Body / Glass: Newbie needs help with rust solutions

[Guest]

Sorry for my dumb start, but body work is well beyond my expertise and I have conflicting information, so am confused. I'm looking at purchasing a 1958 Transtar which has rust at the bottom of the door panels, bottom of the front body (quarter) panels and in the bed. Typically, is this repairable or because of the angles involved, are replacement panels/doors required. If repairable, are they cost effective or spendy. Unfortunately, the truck is several hundred miles away and not currently running, so I can't take to a body shop. Thanks in advance for your help.

[63 R2 Hawk]

ANYTHING is repairable, just depends on how much time, money or both you wish to invest. Classic Enterprises has some patch panels for Studebaker, I don't know about Transtar pickups, check them out and see. Usually, a good restoration shop can make just about any panel patch, all it takes is skill and time. The "quarter " panels you describe sound like rocker panels, those can also be formed if needed. Any flat panels are easy to repair. There are folks on this site that can advise on how to do this if you decide to try it yourself.

[JohnM15]

Welcome to Studebaker. Another good place to post is Studebaker Truck Talk:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/23885/

Sorry I can't give you much advice on your truck (I have an M15A) but in my opinion would be to get it running and road worthy the first priority.

[Dick Steinkamp]

Rust repair done correctly and professionally is not cheap. Also, the rust you can SEE is generally no where near all of it.

Classic Enterprise does sell some patch panels which makes the job a little easier.

I would pass on a rusty one. If you live in San Luis Obispo, you will have rust free or minimal rust vehicles near you. Be patient.

[Guest]

Thank you for your replies and advice. I think the best option is to wait for something a bit more structurally sound.

[Skip Lackie]

An additonal thought. The Classic Ent patch panels fit pretty well, but it can still cost quite a bit of money to repair serious rust unless you have some welding skills and can do a lot of the work yourself. And it's just as easy to spend a lot of money doing engine rebuilding as well as on body repair. It's hard to say how serious the rust is without looking at it -- but you do know that the engine doesn't run. It might take an hour to get it running, or it might take $2500. In the East, sellers tend to underestimate how bad rust is; on the West Coast, some sellers have never seen really SERIOUS rust, so tend to describe any bubbling as being pretty bad.

The 58 Transtar with a V8 and maybe OD is a really nice truck and is worth restoring. If it were mechanically okay and maybe driveable, it would be worth considering, given that complete, relatively rust free doors and fenders will eventually turn up for sale for fairly reasonable prices. Back here on the East Coast, really solid C-cab fenders and doors go for around $500 apiece. Where you are, it should be less. Since it has rust and doesn't run (and is several hundred miles away), you're wise to wait until a better one comes along. A truck like that is what most of us call a "parts truck".

[Guest]

Thanks Skip. I have no welding skills and rust is not something I've ever dealt with, so I passed on this one and will continue to look.