Chevrolet must have used reject parts

[Keith_J]

My M1031 SECM had some rust bloom on the hood and cab top so I decided to attack it today. I noticed the right fender had a reddish bloom so I hit it with 400 grit only to make the red more brilliant.

I checked the fasteners and all look original, the paint matches fine so Chevy must have used a reject fender that had been repainted. And they skimped on the CARC, it is paper thin.

On the hood, I noticed the E-coat is highly variable, some areas were easily stripped, others are tough as nails. And in a few areas, there were defects which allowed water and air to slightly rust the metal.

Oh well, 26 years is a good life for a vehicle never garaged. Still a lot of work for a weekend. Now someone had applied brush paint over the rust areas, it turned yellow so I had to fix it. That all has been chemically stripped, then any rust areas are now pickling with phosphoric acid. Next is wet sanding to level the surface, then red primer. Eventually, a base coat of 383 simulated enamel will finish the project.

 

[wayne pick]

My M1031 was 99.9% rust free when I purchased it in October of 2011, It looked like it came out of a time capsule. It was repainted by the previous owner and shows no signs of rust repair, bondo, or any panel replacement, nothing. The PO stated it had something like 28K miles on it when he got it from GL. I beleve this to be true as other than the typical tear on the drivers side of the seat, it doesn't look like it was used much. It even has the "84" chalk marks often found on the firewall and frame. Im 54 yrs old and I recall 80s chevy trucks rusting at the dealership. I have no complaints.

 

[WARWAG]

I doubt it was a reject panel. They were all built on the same assembly line in no particular order. You could have had a M1028 followed by a Civi K30 and so on. That panel was either bad from the start or somewhere in her life span something happened to it. If it was "rejected" then it simply would have been taken off the line to be dealt with.

 

[papercu]

Just be glad they didn't use a Dodge again. Wayne

 

[porkysplace]

In the 1980's GM had the worst paint in the auto industry . 3 to 4 years after they left the factory the paint on the hoods ,roofs and trunk lids all faded away to primer or just lifted in big sheets of paint .

 

[Recovry4x4]

Just be glad they didn't use a Dodge again. Wayne

Haha, that's funny right there. The M880 trucks, as much as I love them, were the epitomy of rust. I've seen cabs last longer on trucks submerged in lakes.

 

[rtk]

In the 70's and early 80's GM ( Goverment Motors ) used cheap steel and the first type of WATER based vehicle paints . GM vehicles were known for rust through and bad paint , that is part of the reason they almost went out of business . Then there are the mechincal issues , but that's another story .

 

[ryan77]

All the cars built in the late 70's thru mid 80's have junk quality control and workmanship!! My mom bought a brand new 1980 Camaro the car was rusted out so bad within 3 years they had to junk it and my dad paid for the Rusty Jones rust proofing which was big at the time...

 

[ODdave]

In the 70's and early 80's GM ( Goverment Motors ) used cheap steel and the first type of WATER based vehicle paints . GM vehicles were known for rust through and bad paint , that is part of the reason they almost went out of business . Then there are the mechincal issues , but that's another story .

Lol, Its funny to think that people actually belive they would have went out of busines.... lol. Mechanical issues? They biult some of the most reliable cars out there. All manufatures have there faults and they have all built junk at one point or another.

 

[Keith_J]

I doubt it was a reject panel. They were all built on the same assembly line in no particular order. You could have had a M1028 followed by a Civi K30 and so on. That panel was either bad from the start or somewhere in her life span something happened to it. If it was "rejected" then it simply would have been taken off the line to be dealt with.

Assembly line replaces parts instead of fixing problems, that is the fastest way of assembly. This makes a good quantity of reject parts.

There is no question the right fender on my truck was originally painted red. I doubt the spare parts in the federal system were originally painted red.

I guess I will have to take pictures for the disbelievers.

 

[Recovry4x4]

Those dang small block chevys and hydramatic transmissions. Won't get you anywhere.

With that said, lots of the reliablilty issues experienced during that time frame was EPA induced while mnufacturers ran the learning curve on emmission equipment.

 

[ODdave]

Dont forget that stinkin 3.8/3800 engine thay stuck in everything. Power / MPG / longjevity, shmish....

 

[dstang97]

All the cars built in the late 70's thru mid 80's have junk quality control and workmanship!! My mom bought a brand new 1980 Camaro the car was rusted out so bad within 3 years they had to junk it and my dad paid for the Rusty Jones rust proofing which was big at the time...

I remember rusty jones

 

[73m819]

The problem was that the GOVERNMENT mandated a WATER base PRIMER because of ENVIRONENTAL concerns, the OLD color was not REAL compatible with the new primer, so did not ADHEAR well.

 

[JGBallew]

My M1031 was 99.9% rust free when I purchased it in October of 2011, It looked like it came out of a time capsule. It was repainted by the previous owner and shows no signs of rust repair, bondo, or any panel replacement, nothing. The PO stated it had something like 28K miles on it when he got it from GL. I beleve this to be true as other than the typical tear on the drivers side of the seat, it doesn't look like it was used much. It even has the "84" chalk marks often found on the firewall and frame. Im 54 yrs old and I recall 80s chevy trucks rusting at the dealership. I have no complaints.

I remember seeing new S-10's and S-15's with horrible corrosion all over the underbodies and chassis, within a few months of being "new".

Michigan winters were not kind to most machinery, but those got rusty fast.

 

[patracy]

CARC also doesn't help prevent rust. Due to it's porous nature, it actually helps promote it...

 

[poppop]

I bought a 1978 Chevy pickup brand new and when I sanded the cab top down a few years later there was bondo found and a different color primer in that spot. There was also a new truck sold at the local dealer that had sever wear problems on the front tires. It was carried back several times and could not be fixed. The last time a different mechanic saw the truck and said OH, thats the truck that fell off the carrier. After a nice letter to Cheverlot the dealer was required to allow the man to pick any new truck he wanted off the lot.

 

[Keith_J]

CARC also doesn't help prevent rust. Due to it's porous nature, it actually helps promote it...

Applying it straight over defective e-coat is even worse.

 

[twomorestrokes]

Who knows what has happened to these trucks over the last 26 years. The red fender may or may not have been there since new. No way of telling at this point in time.

And yes, GM DID have workers in a body shop that did rpairs to vehicles damaged on the line. My fiend used to work in the body shop at Fisher Body in Lansing MI and it was typical body shop work. My dad worked at Oldsmobile in Engineering and I still own the last new car he bought new straight out of the Engineering Department. A 1983 Cutlass Supreme with papers still in the glove box showing in-house repair to the LR quarter panel. If you look real close you can see fine sandpaper scratches under the color coat in that area.

 

[doghead]

Did GM use "E-coat" on the truck body panels when new?