82 chevy 3+3 worth fixing
 

Hi guys, so about three weeks ago i bought an 82 crewcab chevy dually with intentions to swap in a duramax and nv4500. Well sunday i let my dad borrow the truck to do some stuff and the truck ended up catching fire from a carb backfire and it burned through whole front clip and cab.
Im wondering if its worth fixing i know a guy that has a 85 suburban for sale for 1200 bucks thats in good shape to fix most of the truck my question is would that fire have warped the pillars or structure of the cab? also would the dents that formed on the cab between the doors and dents in front of the markers be able to be pulled out?

Re: 82 chevy 3+3 worth fixing
 

here are some more pics cant see it but in front of the markers there is dents now.

Re: 82 chevy 3+3 worth fixing
 

Wow I'm sorry for your luck! If I was in your shoes I would call it a loss. Once sheet metal gets hot it expands and contorts way out of shape. It got hot enough to melt the glass so the metal surely is weakened/warped. How long was the truck on fire for?

Re: 82 chevy 3+3 worth fixing
 

Um if i had to guess i would say maybe a good 5-8 mins before the fire department got there and put it out. It happened right in town so wasnt on fire for to long ig it could have been longer. Really sucks ive been looking for this truck since i was 15 lol and dont even get to drive it more then 3 times and its gone..

Re: 82 chevy 3+3 worth fixing
 

I feel for ya! If I were you I would go find a roller 2wd crew cab and put it on the 4x4 frame you have. All you need is a cab and front clip. Besides just think of it as an excuse to get the Duramax swap underway sooner! :)

Re: 82 chevy 3+3 worth fixing
 

put a different body on it

Re: 82 chevy 3+3 worth fixing
 

yeah true but thing is i havent found **** around where i live. lol that is why it took so long to find this one these usually only come up for sale like once a year :/ ive seen one more like it in great falls, mt but he wants 2100 for it which i dont have after taking the hit on this truck which sucks.

Re: 82 chevy 3+3 worth fixing
 

A two wheel drive 3+3 shouldn't be too hard to come by. Might check the wrecking yards to see if they have a crew cab that you could use.

Re: 82 chevy 3+3 worth fixing
 

WHY DONT YOU PUT THE SUBURBAN BODY ON THIS FRAME, sorry didn't realize caps was on

Re: 82 chevy 3+3 worth fixing
 

Sorry for your loss! :( The way I see it, you still have the truck you wanted. The frame/chassis is what makes the truck. Find another crew cab body, and go from there. You can get an early start on the engine swap, by removing that burnt body and scrapping it. Just a minor set back! :chevy:

Re: 82 chevy 3+3 worth fixing
 

This.... /\
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Re: 82 chevy 3+3 worth fixing
 

I agree with the above posts. The cab is not worth fooling with in my opinion. Too much heat distortion and rust will always be a problem with it. Search for a better cab, and doors are easily sourced from a suburban.

Sorry for your loss! I think the chassis is worth the rebuild.

Mike