Rear Door pillar rust, would you fix it or replace it.

[1970excursion]

Here are some pics.. I started poking around at some rust bubbles with the screw driver, and the whole thing started to fall apart.

Would you patch this up, or just replace the door pillar?

 

[Whoaa]

The striker takes a lot of abuse w/ the door closing often, and sometimes being slammed -if even on accident.

Based on these pic's, my expericne has been that discovering rust like this generally leeds to more discovery's and then the snowball effect happens. One thing leeds to five things, and then this "fix" takes on a life of its own and becomes a serious project that takes many, MANY hours of fitting and welding.

 

[DirtDonk]

Well, I'm a fan of patching where logical, and where it's much easier than the whole panel.

But in this case, because it's a multi-layer affair anyway, I'm not sure you're not going to find a whole not more nastiness where that came from.
I realize that patching would seem to be easier because you're basically removing a critical support component that's welded to multiple other critical support components (floor, rocker, bedrail, etc.) but for the cost of a new one even at 80 bucks being a lot more than just some sheet metal, I think it's worth it in this case.

I could be biased, because I sell them and don't sell bulk sheet metal, but I think I'm being honest when saying, dig into it deeper before making your decision, but I think you'll benefit from the new one.

Find out what the condition is of the striker and it's associated bits.

Good luck.

Paul

 

[camp9k]

I would be careful...you may open a can of worms!! I was only going to replace my front pillar and found much more!

 

[nvrstuk]

HUGE can of nightcrawlers you will open up... but from those pics, you need to replace the entire pc...we are doing this right now on a '77. Buddy started with rust in all the same areas of yours so I ordered replacement pieces...WOW, when you start locating the spot welds to remove the piece you will find LOT'S more rust in that panel, the seams, next to that panel, the floor, .... stop before you buy replacement panels for the entire rig!! Good luck

 

[1970excursion]

Yeap, Worms for sure, started poking around at spots without rust bubbles. I think I found spots where the PO bondo'd over tape or something, the screw driver pushed through like it was paper mache (machay? I never had to spell out that word before).. The Main reason I picked this bronco, was because the PO said he took it all down to bare metal and repainted.

Any ways, pics of soft spots along the rockers .

 

[spray1963]

I started fixing some rust in the firewall last year and wound up here!
Its cancer free now. Now just a little touch up on the paint and put everything and I mean everything together. I guess I should put up a build thread.

 

[bosshoff]

A better question is what is the condition of the rest of the rig? What do you want to do with it? Are you just enjoying it now? Do you want a mint restored rig? If you dig into this, that rig could be off the road for a long time (years in some cases on here!). Is this rig a good candidate for a restoration? If no, patch and drive, and search out a better canidate. Kind of like dating an ugly girl, until something better comes along.
And who says you can't date two girls at once? Think Charles Kuralt.

 

[1970excursion]

A better question is what is the condition of the rest of the rig? What do you want to do with it? Are you just enjoying it now? Do you want a mint restored rig? If you dig into this, that rig could be off the road for a long time (years in some cases on here!). Is this rig a good candidate for a restoration? If no, patch and drive, and search out a better canidate. Kind of like dating an ugly girl, until something better comes along.
And who says you can't date two girls at once? Think Charles Kuralt.

There we go... It is a rust bucket, and i like driving it.

I started to go down the "restore it" road. Enough of that. I bought a daily driver Bronco, not a 10 year garage project. Got rid of as much rust as possible and patched the best I could, should last a couple years until I am ready to replace the whole door post. Also replaced the drivers side rocker, and floor pans, still in work.. here are a few pics of the progress