Hello all,

This is my first post, my first truck, and the first time ever working with automechanics. A month ago I bought a 1994 Chevy Silverado K1500 5.7l V8 4x4 with the regular cab. It has 148,000 miles on it, and I picked it up for about 4000 USD, which I consider to be a great deal. Since driving it into town every day, I've had to replace the thermostat, alternator, and battery. Very simple fixes (because being my first time, I'm taking small "baby steps" to simplify the learning process).

Now that I've worked up the confidence to do some restoration work to preserve the truck for as long as possible, I'm willing to take on more difficult tasks. For instance, the frame has quite a bit of rust on it, and I'd like to get it off, prime it, and paint it before anymore damage is done. I've started by getting under the bed with an angle grinder, various grinder disks and heads, and am making alittle progess. I don't want to half-*** it (excuse the term), so I'd like to pull the truck bed and get the top of the frame, sides, etc.

Problem is, I can't find any store, website, etc. that sells replacement hardware. All my bolts, nuts, and washers are rusted pretty badly (see pictures), and I'd like to replace all the hardware I can as I slowly replace things like suspension, engine, transmission, bodypanels, etc. Where can I find hardware to replace my rusted bolts, nuts, and washers that still meet the manufacturers specs? (also, if you have any advice for getting the rust out of hard to reach places, like inside the 3 sided frame, I'd really appreciate it)

Any time you spend reviewing and responding to this post is greatly appreciated and of the utmost value to me. Thank you!

-Michael

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