Crazy question

[Waylon]

IF you decide to take the bed bolts loose, get up under there and use a wire brush to remove as much rust and dirt as you can from the bolts. Spray the bolts and nuts liberally with some penetrating oil. I use PB Blaster.
Let them soak for days and then spray them again. Keep doing that for a couple of weeks if you aren’t in a hurry. That’s going to make removing the nuts much easier.

Another thing to consider is having to remove the hoses from your fuel tank. When I replaced my fuel tank, mine were stuck and I had to cut them loose and replace them with new ones. You might be able to just unbolt your filler neck from the bed without removing the hoses.

The bed isn’t very hard to slide around on the frame once everything is loose. I don’t think you would need to move it back very far.

 

[My78truck]

Thanks Waylon, it is looking more and more that I will just have to do some body work. I just had my gas tank dropped to install a new sending unit and replace 40+ year old dry rotting hoses so do not want to deal with that ball of wax again.

So, on to body work. I am fairly meticulous so maybe I can get it to last me 20 -25 years.

 

[Knight84]

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. I would LOVE to just replace the panel, but have been told that I have to unbolt the bed, disconnect the rear wiring harness, and have on hand 2 other people to slide the bed back. Now, unbolting the bed, after 40+ years may be a challenge, but do-able. There is a boneyard about 1 hour away that I have visited for other things. The problem with getting a front panel off one of those trucks sitting there for years and years is more than a challenge. Most of these trucks are sitting flat on the ground for years. One even has the door stuck open with a tree growing around the door. Shimmying up under them is either not going to happen, or NOT going to happen due to unknown occupants living under them (i.e. copperheads, rattlesnakes, bees and other wildlife). Even if I could get under one, the bolts are more than likely going to be seized on the bed so will be unable to slide that bed back.

I can order one from the many parts distributors, but am afraid it will be made from substandard imported metal. The cost of the panel isn't bad, the freight is what costs.

And BTW, I am a woman working on her 40+ year old truck, daughter of a mechanic, not afraid of work or getting grease under my fingernails and not a "he" in any sense of the word. Always been a tomboy. Just sayin'.

So, is there an easier way to remove, and replace, the front panel?

OP, I just ordered a front panel for my 72 c10 in February. Some of these panels have fitment issues, just the nature of the game when companies use 40+ year old dies, but I will say that the one I ordered is solid, looks as thick as my old one, and I order most of my panels from Jegs because of free shipping. The front panel did not have a freight charge and was free shipping. $189 for new metal. I can't say how well it fits yet, as my bed is still apart, but I haven't had much issue with AMD panels.

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[legopnuematic]

I'd put my guess on a rodent got in there and made a nest and pissed in there, their urine is very corrosive and the nests will hold that moisture in and rot things out in a hurry.

As for fixing it, as others had mentioned, replacing it with either a good used one or a new one is the best choice, cutting and welding new metal is another possible option, and then the less ideal cave and pave with foam and filler.

It somewhat boils down to what you consider your time to be worth, it is very easy to end up spending much more time to try to repair versus replacing something and there is the potential for a can of worms to be opened up.

As far as new replacement metal goes in regards to quality, the new tooling premium lines of parts all tend to fit well, and need minor tweaks to get perfect (as is expected with any part, oem or not)

Since it is not structural or major rust, I'd just ignore it and continue to enjoy the truck, and then deal with it appropriately if the time comes for a resto or repaint.

 

[bucket]

Where at in VA anyway? I've got a front bed panel in nice shape that I'll likely never use.

 

[AKguy]

If you are not overly concerned about the looks, I have successfully covered some large holes using POR15 and fine mesh fibergalss cloth. I apply the POR, cut the mesh to length/width (I have a roll of 1 1/4” wide stuff) lay/inbed the mesh, let it dry, Apply another coat, then top coat with your choice of paint.

 

[peats]

Cut the bolts off of the bed, slide it back and replace the panel. about $300 total with new hardware. Not a big job. One person if you have an engine crane. I agree with the rodent pee speculation for the rust out. Foam and bondo won't last long. My father always said "If you're going to do a job,do it right".

 

[rt66paul]

To do it right would require you to remove the bed, sand blast the bottom and then get to work. I would buy the panel, save my pennies and then, when you have time and place to do it right remove the bed and do what needs to be done. That way, you don't have to mess with it again. While the bed is off, you can clean the rust off the frame and Por 15 it, before you put the bed back on.

When you 1/2 ass, you will just 1/2 ass it again and it will never be right.

 

[hoagster]

The front bed panel bolts in. You can replace the whole thing with zero welding and no hokey "bodywork". Finding a used one should be easy since it's not a commonly rusted part. They just get dented and bent.

It's only 20 bolts and do able for cheap! Sorry I didn't read the whole post. The only reason to remove the bed bolts would be to give you access to the five bolts on each side and ten bolts along the bottom. Also to insert the front body panel. I think it can be done without removing the whole bed. Getting the bolts back in would be the challenge, not removing them. Hope this helps!

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[My78truck]

Thanks to everyone, I know that the gold standard fix is to pull the bed and replace the panel but that is not going to happen. Sooooooooo, I decided to fix it. I used a cutting wheel to cut out the thin, rusty, stuff. used an air hose nozzle to blow out all the loose rust that was inside (no varmints or nest came out), sanded back to bare metal, tapped the area in a little, used the Bondo wire mesh patch, covered mesh with fiberglass resin and cloth, sanded, applied Eastwood aluminium reinforced body filler, sanded, applied 2nd coat and sanded again with 80 down to 220 grit paper. Now just need to spray with primer when temp goes up to 60 degrees. Before closing up the patch area, I sprayed Eastwood converter, encapsulator and heavy-duty anti-rust inside the tube using the 24 inch spray extension tube. I am not a body person, but I think it looks pretty good. I just looked at it as drywall mud that sets a little faster. Yes there are small highs and lows, but I am not being particular since I plan on getting the bed sprayed with Bullet liner and take it up and over the roll on the front panel. It took it 43 years to look this bad, I only need another 15-20 years. I need to figure out now how to close up the ends so the varmints cannot get in there again and yet allow for some air flow. Brain storming that now.

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