Tin Worms. My truck had 'em too. You have to get ALL of them, or they come back. My employer spreads Tin Worm eggs on the parking lot every winter. They are off-white, and crystalline in appearance. Like Goonies (I just typed Goonies), they get out of hand when you add water.
Just make sure when you are done, you properly rinse/flush EVERY seam, nook and cranny. Read up on the proper steps to neutralize the paint remover. You'll be glad you did later, after paint. Looking good!
Ahhh, a good case of patina! I’m so glad my truck was in such solid shape. I would have never been able to fix that much. Good luck!
Stopped at the shop yesterday to see progress in person, answer a few questions about preferences going forward, and pay on my tab. Bill for work on the cab so far is ~13 hours of labor at $45 per, plus a gallon of aircraft stripper... Total $655.
I have seen guys fix cabs that were worse than that... The only thing that scares me is when you remove so much metal without welding in temporary X bracing to keep all the cab panels aligned.... The chances of the doors ever fitting right again are slim to none.
actually, its the perfect opportunity to make SURE the doors fit right. THEY become the temporary bracing, and establish the door opening- gaps and all.
A little sentimentality for the cab, maybe - I have had it over 30 years, and it's only original once. But also, there aren't many in better shape around here. My body guy says it's "nice" compared to the last one he did... Appreciate the feedback, though - I didn't really know what to expect in terms of costs, so I'll continue to update the hours and the tab as it progresses. Maybe it will help someone else plan; and if things start to look out of whack, please let me know.
Wow... lot's of work. Looking good, I bet your stoked to see it coming together. What size and type of wire are you using? Looks like it's burning through the patch panel primer well. ____ John
