bodyshop cost to shorten longbed?

[Stevo427]

If your willing to take a trip to Fresno California area I know a guy that will do it for a grand or under. His work is unbelievably good to. I always recommend him. He does it as a hobby. He also did a bunch of extra work for free. Just cause he doesn't like things done the wrong way.

[72 tigger]

Originally Posted by Stevo427

If your willing to take a trip to Fresno California area I know a guy that will do it for a grand or under. His work is unbelievably good to. I always recommend him. He does it as a hobby. He also did a bunch of extra work for free. Just cause he doesn't like things done the wrong way.

Are you sure he lives in Fresno? I always thought that he lived up in the North Pole area?? If you want him to do your project, you may have to wait awhile- he's coming up on his busy season. I've heard his little sidekicks do some work on the side- if you're in a hurry (not sure if they're as picky as he is though).

[Square_78]

Santas body shop! lol
Maybe he can install my bags too. haha.

Im gunna try to find myself a complete donor short box first. Failing that, I will find someone to shorten mine. If anyone here lives in BC Canada and does this, send me a PM and we'll chat

[davepl]

If you don't mind going a couple of hours south to the Seattle area, I'd check with Preston Auto (rpmdyno.com), he's a pretty amazing fabricator. Mostly race cars and old restorations of Bugattis and so on, but I'm sure he could do it.

I think it'd be cheaper to buy bed sides than to pay shop rates at a body shop.

Which is also probably true of shortening the frame... if you do it yourself, then its cheap, but if you have to pay someone to do it, you might be a lot better off finding a short frame. Heck, as long as the frame is not rusted you can likely find a shortbox basket case for less than the labor of cutting a long frame.

[Stevo427]

Originally Posted by 72 tigger

Are you sure he lives in Fresno? I always thought that he lived up in the North Pole area?? If you want him to do your project, you may have to wait awhile- he's coming up on his busy season. I've heard his little sidekicks do some work on the side- if you're in a hurry (not sure if they're as picky as he is though).

Santa may not be real but he is. I have the truck to prove it and so do others on this board.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Dunenutt]

Originally Posted by lap15

Just an observation. Am I the only one who notices a pattern here?
It seems that the long bed owners want short beds, the short bed owners want long beds, the stepsides want fleetsides, the fleetsides want stepsides, the 2WD want 4WD, the 4WD want 2WD, the 1/2 ton owners want 3/4 ton axles, the 3/4 ton owners want a lowered 1/2 ton, the '67-'68 guys want '71-'72 grills, the other guys in turn want the older grills, the wood bed guys want steel floors, the steel floor guys want a wood floor, the straight six guys want V8's, then the V8 guys are scrambling to find a six, the manual guys want automatics, others want to rip the automatic out and install a stick, etc-etc-etc. Why don't we all just show up at one big central location and swap trucks so that everyone gets the truck they want and is happy? I would do it, who's with me?

After the dust cleared and everyone was happy, everyone would want something different Again

[Square_78]

Originally Posted by davepl

If you don't mind going a couple of hours south to the Seattle area, I'd check with Preston Auto (rpmdyno.com), he's a pretty amazing fabricator. Mostly race cars and old restorations of Bugattis and so on, but I'm sure he could do it.

I think it'd be cheaper to buy bed sides than to pay shop rates at a body shop.

Which is also probably true of shortening the frame... if you do it yourself, then its cheap, but if you have to pay someone to do it, you might be a lot better off finding a short frame. Heck, as long as the frame is not rusted you can likely find a shortbox basket case for less than the labor of cutting a long frame.

The frame is the one part that I can do myself. Big heavy steel is easy to work with. Its the paper thin sheet metal welding and body work that Im not good at. I agreee that finding some bed sides will be my first step. Unfortunately driving 40 hours to Caifornia isnt an option

[Steve Hafner]

Originally Posted by lap15

Just an observation. Am I the only one who notices a pattern here?
It seems that the long bed owners want short beds, the short bed owners want long beds, the stepsides want fleetsides, the fleetsides want stepsides, the 2WD want 4WD, the 4WD want 2WD, the 1/2 ton owners want 3/4 ton axles, the 3/4 ton owners want a lowered 1/2 ton, the '67-'68 guys want '71-'72 grills, the other guys in turn want the older grills, the wood bed guys want steel floors, the steel floor guys want a wood floor, the straight six guys want V8's, then the V8 guys are scrambling to find a six, the manual guys want automatics, others want to rip the automatic out and install a stick, etc-etc-etc. Why don't we all just show up at one big central location and swap trucks so that everyone gets the truck they want and is happy? I would do it, who's with me?

. . . .

I think the square-body guys already beat us to THAT idea !!!

. . . .

[19673ontree]

I see two options here ,
shorten it yourself , or buy a shortbed , I would not pay somebody to do this , I actually thought about this myself , I could shorten a longbed but the only way I would is if I found a truck that was LIKE NEW and DIRT CHEAP ! other than that I'd just buy a shortbed ,,,