Resurrecting Clifford the big red 87 R3500

[Georgeb]

@Don5 I agree on the insulation/floor mat issue. I had a truck I fixed up and put the insulation in and a nice new vinyle floor mat. Two months later I looked under the insulation and it was damp on both sides of the floor. Not from holes or leakes but rather it was almost like the floor was sweating under there. I cut along the hump by the flooor on both sides and removed the insulation and vinyle from both sides. I just liad the vinyle in there with some good floor matts that held any shoe drippings. It made it easy to get the floor dried out and inspected for any issues.

 

[Georgeb]

Working on my TIG-FU!

 

[Georgeb]

Getting there.

 

[foamypirate]

Nice work! I had the opportunity to try a TIG welder a few weeks ago. It was awesome, and now I really, really want one, along with a plasma cutter. $$$$

 

[MadOgre]

I feel the same way. I am going to POR15 the cab floor underneath. I am not sure about the inside floor though. I thought about using bedliner. I have always felt that the floor insulation was the biggest cause of the floors rusting out. It seems like that stuff never dries. I know it wasn't salt because the truck sat in the backyard for over 20 years. It never saw salt or wax all that time either.

I am coating the frame, leaf springs, front end and rear end with brush on gloss black rustoleum paint. I have always used that stuff. You can tell where I painted it years ago. I think that is why the frame looked as good as it did. I pulled strips of paint off of the inside of the left bedside underneath where I painted it years ago. This was before POR15.

I have been thinking of blasting the entire cab and using POR15 on the entire thing from top to bottom. ??? At the very least the entire underside is getting a couple of coats. The only bad thing is that you cant get at the inside surface between the roof and head liner and the upper pillars. Kinda like the rockers

I have even contemplated turning the cab upside down and pouring in a quart or 2 of the stuff and then rolling the cab around to try and get that whole inside area coated with something lol. To bad it would flatten out the roof lol

 

[firebane]

@Don5 I agree on the insulation/floor mat issue. I had a truck I fixed up and put the insulation in and a nice new vinyle floor mat. Two months later I looked under the insulation and it was damp on both sides of the floor. Not from holes or leakes but rather it was almost like the floor was sweating under there. I cut along the hump by the flooor on both sides and removed the insulation and vinyle from both sides. I just liad the vinyle in there with some good floor matts that held any shoe drippings. It made it easy to get the floor dried out and inspected for any issues.

The sweating is from the cooling and heating of the floor area because of the exhaust and is found in a lot of vehicles. I would try laying down a sound deadening material to see if it helped first before pulling carpet.

 

[Don5]

Getting there.

George that is looking really nice.

 

[Don5]

Nice work! I had the opportunity to try a TIG welder a few weeks ago. It was awesome, and now I really, really want one, along with a plasma cutter. $$$$

I would also like a plasma cutter as well. They make a really clean cut.

 

[Don5]

I have been thinking of blasting the entire cab and using POR15 on the entire thing from top to bottom. ??? At the very least the entire underside is getting a couple of coats. The only bad thing is that you cant get at the inside surface between the roof and head liner and the upper pillars. Kinda like the rockers

I have even contemplated turning the cab upside down and pouring in a quart or 2 of the stuff and then rolling the cab around to try and get that whole inside area coated with something lol. To bad it would flatten out the roof lol

I take it you don't have cab lights or a cargo light? You can access your roof if you have either or both. You might be able to spray inside the dome light hole also. I would tilt the cab up and spray through the dome light hole as much as possible. I have to admit that I didn't even consider coating the inside of the roof until you mentioned it. Thanks for bringing it up.

 

[Don5]

The sweating is from the cooling and heating of the floor area because of the exhaust and is found in a lot of vehicles. I would try laying down a sound deadening material to see if it helped first before pulling carpet.

I think the insulation is just a bad product. In theory it is a good idea however the material GM used is not made for that part of a vehicle. I think that GM was worried about heat and sound and never considered that it would trap moisture.

 

[MadOgre]

I think the insulation is just a bad product. In theory it is a good idea however the material GM used is not made for that part of a vehicle. I think that GM was worried about heat and sound and never considered that it would trap moisture.

Ya mine is gone too. Pulled it out last summer and it will never go back in!

 

[MadOgre]

I take it you don't have cab lights or a cargo light? You can access your roof if you have either or both. You might be able to spray inside the dome light hole also. I would tilt the cab up and spray through the dome light hole as much as possible. I have to admit that I didn't even consider coating the inside of the roof until you mentioned it. Thanks for bringing it up.

Ya that's a good idea too. Maybe don't use paint but rather a rust inhibitor like WD40 or ATF or something like that

 

[Georgeb]

I think paint or POR is a good idea. I also thought about spray on bed liner but I would rather not have somthing thats too hard to remove should the need arise. My plan is to use some weather tech floormats and just be sure I dry it out and check for issues regularly. I am not as concerned about the floor as I am that stupid weatherstrip channel! That thing will get painted with some sor of rust preventer at least twice a year. I planned on putting closed end threaded inserts in the floor were the trim is held down and sealing the trim with cap tape.

 

[Don5]

I think paint or POR is a good idea. I also thought about spray on bed liner but I would rather not have somthing thats too hard to remove should the need arise. My plan is to use some weather tech floormats and just be sure I dry it out and check for issues regularly. I am not as concerned about the floor as I am that stupid weatherstrip channel! That thing will get painted with some sor of rust preventer at least twice a year. I planned on putting closed end threaded inserts in the floor were the trim is held down and sealing the trim with cap tape.

I am planning on using clear silicone waterproof caulking to coat the underside of the stainless trim. I will do the same with the fender well trim. I always coated the screws with some clear silicone when I put my mud flaps on also.

 

[Georgeb]

I thought of silicone but I want to take them off and put them on regularly so I can inspect under them.