Need a little help w/80's k20

[Russell]

Very easy to bolt 73-80 sheet metal onto an 81+ cab, not quite as easy to go the other way around though...

The 81+ fenders mount using the same bolt hole locations as the earlier trucks, so bolting the fenders on is a very easy thing, either way.

The challenge comes with the hood + hinges. The 81+ trucks have a cowl that is not part of the hood. It is bolted onto the cowl part of the cab, and have a wiper linkage that is long enough to stick through the cowl panel. The hinges for the hood are bolted to the firewall in an 81+ truck.

In 73-80, the hood and cowl are one big piece, and the hinges are bolted to the fenders. They have a much shorter wiper linkage so the wiper arms will fit under the end of the hood where the cowl section is.

So, if you want to put 73-80 sheet metal onto an 81+ cab, its a bolt on swap, just remove the 81+ cowl, and wiper linkage, then bolt the 73-80 linkage in, and pop in the old style cowl cover, then bolt the sheet metal + hood straight on. If you want 81+ sheet metal on an older cab, you have to switch wiper linkages, then figure out a way to secure both the cowl cover, and the hood hinges to the cowl / firewall of the cab.

Otherwise, the only difference between the two year ranges is the VIN plate, they are in different places on the dash, but using the approriate interior makes that a null point.