76-82 cab swap

[theuglyduckling]

im sure this has been answered before but im a bit new to this as well as new to this forum. last year i picked up a 76 shortbed stepside with a cab rotted to hell. I found an 82 cab for a steal with only minor surface rust so i want to swap mine with it. will i be able to do a simple swap between them or will i be running into alot of fabrication?

[greg64]

I can only give you an incomplete answer. The hoods and hood springs are definitely different. I suspect the fender mounting is different as well, but can't confirm.

[theuglyduckling]

im running an aftermarket cowl hood on my 76, but for the most part both years look awfully similar and the cab is for a mere 250$. considering the whole underside of the 76 is rotted out, well worth the money. i wont be doing the sway any time soon, so any changes i need to make arent a huge problem, but i am really only curious as how things will fit up for everything from the cab forward.

[enaberif]

You would have to swap the entire front clip. 76 is the older style feners and hood setup and 82 is the newer. Rad supports are different between the two. But you can just bolt on the new clip and go.

[UKNOWME]

People do front clip swaps all the time so I don't think the cab is gonna give you any issues.

[theuglyduckling]

the 76 is already my daily driver so i would like to maintain as much of it as i can. the body lines seem to pretty much line up. the only thing i want to use from the 82 exterior wise is the cab, which is also the only thing i am getting

[1985-GMC]

Putting the older front clip on the newer cab won't be a problem, it will still bolt up fine. You'll need to swap out to the older wiper shafts as they're shorter for tucking under the hood. Also if you buy new cab mount bushings get ones for the year of the frame not the cab.

[theuglyduckling]

appreciate the input. i love my old truck, despite its old crustyness. its the same series pretty much so i had a good feeling most of it matches right up. new cab mounts are already in the works though since the back passenger sags a bit making the bed look crooked.

[1985-GMC]

Yeah I like the older front clip, I'm going with it on all my trucks.

[theuglyduckling]

To be perfectly honest im more for that 60's look but it was a valentines day gift so there was no saying no and it still maintains its old step side style which is the more important aspect. The hood mounts are on the cab of the 82, but the fenders of the 76 so i should be fine with hood attatchment and with it being a 2" cowl hood, i should have clearance for the 82 wiper system. all in all its looking like a fairly smooth swap i'll have ahead of me.

[bh86]

i just did this on a truck. this is basically what you need to do

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...85464276,d.cGU

[theuglyduckling]

yes, only i am doing in a sense the opposite. 82 cab and 76 clip. so i'll be deleting the 82 hood mounts to utilize the 76s on the fenders

[Your41Plague12]

You will still need to swap out the wiper shafts, even with a cowl hood. You'll also need to weld up the holes where the 82 hood hinges bolted to the cowl. 83 was the last year of the wipers being on the dash, so your original interior will bolt right in. As long as you're using 73-76 doors, your original interior could be preserved. If your doors have been swapped for 77+, your original small door panels will not fit. Like already mentioned, use body mounts for a 1976, not a 1982. Other than that, it's a bolt-on replacement.