Some bed pics

I was thinking more along the lines of just get the whole piece bent new instead of patching a bit here and there. I won't argue that this is cheaper but you add days to the project and you have an inferior end product.

I guess I don't really want to come across as criticizing what you are doing. But I guess if that is what it sounds like then maybe I need to learn English better.

I do have to say that I admire some of the projects that people take on in this forum. Some of the rust shown in the pictures is a lot of work to repair.

It is always a challenge to fix something yourself, but the joy of doing it is there. I am on several forums, and most of the rust I have seen on these trucks are nothing to what I have seen on some of the Cougars that have been "restored" on the east coast. I enjoy seeing what everyone does.

I don't feel like you are criticizing, everyone is entitled to their opinion and yes you are right in it does take longer and I guess is somewhat inferior when done but I do get some satisfaction making and putting in the patches also I like the fact that I am keeping mostly original sheetmetal when possible, but nothing wrong with the new sheetmetal either, it does save lots of time.

Your treatment of the tailgate makes me think there's a better way to repair the lower roll and hinge, than the way I've done mine. It's broken almost all the way across, and the lower roll has big-time rust bugs. Now I know a better way to repair mine. Thanks for your pictures and description of the repairs involved.

You are welcome glad it helped, mine sounds like it was pretty much like yours it was pretty rough it had a solid bar welded along the bottom and was pretty much rusted all the way across.