Extended cab question

[CG]

Ive seen a lot of the use of burbs to make an (large) extended cab. Ive seen truck cabs extended several ways. Sometimes its extended but the curve of the side window is still there leaving a sort of triangle of metal between the two side glasses. Ive also seen the whole extended part filled with no window, or sometimes a pop out window like on a van.

Has any one built one out of a truck cab by using the upper rear corner drivers door, and the upper front corner passenger of a burbs window frames using the area I have circled. Cutting off the front just past (or before depending on how you look at things) the wing window on the truck glass. Obviously going to need two cabs to pull it off.

Then fill in the door seams and door handles. Make the rain gutter one continuous flow across the top of the windows and down the rear.

Extra room without having to make extra doors. Rear windows dont have to roll down. I think it would flow really nicely.

I used a burb in the pic only to show which parts I was talking about.

One of my local truck buddies likes the idea of the extended part filled and a van type pop out window installed. I think we have at least two board trucks built that way.

[RustyPile]

I don't recall ever seeing one, however, that doesn't mean it's never been done.. Anything is possible, especially with today's modern Photoshop. It's definitely not a project for the faint hearted or inexperienced. Among other things, it would require some donor vehicles and extensive frame modifications. A very good body man could pull it off. Not trying to be negative but a project of this magnitude requires a high level of dedication so as to not wind up being an abandoned project.

[CG]

I don't have the skill set, but sometimes my local buddies and I "bench build" stuff and if its interesting I toss it out on the board as a topic of discussion.

Maybe take a LWB put on a SWB box and extend the cab just enough to fill the gap. I dunno. I just think extend a cab a little or just before you would think it needs a door might be a neat look doing it the way I tried to describe it.

Plenty of folks out there have the talent to pull it off, Ive seen it many times here on the board.

[toolboxchev]

Rtech Fabrications. He built a jig to do the extra cab trucks. Man knows his stuff.

[BLAZERMAN]

Yes it's been done before, I had made a deal on one about 10 years ago. I made the trip to Wichita Kansas to see it and called the guy back a couple days later and made a deal on it. I got a phone call from a Wichita detective a couple days later stating they found the man dead and I was the last phone contact he had, It was a really weird situation.

I loved the leg room and ride of.my old 1 ton extended cab but never cared for the way the windows were done...they were camper windows. I took a bunch of pics of that truck, I'll see if I can get them off my old computer.

[CG]

Originally Posted by toolboxchev

Rtech Fabrications. He built a jig to do the extra cab trucks. Man knows his stuff.

Yes he is good. Has a Burb on his site for sale ... 300K
A box with his signature flare set up ... 15K

So yes if you have lots of mad money anything is possible

I'm thinking more like what could a talented "back yard" builder do.

[cwcarpenter98]

I don't know how it was done, but this was recently posted in a Facebook group that I'm on.

Looks like it was a long bed and they took the length out of the bed to make the extended cab.

When Dodge built the extended cab Dakota starting in the early 90s, they used the single cab long bed (8ft) frame to make the extended cab short bed (6.5ft) truck. I wonder if the same could be done with these trucks.

[BLAZERMAN]

Sorry for the crappy cell phone.pics of my computer screen. I think this is what you had in.mind.

[BLAZERMAN]

A couple more.

[Palf70Step]

Best example I know is Jim Bellwood's (68gmcdually). Here is his build thread.

https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...ghlight=68+GMC

He has been running and driving it a good while now.

[CG]

Blazer man that is exactly what I’m talking about. I’d love to see a finished picture of that one.

Palf while that’s a great truck and he did an excellent job, that’s style I see the most. Extended with after market window, or out of a van or something.

[BLAZERMAN]

Originally Posted by CG

Blazer man that is exactly what I’m talking about. I’d love to see a finished picture of that one.

After taking those pics I never saw that truck again. It was a tubbed short bed with a narrowed rear end with a good running 350 and automatic trans. It was a project truck and needed more work to be a driver. I was only interested in getting it for the cab for a 4x4 project. Had it bought for 2,000 but the guy died. Don't know what ever happened to the truck.

[Caddylackn]

I admire good welding and fabricating skills. I just do not think that this year of truck looks good, stretched, made into a convertible, crew cabbed, or chopped. It has something to do with the proportions, narrow pillars, and shape of the roof. I like other years of trucks stretched or chopped but not the '67 -'72. I think the square bodies look really good chopped.

[CG]

Originally Posted by Caddylackn

I admire good welding and fabricating skills. I just do not think that this year of truck looks good, stretched, made into a convertible, crew cabbed, or chopped. It has something to do with the proportions, narrow pillars, and shape of the roof. I like other years of trucks stretched or chopped but not the '67 -'72. I think the square bodies look really good chopped.

Different strokes for different folks. Ill put you down as a no even though that wasn't the question haha.

BTW are you coming to the Monroe swap meet later this month? We have BBQ for board members on Saturday ... You should make the trip!

[72 tigger]

I know this isn’t what you’re looking for, I built this in 1996 using a Chevy van door frame and window

[CG]

You did a great job on that. What frame did you use?

[Steeveedee]

If I had a truck this era and wanted a stretch cab, I'd want the back part on the driver's side to open like the Saturns do. That would be way cool! Since we're spit-balling, may as well throw that in!

[CG]

Thats the way my daily 99 F150 works. Its very convenient to toss stuff behind the seat. More stuff I dont have the skill level to do haha.

[72 tigger]

Originally Posted by CG

You did a great job on that. What frame did you use?

Used the front of one truck frame and the back of another so l only had one seam. I added a 4’ plate to the inside of the frame channel to stiffen it. Added 22” to the wheelbase (149”)

[Dieselwrencher]

I thought about doing this exact thing about 10yrs ago with a very rusty burb I had. It sold so I didn't have to worry about it. It would be much faster than a 4 door build.