I just bought a 1976 Ford F100 that is in good shape overall but has some rust in the bed that has me very concerned. It has not rusted through so it appears to be just on the surface but what I want to know is what should I do to slow or stop the rusting before it does make a whole or worse. I am just using it as a work truck but want it to last as long as possible.
Sand and wire brush the rust spots to see how deep the rust has penetrated.
If you can get the spot completely cleaned down to bare metal and it isn’t rusted through, use a couple of coats of primer and paint the color you want.
If you find the box is rusted through, it’s best to have the rusted areas cut out and new metal welded in, primed and painted.
I’d recommend removing the box if extended repairs are necessary.
Years ago all pickup trucks had wooden floors on the truck beds. I would just buy some lumber, 1" planks of treated and smooth material and do a nice job installing it over the metal. That way you will not be fighting rust forever, and the wood will take quite a beating befor needing replacement.
I trust this is not a show truck that needs “authentic preservation” of its hardware.
And the wood will drastically increase the rust growth by holding moisture.
The wood will support the load, the truck will expire long before the rest of the floor is rusted out. I would not recommend this for a 5 year old truck.
Been using this stuff for 10 years- http://www.por15.com/prodinfo.asp?grp=1&dept=1
It works as advertised.
I give it 2 years before the bed is so rusted out it won’t support the wood anymore…I’ve seen it happen.