Brand new cab

[special-K]

Originally Posted by 69DISASTER

Thanks to all of you for your comments, I feel very encouraged by all!! Truly! This truck is a keeper for me so I want to do it right. When I was 18 I bought a 1970 Chevelle SS 454 LS6 (yes that's right LS6) with only 40000 original miles. I restored it and kept it 7 years until I got married to a woman who refused to drive in it. I let the car go when my better judgement told me to let the woman go. I let her go 20 years later and now am going to try another resto. Current girlfriend says if I take on this project it has to be a keeper because she does not want me to cry over this truck the way I still cry over that Chevelle. Squirel, I would certainly appreciate any and all advice you have for me, I am just waiting to get truck into rented garage so I can go mad on it!! Hoping next day or 2!!

That`s awesome you`re hooked up with a lesson and meeting another member all in one.Good luck with it and keep us informed.
(and I know about that 20 years later thing)

[tim21391]

some things can be easy but then some things can be hard.. like when i did patched my floor where the cab colt goes threw i didnt spend much time on grinding welds and etc since it would be hidden under hushmat/ insullation/carpet.. so some things will go simple but like cab corners was a pain in the butt on my truck.. i was on my 3rd or 4th corner since i kept messin them up... i finally got the metal work done by a local board member. a big thanks to him

[chipflyer]

I had a nice conversation with Ed down at Mothertruckers in Florida a year or so ago, they are Dyna Corn dealers and he said that a new steel cab will happen one day. He told me that Dyna Corn already stamps all of the individual pieces and could build it today but they were still negotiating/fighting with GM on the licensing. Dyna Corn builds the new Camaro and Mustang body shells now and released the new 47-54 Chevy steel cabs awhile back. I wouldnt be surprised to see a good reproduction available one day.

Jeff

[69DISASTER]

Thanks for the info, got the truck in the garage today and got the box off. Don't think there is much to salvage from it so at least I will have lots more floorspace than I originally thought. Might keep front panel and passenger side but the rest is trash. Wooden floor boards were like ocean waves lol!!! I am remaining optimistic tho and am really looking forward to this project.

[kristoferlarson]

talk to these guys http://kmscarparts.com/ they have some parts trucks seem to be good guys to deal with had a couple questions called them up answered my questions no problem.

[tim21391]

[squirel]

When you need a hand just send me a message and take a lot of pictures everyone likes to see your progress

[nuke1]

Also, if you need some advice i am more than willing, give me a call, if you want my number just ask, been doin restos for around 13 years

[69DISASTER]

Manu guys are great, I have been living in this townhouse complex in Calgary for over 2 years and my neighbors aren't as friendly as you fellas!!!

[Camper Power]

Originally Posted by PHAT TONY

Not to jack a thread, but I grew up in Forest Lawn(17th & 38st). I got nuthin fer ya though,sorry.

wow, i lived in marlborough for 15 years till i moved up to grande prairie, anyway since you havent welded in a while id practice cutting those "trashed" body panels and weld them back together before you start welding the cab.

[au03z71]

Originally Posted by metalman1968

You can buy a wire feed for about $350.00, patch panels for about $100.00, and a grinder for about $50.00, and have some fun. Nice thing about working with metal is you don't have to burn it when you make a mistake, You just cuss it apart and start over.

Right on

[OLDIRON69]

If you find anything down south I have a buddy that runs to Canada pretty often, maybe something could be worked out to save you on shipping.. He is in Alaska right now delivering drilling equipment. Burrrrr!

[69DISASTER]

I found a welder at a pawn shop and I know a young fella who works welding. He is going to come look at the welder and let me know if it is worthwhile grabbing and said he'd be willing to teach me the basics. I stick and oxy-acetylene welded in my younger days so I am not afraid of how my welds will turn out, Just need to learn the machine. I have no idea how to set it up, etc. Once that is done I am sure I will be good to go. Like they say, "Success is 90% attitude and 10% ability" so I am counting on attitude pulling me through, LOL!

[BigSky71]

Originally Posted by 69DISASTER

Like they say, "Success is 90% attitude and 10% ability" so I am counting on attitude pulling me through, LOL!

Exactly! I hadn't done rust repair or body work before I tore into my truck. I bought and watched Efabman's videos and then just took my time and it came out nice. So yea go for it! Its just a big metal puzzle that you have to assemble, its not rocket science, lol...

[69DISASTER]

After looking at the truck I got to thinking if things might go together a little better if I were to weld my cab corners and rockers together then place the whole assembly in place and weld it as a whole (does that make sense?) Rather than welding the cab corner and then hope that the rocker lines up properly with it when the time comes to weld the rocker in place. Any thoughts, feelings, or experiences?

[88JRFAN]

Actually the rocker and cab corner don't weld together. They both spot weld to the rear pillar. They actually never touch. It wouldn't do you any good to put them together. I would put the rocker on first then the cab corner.

[fnoblitt]

there are a lot of good threads on this forum showing how to do the repairs. i read all i could, and did the repairs myself. if your rockers and floor are rusted,then chances are it's rusted behind the vent area,noticed how i cut out the metal so i could get in there with the sand blaster,prime,paint,then weld the panel back on. leaves get in there and hold the moisture then start rusting.

[tim21391]

fnoblitt is right about the vent. i had to do that on mine.. chances are if your rockers and corners are rusted.. u might need front/rear pillars and possibly kick panel... corners are hardest part i thought 88jrfan helped me with mine

[69DISASTER]

I understand what you mean about corners/rockers. My front section of floor is toast, do you recomend doing rockers, corners and then floor, in that order? That seems sensible way to me. I bought aftermarket metal parts and there is no real indication of exactly where on the rockers you should weld the backing plate, it can slide about a half inch forward and back. Problem is mine is so rusted it is hard to tell by looking at the original. Also there is excess metal on floor panel that appears as if it would slide down against the rocker backing plate. Is this just excess or is that to be welded to new inner rocker as well? That is how it appears to me. Haven't got doors and fenders off but from what I can see the pillars look pretty solid. Hoping there are no problem areas in that area. Going to look at what I am told is a "rust free" '68 stepside Monday evening so all this may be moot if the cab on that truck is as good as I am told.

[tim21391]

check out this piece... it already has inner rocker on it... it goes into the floor about 4 inches and then the rocker buts up to it... on my truck 88jrfan and i did the outer floor piece.. front/rear pillar...outer rocker.. then i did the floor patch since it was around the cab mount area so it wasnt to bad...then corner was last... i jumpe dot a hurry and a buddy of mine slapped in a driver corner first... no no no no... i ended up cutting it back out... its easy to manever the the outer floor and easier to clamp up your rocker

[tim21391]

camera is up charging so i will get pics on later