[Canadian country boy]

You make new drip rails and burn them in. The best way to repair a rusty roof is by cutting out the cancer and replacing it with new sheet metal. You need to know how to weld and dolly metal and have access to a brake and metal shrinker.

 

[Canadian country boy]

Creating a new front section is a daunting task that most folks don't have the tools or skill to do. I can do many things, but that kind of bodywork is beyond my skill set. I think it's a talent (which CCB apparently has!), If it were me, I'd source a good front section (might have to get it from the south or southwest) and weld that in. With that, there's no hammer and dolly work, just the mostly straight weld to be ground and filled.

You're 100% correct about cutting out a section from another truck and grafting it in. That is certainly the better option as long as one can find a decent doner.

 

[Canadian country boy]

The 1981 and later trucks had a more square roof skin vs the '72-'80 trucks. The curvature for the windshield is the same but the rest of it changed shape a tad.

 

[Canadian country boy]

The std cabs are ones that got the angular roof edge in the 80's thru 93. Ramcharger and clubcab stayed the old profile. Not sure about the crew.

Yep, you are correct. The crew cabs remained the same also but I never thought about the Ramcharger roof, good catch. 👍

 

[Canadian country boy]

I never noticed that difference in the roof even after having 2 pickups and many R/C's.....

It's subtle. Along the front and the rear are more square than the '70's trucks.

 

[Canadian country boy]

View attachment 630150
it definitely needs replacing. On the passenger side above the door is really bad too but I’ve already cut that out and I’m in the middle of welding a new section in.

That's in a bad spot for sure. Not an easy area to repair. How's the rest of the cab for rust? Because if you have rust in other areas then you might want to consider getting a new cab but if its onky rusted in that area then I would certainly graft in a whole section from another cab.

 

[Canadian country boy]

That yard in Arizona will sell you a section and mail it to you.

 

[Canadian country boy]

Desert Valley Auto Parts. Just google DVAP

Yeah, thats the place. I forgot their name.

 

[Canadian country boy]

I hate how rust the inside layer of the steel rusts like that and there is no real way to coat the inside unfortunately.

 

[Canadian country boy]

The reason these trucks rust there is because of heating and cooling....they get hot during the day and cool off at night, moisture collects inside the uncoated, unpainted roof layers and rust forms from the inside out....amazing that no one repops roof skins.

It's amazing that they don't re-pop tin grilles, full bed sides and bird bath hoods also. Oh yeah, and dashboards.