Is This C-10 Frame Salvagable

[reb162]

I'm a newer member on this board, but I've had my Gramp's C-10 since I was given it when I was 16 (1992). I drove it into college until 1999 when I got more reliable transportation. It has sat at my parents house outside Philly for the last 14 years in the weeds until I finally had it transported out here to Ohio a few weeks ago where I know live.















She never was a pristine truck (usually cab rust etc) but the years of sitting have not been kind to her. A lot more rust now...bed is toast..fenders are toast..hood is toast. About the only think I expected to salvage was the frame and cab and start from there...engine I'm on the shelf about.


Yesterday I got the bed off and finally got a better look at the frame. Its a bit worse than I remembered. When I drove it as a teen, I had already repaired the coil spring perches once. Those same areas have rotted again. There is also some rot on the left bottom rail right behind the cab (thinning actually..might be able to be reinforced but it is 1.5' long). The rear top sections of both rails are thinned where the bumper mounts go. The area at the track bar mount is also pretty well gone.

Rear Frame


One of the cross bars is gone, but that is easy to fix


Thinning of top of frame by bumper mounts at rear


Thinning of left bottom frame behind cab


Coil spring mounts previously replaced but now bad...frame thinned


New area...the area of the frame where the trackbar mounts is toast...would likely have to remove the mount and get new one and replace the bottom flange of the frame in that area




So...the question is, do I spend time fixing this frame (long bed)? I know I will be spending a lot of time just on the cab but I plan to get a welder and learn how to weld. But frame work is thicker and more critical.

Is this my opportunity to get a short bed frame or should a resurrect this thing from death?