crew cab headliner board ?

[OJOE]

where can i buy a headliner board for a 88 crew cab. i am building a swb half ton crew cab

[lolife99]

Try cheyenne pickup parts. I think they have a repop one. Check the link,... and post some pics of your project! I want to do the same with my '89 1 ton crew. http://www.cheyennepickup.com/

[desertrat]

Count me in as someone that wants pictures of a swb crew cab.

I'm on my way to look at a '86 long bed crew and I want to make it a short bed.

[OJOE]

ok here we go. about 2 weeks ago i put a crew cab swb together started off w/ a 1 ton dulley and a swb 1/2 ton. i got the frames put together w/ the swb bed bolted on and the 1/2 ton front suspension bolted in place. i now have the truck rolling as 1 unit but it now needs inside, engine and trans.
this is the good part.when we went to lunch the same day we got finished with all of this we passed a car lot and there sat a 88 crew cab big block dulley and i know the owner that bought it new. i made a offer and i now have the new truck at home.
i also have another doner 1/2 ton, already have it taken apart am going to steam clean the frame today and may get to cut the frame and get front suspension out. will get some pics in a few days

[kevinr1970]

So wait, you have one done as a roller and now your going to start in on another one? You sound like me...

Originally Posted by OJOE

ok here we go. about 2 weeks ago i put a crew cab swb together started off w/ a 1 ton dulley and a swb 1/2 ton. i got the frames put together w/ the swb bed bolted on and the 1/2 ton front suspension bolted in place. i now have the truck rolling as 1 unit but it now needs inside, engine and trans.
this is the good part.when we went to lunch the same day we got finished with all of this we passed a car lot and there sat a 88 crew cab big block dulley and i know the owner that bought it new. i made a offer and i now have the new truck at home.
i also have another doner 1/2 ton, already have it taken apart am going to steam clean the frame today and may get to cut the frame and get front suspension out. will get some pics in a few days

[desertrat]

Originally Posted by kevinr1970

So wait, you have one done as a roller and now your going to start in on another one? You sound like me...

Me too. I have three project vehicles (not including daily drivers)and I am concidering buying another project (crew cab short bed)

pictures, pictures, pictures please.

Hey OJOE do you have pictures of youre frame, where you cut it, how you boxed it, how bed mounts lined up. etc. etc. pictures work better for me, words seem to get mixed up with all the crazy voices in my head

[OJOE]

Originally Posted by desertrat

Me too. I have three project vehicles (not including daily drivers)and I am concidering buying another project (crew cab short bed)

pictures, pictures, pictures please.

Hey OJOE do you have pictures of youre frame, where you cut it, how you boxed it, how bed mounts lined up. etc. etc. pictures work better for me, words seem to get mixed up with all the crazy voices in my head

i knew this was next. lets see if i can explain it is very simple. i used a 1 ton crew cab dulley removed the bed and fuel tanks. i then cut the frame about 10"from back of cab, then removed the rivets to take off the 2 rear cab mounts. i used 2 short 2x4's between the cab and frame to hold up the rear of cab.
the rear cab mounts will be the center of the frame repair. also the 1 ton frame is about 1 1/2" taller than the 1/2 ton frame.
now for the 1/2 ton, remove the cab and bed. cut the frame about 10 or 12 inches in front of the rear cab mounts, then remove the rivets on rear cab mounts, in order to slide therear frame into the front frame you will need to cut off the top lip of the 1/2 ton frame just to where it over laps so the top of the 2 frames will be even.
now the easy part just slide the rear frame into the front frame. slide it in until the cab mount holes in the 2 frames line up you will also see that all of the other holes including gas tank mounting holes will line up you can get 12 bolts on each side in factory holes. bolt on the cab mounts thru the 2 frames and the cab mounts. and weld as moch as you want.
then you can bolt on the short bed in the factory holes. the 2 front bed bolts will go in the 1 ton part of the frame and the other 6 will go in the 1/2 ton part of the frame and you are ready to put your 1/2 ton suspension on the front.
this may not be the best way but there is no better way to keep the frame square and in line. good luck

[desertrat]

Thanks for the info OJOE. I just picked up a crew cab yesterday. I'm in no hurry to shortin it yet I will wait for a good deal on a short bed to fall my way.
For the mean time I'll probably make it run nice and let the wife get hay with it.

Here is the picture the seller had of the truck.

[kevinr1970]

So did you use the short bed tanks or the long bed tanks?

Originally Posted by OJOE

slide it in until the cab mount holes in the 2 frames line up you will also see that all of the other holes including gas tank mounting holes will line up you can get 12 bolts on each side in factory holes. bolt on the cab mounts thru the 2 frames and the cab mounts.

[Hart_Rod]

Can't wait to see pics.

