water everywhere....

[moneysink66c10]

so is there actually a way to make these things not have water all over the floor boards of the cab, doors, etc.....all those places that i'm replacing patch panels. is there a way so that i don't have to replace those panels....again....someday.

[DPowers]

Not trying to be a smart a**, but you need to find out where the water is coming from first, before you can stop it.

[LILRED66]

The majority of the areas that rust on these trucks are design-related. The front & rear cab supports have weep holes at the low end, that get clogged with dirt and road debris, therefore it doesn't clear itself out and they rust from the inside out.

The rocker panels, front portion of the inner fenders, cab corners and the factory drip rails, all are designed to self-wick water from them, however, over time, the weep holes become clogged and the rusting process begins.

When installing patch panels, clean all of these areas and back-dress them with rust encapsulator/rust inhibitor, to ensure there is no premature rust starting after the repairs.

When done properly, you can pump another 40 years of life back into your truck, especially since it lasted 40+ years with little or no preventative maintenance.

[moneysink66c10]

Thanks LILRED, and i'll let you know bout the perches. Got the 66 in the garage (frame up) and the 65 in the driveway. Glad I sold the 64.....lets me keep the wife.

[jbgroby]

Money,

One of the things I'm doing is AFTER the painter does the fresh air vent/grill I'm putting a small amount of screen underneith so that leaves and stuff do not get when I can't reach them (JB weld to hold in place). Also using a undercoating from NAPA on the front wheel wells, can bottom etc. like factory, this will go over the Por-15. Even though she'll be garage kept and maintained (hosed and cleaned after every showing why temp fait.

[protrash64]

I would replace the body sealer in the channel around the roof. If this is cracked the water will get in between your roof panels and run down in the dash from above. I believe this is where many rust issues start in these trucks.

[moneysink66c10]

I live in Vancouver (north of Portland) so it rains....well...every freaking day, so this is fast becoming a bigger concern. for my latest 65 C20 I'd like to put carpet in but the wet floor boards probably aren't going to help towards my wife wanting to ride in the thing. chicks man.

[LILRED66]

A properly sealed cab will eliminate water issues and installing carpet is not a problem to keep dry. When storing, you should put a can of desiccant in the cab, to control the moisture, if any, in the enclosed space.

Here is a link to desiccant: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desiccant

This technique is used in the marine industry when storing boats and is equally affective in the truck industry.