My $3150 mistake.

[dodge man]

I bought a used 3/4 ton Dodge Diesel, 2004 Quad Cab about 6 weeks ago. After reading peoples problems with diesels on this forum and on Dodge Cummins forums, I thought I knew what to look for. When I test drove the truck I drove it home and made sure it would fit in my garage, and then rolled underneath it with a creeper. The only think I could find wrong with it was a leaking power steering line, which was pretty minor. Otherwise it seemed mechanically very sound.

Herein lies the problem. I was so worried about the mechanicals, I didn't look at that body close enough. It really upsets me since I was under the truck on a creeper. It had rust in the rocker panels, and also on the rear quarter panels above the wheel wells. Well, $3150 later, the truck is fixed. The body shop thought the reapairs went well and I wouldn't have any problems in the near future. I don't regret buying the truck, and the cost was O.K., but if I had spotted the rust, I would have asked for a $3150 discount or passed on the truck.

 

[two_bit_score]

Sorry to hear about your problem. Hope there aren't any more surprises.

 

[Craig Clayton]

Now that you have new metal in the quarter panels I bet that it looks good. I would suggest you pore some brand of rust proofing to it. I have been using Fluid Film which I can purchase inTSC stores in my area.
It works very well. I do the spraying with some very low tech equipment.
I use a hot water bath in a steel bucket 145 F
In this I sit a large coffee can
I fill this will the fluid film ( cold it is like butterscotch pudding )
warmed ( like hot butterscotch pudding )
I fill a quality hand squeeze pumper sprayer ( set to pin point )
I spray this in lines which join together.
I spray inside of doors and sills without drilling holes.
A dry truck like yours would use 1 gallon first time
every year after that 1/2 gallon

Fluid Film? | Corrosion Preventative, Lubricant and Rust Inhibitor

Craig Clayton

 

[dodge man]

Thanks Craig, I've been thinking of doing that.

 

[timswi]

Sorry to hear that...My neighbor has a 2001 3/4 Dodge TD and he did have to have one of the rear doors patched, but nothing major..His truck is really nice...Flairs can be a problem child..Did you leave them off after the repair?...(if I remember correctly it had them).

 

[dodge man]

Yeah I left them on. The flairs weren't the problem, but did cover it up. In the front the flairs have worn some of the clear coat. The rust over the rear wheels was very minor and cheap to fix compared to the rockers.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Wow, $3150..... When I had our Dakota at work fixed, rust in the same places, it was only $800 but then again it came back in under 2 years. Hope your body guy does better work.

Hopefully it will be a good truck for you from now on. Good luck with it. Nothing like a 5.9L Cummins pulling a load. Always wanted one in a 99 through 07 F-350 SRW 4x4 with the Torqu Shift tranny out of a 2010 or new Superduty behind it.

Chris

 

[dodge man]

The rockers is what ate up all the labor. Each one had to be cut out, rewelded and blended in to the A, B, C pillars.

 

[Ryan03]

Sorry to hear about your rockers and wheel arches. GM's and Fords rot to. I just had both rockers and cab corners put on my 03 reg cab 2500 Chev. about 2 mo. ago. I paid $2300.00 for the body work , which also included painting the hood, and both sides of the truck, as well as wet sanding and buffing the roof and gate. The rockers and cab corner work alone was $800.00, and that was with me removing the doors, interior, and unbolting the bed and removing the rear bumper and hitch so the shop could just slip the bed back a couple feet to access the cab corners. The $2300 included 37.5 hrs of body labor, for the rockers, cab corners, and additional paint work, as well as all parts and supplies and Tax.

When I was picking mine up, they were just starting on a 04 or older{leaf spring front susp} F350 with rotted rear wheel arches. It can be astonishing what is hiding behind the sheet metal. My cab corners had rust blisters and were obviosly bad, but the rockers only had a couple of little chips to bare metal showing what I passed off as rock chips. The shop, which came highly recomended strongly suggested that I pony up and do rockers to, as normaly those little chips are actualy caused by the panel rotting from the inside out. I could not beleive what the inside of the rockers looked like when they cut them off. Here is a pic. The shop saved my old sheetmetal to show customers how nice a panel can look on the outside and what could be behind it.

 

[PoorMansCat]

sorry to hear about your misfortunes.... I am SSSOOOOO glad I do not live in the salt belt.
Of course, we have 110 degree heat, 99% humidity, tornados, fireants, droughts, poisonous snakes, misquitos....
I LOVE Texas!!!.