[lolife99]

Add me to the list of people waiting for pics! OJOE, what are you doing in for the rear suspension? Will the 1/2 ton leaf springs swap directly into the 1-ton hangers? Also,... Is there a difference with the shock mounts? Keep us posted!

[mike nutt]

here's a few pics of OJOE's first crewcab project . joe has some pics of this project from the start, but here's a couple that i took yesterday.

[desertrat]

thanks for the pics mike.

[lolife99]

I guess I need a donor truck!

[kevinr1970]

Make mine a 4x4* please!
I would love to 1/2-ton cew 4x4 short bed. I had a '98 (3/4 ton) until last summer. It was about perfect but I didn't want the payment and gas was killing me. HUGE mistake - you live and you learn.... right?!?
The argument I have heard is that you can't haul anything with a 1/2 ton but I am not looking for a hauler, just something like a Suburban, but with a bed.
Besides, I had 12-14 people in my Suburban pulling my custom made bike trailer with 12-14 bikes up the hills where we rode. The trailer weighed just under 1500lbs. With each bike weighing close to 50lbs and figuring each person averaging about 175 I guess we were pulling close to 5000lbs. The Suburban didn't blink even going up some pretty steep grades on the forrest roads.

(*I have nothing against 2wd's as evidenced by all the trucks in my signature being 2wd except one. Just that after driving a 2wd Suburban around I was shocked at how bad the turning radius was compared to my 4x4 Suburban.)

[desertrat]

Originally Posted by kevinr1970

Make mine a 4x4* please!
I would love to 1/2-ton cew 4x4 short bed.

Why not 3/4 ton 4x4 shortbed, That's the route I would go for 4x4.

[kevinr1970]

Originally Posted by desertrat

Why not 3/4 ton 4x4 shortbed, That's the route I would go for 4x4.

Don't really have a need for it. I figure if I can haul everything I ever need to haul with my 1/2 ton Suburban, I would be fine with a 1/2 ton truck. Just more room for people and a place to keep things inside.
Also, 1/2 ton parts would be cheaper, more interchangability with parts and most importantly, I think a 1/2 ton would ride a little better.
I would sacrifice my '86 GMC 4x4 towards something like this if I could find a crewcab 4x4 for the right price. This would give a rebuilt 350 & 700r4, 3.73 axles now with all new front suspension, brakes and an Eaton posi from the parts truck, real nice interior (at least the front), and nice body parts.

Actually, my parts '85 swb has a good bed on it and the frame is bent up on the frame horns and just under the engine so I guess I already have half the project in my driveway...

[desertrat]

Originally Posted by kevinr1970

and most importantly, I think a 1/2 ton would ride a little better.
...

The older I get the more I realize how true that is.

[bcubed]

Here's pictures of the second Crewcab Shortbed we worked on this weekend.

[toomanytoyz]

Thanks for all the Tip's on how to do this, Will add to my want to do list of Projects............

Thanks, Rick

[Joes69c10]

I can get a swb truck that's trashed in the front for $200.00 for a donor, now all I need is a crewcab. Thanks for the info and pics guys. Just let me verify this again the rear cab mounts will line up right? Are they pretty safe bolted up like this? or should a person weld it up just to be a little safer?

[lolife99]

Like in other posts,... the bolts are just for "alignment purposes". Complete "quality" welding needs to be done to the frames.

[Joes69c10]

Sorry to be a pest. Read everything again and seen all the info. I need new glasses so i accidentally skipped it somewhere. Thanks JOE

[lolife99]

Not a problem at all. If it wasn't for this board,... and OJOE,... I wouldn't be collecting parts to build my own. (this board is WELL WORTH the $25 bucks it costs to be a supporting member!)

[kevinr1970]

Bringing this back from the dead.

I have been sitting on this one for a while - 1987 Chevy shorty:

I have been hoarding parts for quite some time.
3"/5" drop kit (springs/flip kit)
Chrome 15x8 rally rims
Brand new OEM GMC center caps for rally rims
Hidden hitch
Roll pan with flip down bracket for the hidden hitch
Charcoal interior (for regular cab but have light gray Suburban/Crew specific headliner trim pieces) including near perfect dash-pad
Brand new OEM Silverado door panels for manual windows and locks
Some other items I am not remembering right now

So I brought home this '87 GMC crew cab today:


The bed is rough as is the front clip and the interior. Runs decent even though it has been sitting for a few years and the price was right. But as I said earlier in this thread, I would sacrifice my '86 GMC long bed for the right crew cab project. Looks like I will be making that sacrifice!
It will be a while before I get this moving but will probably be asking questions here.

First questions:
OJOE has been using 1-ton frames but the crew I bought is a 3/4 ton. Will the 3/4 ton frame mate together with the 1/2 ton rear the same way as the 1-ton?
Is converting the 3/4 ton front suspension to the half ton as simple as just swapping spindles/brakes?
Thanks in advance!