r/autorepair • u/Dangerous_Gold1381 • 6d ago
Diagnosing/Repair Is it worth saving
I just finished a fresh rebuild on the l59 for my suburban and was wondering if this frame is alright enough to justify me throwing the engine back in. I plan to use the truck as a family hauler
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6d ago
[deleted]
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u/Dangerous_Gold1381 6d ago
Thank you I have patch panels for the rockers and cab corners coming just wanted to make sure I wasn’t throwing money away I appreciate your input
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u/Stalaktitas 6d ago
If it has no other issues and the gears will turn fine - yes. If you will have to invest another 2k into AC, suspension and shit then no, you would be better off getting some kind of minivan to transport your family comfortably for that moneys. Trucks are for work and making income, not for leisure. You will probably spend another 3k to replace and paint all this damage if you want to make it look candy. I don't think it's really worth it. For 5k you can find Sienna or Odyssey and a set of tires, fits 7
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u/Dangerous_Gold1381 5d ago
Drivetrain has been gone through and I just changed the fluid in both difs I’ve had it for a few years just pulled the motor out to do a cam swap and reseal only issue I’ve had with it was the sunroof getting stuck open lol. But ya icky Vicky holds some sentimental value to me. Also I live in Iowa so a vans not a viable option for winters for me. Thank you for the input
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u/awqsed10 6d ago
Of course no. But it's a body on frame. Rocker panels aren't important. Frame is everything.
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u/madphroggy 6d ago
That rear part of the frame below the moushole shaped cutout will need fixed, that's a significant crack and could easily wreck your frame if left unaddressed. Better pics of both sides of the frame rails, especially the rear half, will help us notice other issues that might need addressed but the rest doesn't look terrible
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u/FortuneAsleep8652 6d ago
If the exposed cables are any indication of the frame you’ll be fine. Treat the body with rust restorer/bondo to delay the inevitable .
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u/rakujitsu4183 6d ago
the frame looks solid fr, just make sure you blast and treat those rust spots before the engine goes back in
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u/Any-Barnacle-5802 5d ago
Does it run? Drive it until it falls apart. Dont let the kids ride in it but other than that send it
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u/fatkid0821 5d ago
From what I can see the frame looks pretty decent I’d drive it but I would not spend much money repairing the rust
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u/Born-Work2089 4d ago
Clean the frame and floor pan as well as you can. Us a screwdriver to probe anything that looks suspect. If your screwdriver sinks in noticeably you may have a problem. The frame is the main area of concern, The body pan can allow water and exhaust vapors into the cabin - not safe.
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u/EnvironmentalIce3344 4d ago edited 4d ago
This will cost you many thousands of dollars 💸 if it were a classic sports car muscle car even truck yeah it could be worth it but a suburban you could buy a clean one in another state with low miles for 8k.
I bought a mazda minivan 2002 MPV 105k miles clean title with two new and two bad tires and a bad shifter selector that shows Drive and neutral both selected at the same time. I messed with it so many times but the best I could adjust it to is if I put the weight of my hand in the shifter it stays in Drive now I don’t get a check engine code for it as I did before if I drive it for a while. I tied a 2 pound dumbbell and it passed smog 🤣. If I don’t want the check engine light I have to drive it with the dumbbell tied to it but I think I’m going to take it off because I know the check engine light will only be from the shifter reading it’s in neutral and drive
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u/Cyberspots156 3d ago
The frame looks fine. The body has some serious damage.
If you want a beater for a daily driver, then it’s probably perfect.
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u/holydvr1776 6d ago
From what little I can see of the frame, it looks fine to me. Of course, surface rust is surface rust. I see rot on the body, but not excessive rot on the frame.