Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}

[Madkidd007]

In my signature you can see how it started. So I ended up finding more cancer than I had hoped for, but ultimately no more than I was prepared for. The game plan is to have a truely modern 72 full-size that makes all the mall crawlers feel bad about their life choices. Going to use an interior, wiring, HVAC, heated seats, roof console, keyless entry, the whole shabang from a 2000-2006 Escalade, LTZ Tahoe, or Denali. Oh and Ofcourse the drivetrain will be LS, I already have a set of twins to help it whistle, Oh yea a functioning 4th door with no exterior handle. Not feeling big on words tonight so I’m just gonna put up a bunch of pictures to bridge the gap from the last thread till now.

[Madkidd007]

Original drivetrain used for a partial wheel & deal. Spent my birthday on the 29th making myself happy. 157” chassis gonna be shortened to a 148.5” by relocating the already spring mounts.

[Madkidd007]

And yesterday my one man wrecking crew got to this point.

[randy500]

Subscribed

[Madkidd007]

All the parts that I took out from under the cummins truck will be put to good use

[71blksuper4x4]

Keep up the good work.

[Madkidd007]

Originally Posted by 71blksuper4x4

Keep up the good work.

I’m trying. But as we all know it’s time more than anything. Speaking of I go back to work on night shift tonight so since I woke up early and the weather was nice...............
Hope to start joining the cab to it next week if I don’t get hit with overtime

[Madkidd007]

Well good news after someone beatin on my door and waking me up after only 3 hours of sleep. Anywho the floor in the donor cab looks as good as I could have hoped, really appreciate it “Uncle” for all the metal so far. Trying to not cut anything as to keep all the factory dimension in place so I have less chance of getting things out of shape. Quick cuts on the roof and inner skin as they will be cut back even more so I just need it off first. Following the Frankenstein crew on the way I’ll be attaching the lower rear of the cab. Well here are the pictures and perhaps I’ll get to take one more after I eat before I head to work.

[Madkidd007]

And off to work I go

[HIGHWAY BY THE SEA]

You accomplished a lot after I left!

[morepwr]

I am liking this project! Looking forward to following the build.

[71blksuper4x4]

You will have to cut the back off the frame in order to set it in place. When I started building mine, I started it on a Burb frame as well.

[Madkidd007]

Originally Posted by 71blksuper4x4

You will have to cut the back off the frame in order to set it in place. When I started building mine, I started it on a Burb frame as well.

Well the route I took I’m following drew skiren’s method. You see I cut the cab off above the floor. I’m going to put a 90 degree angle on the rear skin and sit it directly on the suburbans rear support plate. Then I’ll plug weld it for now and finally I’ll stitch weld the outer portion and seem seal it. I’m going to use everything left from the cab to fix every bit of rust in the front all at one time and in doing so I’m going to make the middle body mount a truck style so my main floor will be one original solid piece. When I went to get the cab and chassis I picked up a beat up cab marker roof, going to cut it out and hammer & dolly it back in shape, then use the door openings from it to frame the 4th door and sleeve all my cabs upper roofline joints. I want absolutely all the cab work done before I move frames as I know this frame will keep me square

[Madkidd007]

Originally Posted by HIGHWAY BY THE SEA

You accomplished a lot after I left!

Yes sir I did. I don’t want to have a single week where I don’t make progress. Plus I don’t have much room as is so the more I get done the more working room I have. Good thing it’s gonna be a short bed or it would never fit in the garage period.

[Madkidd007]

Well this week is a bust. Had yesterday, today, and tomorrow off. Felt like total crap when I woke up yesterday and no change. Still managed a picture though

[Madkidd007]

So another no real update post but news and entertainment. The flu is vacating my body and I swapped my wheels/tires on the red truck and went to oreollys to get what I needed to plumb my 60 gallon compressor. Well it didn’t take much enticement from the guys to show off, side note right across the steeet is the police station but I didn’t continue into the roadway.

Cummins 1970 C20 - YouTube

[Bones72Super]

Hell yeah

[6600DURAMAX]

Hell ya - keep up the good work

[Madkidd007]

Alright so after the flu last week, and then forced three days overtime of my four off I feel like I’m being a bum. I did swing by oreillys though to check on my witness marks.

[Madkidd007]

O and I actually did something, made a cardboard template off my truck to make sure I had the correct angle. Now instead of doing the cab back and partial roof first, I can line them up with the door’s window frame. Ended up slotting the rear window track mounting holes so I didn’t have to modify the actual top of the track.

[Average Joe]

Nice work. In for the ride!

[Madkidd007]

So hopefully I can get some actual progress done tomorrow. But I did acquire some more items today. Got me a bed to shorten or should I say finally picked it up. Oh and picked up a set of 72 DG4 West Coast JR brackets for a painful $20.

[Madkidd007]

Well thanks to be forced 3 days overtime the past couple of weeks no real updates. Been more collecting of parts and thinking more than anything else. Collected some emblems and been considering chopping up the current daily driver that I’m building this to replace. Irony is I drive my 70 so much the battery died in the suv. So for the people that don’t know, the Saab 9-7x (essentially a trailblazer SS) has a 6.0 and 4L70e so can you say perfect donor drivetrain. Ten the interior is black leather, heated seats, adjustable pedals, navigation, memory seats, and the best part the key is in the center console so it would be way to retain the security key and put it in the dashes stock location. Check out how compact the underhood is, sure would be easy to do the twins with it under the hood of a 67-72

[Madkidd007]

Well a tiny bit of actual work, been moving stuff around and started wrapping up the cab to floor attachment. The plan is to use a piece of 72” angle iron tomato the cab back to the burbs floor support plate. Used screws to attach the angle temporality to the cab. Then plug weld and stitch weld the cab to the angle, then remove it all and wrap the sheet metail around the bottom. Skipping a few steps to get to the point. Lastly I’ll thru bolt everything to the floor to draw it right, and weld it to the floor. Sounds complicated but this way the original cab sheeetal will be sandwiched and uncut, hopefully stronger and easier to seal up.

[Madkidd007]

So a little proof of concept today so everyone can visualize what I’m doing. Excuse my blowouts, been a long time since I’ve welded different gauge materials but it’s coming back to me. And yay me for cutting too far, looks like now I get to add a filler for my mistake