New Cab Floor

[chas350]

This is why its being replaced, along with previous owner repair work that just wasn't up to snuff.
Last pic is floor cut out from cab.

[chas350]

Stripping some of the cab to see what kind of nasties are hiding under the paint. And the cab with bracing to keep the original shape/dimensions intact.
We will be replacing the floor with a new one that Tri-Plus makes. It includes the complete underside bracing and supports. We picked it up from TriPro Automotive in NJ. Thanks for the tour John!

[JayDubBlazer]

Thats some crazy bracing, looking good

[Tucknuts]

Good decision to replace the floor. Im planning on doing the same ( I think ) even though mine isn't near this far gone.

[chas350]

This is what the rear of the cab looked like after drilling out the spot welds and striping the paint. The PO also welded the floor repairs he did solid to the inside of this. So I replaced it with a piece I made up.

[chas350]

Second pic shows new piece tack welded and cleco'ed to the back edge of new floor. I left it long for now, so I can cut it just where needed when fitting the cab corners.

[chas350]

Now onto the firewall seam area, as you can see, it needed attention also. I cut out the rotted area and replaced it with a new piece made up on the brake.

[chas350]

I had to repair both sides.

[chas350]

I epoxy primed the metal before the seam was joined.
Bottom pic is viewed from exterior and shows the plug welds used.
At this point I have the rear of the cab temporarily attached to the floor with cleco's, and the front was clamped together until the new front pillars and foot wells were fitted and tack welded in. I should note that the very front edge of the new replacement floor was not formed strait as others have noted. I am referring to the folded edge that spot/plug welds to the bottom of the firewall. I needed to make some relief cuts and hammer/dolly it strait to match. This has been noted by other users of this floor also., but is fairly easily fixed with a little thought. I had some pics showing this but seemed to have lost them :[

[chas350]

This is how I determined the height of the cab floor, but i am not going to weld anything solid until the cab corners are fitted with the body lie/crease lining up properly to the door body line/crease.
The replacement rear pillars needed some minor messaging to fit properly.
The other pics show the rear door pillar fitted and tacked.

[chas350]

Here is a back side view of the rear pillar.

I have lost or erased the front pillar/foot well fitment photos. Here they are completed.

[chas350]

The firewall being preped for epoxy.
My son Logan blasting the rest of the cab, he does the dirty work!
Notice the PO HEI clearance job lol. We will dolly it smoother before we are done.

[dan42]

Wow - you guys go to extremes to save cabs. I know of a couple of trucks with cabs in better shape than that sitting out in a field.

[chas350]

Originally Posted by dan42

Wow - you guys go to extremes to save cabs. I know of a couple of trucks with cabs in better shape than that sitting out in a field.

Yup, can't tell you how many times iv heard that! But hell, we're in New England! Rust free trucks don't grow on trees here like Cali!

[dan42]

BTW, I forgot to mention, that's really nice work you're doing on that truck. It's fun to see something like that come back to life. Keep us posted!

[jaros44sr]

Chas, nice work, good to see some progress. Those floors save alot of work. Can I offer some advice?

[jim zag]

YOU KRAZY MAN!!!! Very nice work. Most "rust free" trucks I have seen from out west still need rockers and cab corners and footwell work. Western trucks have upper damage from roof caulking that has dried out and allowed water to get in.They rust from the top down. East coast trucks rust from the bottom up.They pretty much all need work.

[Dave Reed]

Originally Posted by chas350

Yup, can't tell you how many times iv heard that! But hell, we're in New England! Rust free trucks don't grow on trees here like Cali!

Amen to that. Cab corners, rockers, and floors. If that is all it needs it is a good buy!

How about shipping some of those cabs from Cali to CT?

[UltraBlue71]

HOLY SMOKES, you make me feel bad for not using parts with just a little pitting on them, you guys are true restorers out east, Me and plenty of others out west would have give up on that one!

[chas350]

Its only fair that I give Ebfabman credit for his fine cab repair video! It has certainly made the job easier. Thanks Earl!!

[ebfabman]

Anytime....

[chas350]

Originally Posted by jaros44sr

Chas, nice work, good to see some progress. Those floors save alot of work. Can I offer some advice?

Sure.

[jaros44sr]

Originally Posted by chas350

Sure.

Up in post #10, 4th and 5th pic. The 'B' post patch fits great where you have it, but, when you put the rocker on you will have a gap at the lower 'B' post. So you won't have anyway to weld the two together at that point. Also, on the inside the 'B' post patch isn't touching the floorboard, so, if you make an extension on the 'B' post patch panel above those areas, it should drop everything down into alignment and contact. The extension should be all strait bends, nothing complicated. Hope this helps, check out that area when you hang your rocker.

I could be wrong, and I hope I am, but past practice says not. Maybe they fixed this problem since I last worked on that area

Nice to watch your work, and seeing your son enjoy it too.

Good luck with your truck

[jim zag]

I saw a 67 from COLORADO last night at a car cruise and it was all original and I am telling you it had NO RUST in the rockers or footwells!!! He would not sell it to ME!!!!

[chas350]

Originally Posted by jaros44sr

Up in post #10, 4th and 5th pic. The 'B' post patch fits great where you have it, but, when you put the rocker on you will have a gap at the lower 'B' post. So you won't have anyway to weld the two together at that point. Also, on the inside the 'B' post patch isn't touching the floorboard, so, if you make an extension on the 'B' post patch panel above those areas, it should drop everything down into alignment and contact. The extension should be all strait bends, nothing complicated. Hope this helps, check out that area when you hang your rocker.

I could be wrong, and I hope I am, but past practice says not. Maybe they fixed this problem since I last worked on that area

Nice to watch your work, and seeing your son enjoy it too.

Good luck with your truck

Thanks for the heads up!
That is one reason the back of the cab is only attached with cleco's and why the b pillar is only tack welded in, all my measurements and fitting want the b pillar where is is currently, but I didn't like the way it fitted to the floor either. I am rebuilding a door to mount, so I can line up the body lines before doing the rocker or cab corner. I am very anxious to see how everything fits.
I can already see the cab corner needs to be bent closer to a 90 degree angle than it was formed. And thanks to the PO lapping new full size/uncut cab corners OVER the existing corner and welding it solid.....it is more of a challenge. But its all good! I love working with metal :] I am having a blast!
Logan on the other hand is burnt out on sand blasting for a while lol.
chas