Here's a few pics I took changing the oil this weekend. Really want to lift body off and treat everything, but with a newborn that might be a year or two off. Very least i'll be wire brush/wheel anything I can get to putting some paint over those areas. What's everyone's advice on cheap paint if I just buy another year and good paint when I lift the body off. Thanks!!!

here's the pics

Attached Images

           

Looks pretty darn good for that kind of mileage. Here in the rust belt, that's what most 3 year old trucks look like.

If I could offer some advice based on many years in the metal finishing business, it would be this: Don't just sand / wire wheel the rust then hope to slap some paint on there and not have it rust again. In fact if you do that, you may actually accelerate the rust.

Most folks have no idea what proper metal finishing entails. The most important steps are actually all before the paint goes on. Preparation is everything. If you don't prep the surface properly, everything that follows is compromised - including corrosion resistance.

I'd agree that removal of the rust via mechanical means is important, but I'd go one step further and use any one of the many chemical corrosion neutralizer / inhibitors that are available out there to finish the job. Then, a good coat of rust inhibiting primer followed by a coat (or two) of corrosion inhibiting paint. After everything has dried / cured for a month of so, follow it up with Fluid Film or something similar.

Thanks for the information! So POR-15 metal prep followed by just a rust converter primer then?

From your pictures I don’t see a real problem.

Actually, I'd use a rust neutralizer before the metal prep.

That's not bad at all! I would fluid film (or krown) the crap out of it, inside and out, and aside from being a little sticky, it'll look the same in a year or two if/when you decide to tackle the massive frame overhaul.

I wish mine looked that good. I wouldn't bother lifting the body to clean it up. In my experience these generally rust from the inside out. All but one of my rust repairs, which included new metal, rusted from the inside out. On yours I would make sure there is no sand sitting in the frame especially just in front of the rear wheels and just behind the front ones then spray some sort of oil in there. I would also clean, oil and watch the front area where the tow points are plus pull off the rear bumper as the frame corners under there rust.

what would be the best rust neutralizer to use? I've searched and seem to come up with mostly rust converter/paints.

I used greased lightning (gallon) and added to spray bottle and sprayed the shit outa that frame. Then rinsed it all, did it again, rinse. Dried, then used CORROSEAL and it's still looking good 1.5 years later. Big fan of corroseal. Apply it with a sponge is best imo.