on how hard you are hitting it. If you crack or bend anything the system will no longer be sealed and probably won’t work properly thereafter. Aside from that, as crusty as Crusty is, you will most likely be knocking some rust flakes into the fuel tank as well. Just some rust for thought.
 
.... Just some rust for thought..
heh

That is a good point, I didn't htink about it not sealing. I'm trying to be as cautious as possible.
 
After more back and forth, I think i've solidified a decision with Crusty. Unless someone else wants to take the torch, I will be pulling parts. Not sure what everything is going for so it may take a bit before I post things up. As of now heavy stuff like doors, drivetrain, wheels will be local or reasonable meet up.

Hate to see it happen to what could potentially be a decent vehicle, but time and money isn't going to be as free flowing in either regard as I thought it would be.
 
Fun thread to follow and I applaud your efforts. If it helps to make your 99 better, at least you have a Cruiser to continue to work on and enjoy
 

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