4X4 Crewcab Stepside Project..............

[edman87]

I really like the plans. Never seen a cc stepside! A+
That cad is going to take a lot of work, good luck.

[Srubydo1986]

this is going to be fun to watch/read.

[Ivan D.]

Originally Posted by toomanytoyz

Thanks for all the Tip's & Advise concerning the Build, Will either have a 6 " Lift & 35's or a 3 " lift & 33's.

Actually you might be able to clear 33s without any lift at all, my truck surely clears them and it's just a 2wd, since yers is a 4x4 it actually sits higher even from the factory. Since you're not going to be doing too much wheeling with that truck I'd say stay with 3" lift and whatever tires fir under that (33s will for sure, maybe even 35s), this way truck will be more stable on the freeway while still being quite able off the paved road.

[Troy-Built]

c-mon Rick go with the 6 inch lift since you got a good deal on one already.

[Pyrotechnic]

Even better with the 88-91 Burb front end!

[DirtyLarry]

Tooanytoyz,

Dude, don’t take me wrong here. I like the idea of a custom crew cab short bed stepper. I lived in MI for a few years, travel to my companies assembly plant in eastern IN several times a year…..BUT.....Krymany, of all of midwestern and eastern salt belt folks, it never ceases to amaze me what Indiana folks are willing to pull in from the pastrure, out of the salt mine and junk yards to rebuild (worthless rusty tow trucks from Indiana , 4x4’s with swiss cheese holes rusted through the FRAME from Indiana, Indiana, the list goes on and on).

You Hoosier’s remind me of the Alabama guys and their obsession deep frying food…. deep fried fish, deep fried pickles, deep fried cheesecake, deep fried peanuts, deep fried deep fried deep fried what ever hopped into the deep fryer????? I can go for deep fried food but not loading a truck body and chassis with so much welded on material and plastic filler it is not even worth the money and labor you put in to it.

Friend, for the money you will spend in mig wire, arc weld sticks, sheet metal, body filler, personal labor, fuel for that there fork lift and beer alone would probably pay for your gasoline and U-Haul trailer to the southwest buy virgin rust free truck to start a solid project even if your pile was free.

Again, I do like the short bed crew cab stepper idea but I think you would have been better off starting with a cleaner canvas to create your art work on.

But that is just me talkin'

[Troy-Built]

Most of us are barely getting by with what we can get for our money. We work on them little by little when we get the time and money and can't generally afford the loss of work and money spent for the trip and the initial cost to pick a rust free vehicle up. Besides it is a learning experience. Maybe most of us Indiana folk like and can generally overcome the challenge. Besides, it is a moral booster for the younger people when telling someone you built it yourself from a rusty hulk. If we could all go get rust free projects that would be great but then again there wouldn't be as many left either. Troy

[toomanytoyz]

Troy,

Thanks for the Input, I sure had no Clue about the Various Reaction that this would Get...................

Rick

[Rc 415]

Originally Posted by DirtyLarry

Tooanytoyz,

Dude, don’t take me wrong here. I like the idea of a custom crew cab short bed stepper. I lived in MI for a few years, travel to my companies assembly plant in eastern IN several times a year…..BUT.....Krymany, of all of midwestern and eastern salt belt folks, it never ceases to amaze me what Indiana folks are willing to pull in from the pastrure, out of the salt mine and junk yards to rebuild (worthless rusty tow trucks from Indiana , 4x4’s with swiss cheese holes rusted through the FRAME from Indiana, Indiana, the list goes on and on).

You Hoosier’s remind me of the Alabama guys and their obsession deep frying food…. deep fried fish, deep fried pickles, deep fried cheesecake, deep fried peanuts, deep fried deep fried deep fried what ever hopped into the deep fryer????? I can go for deep fried food but not loading a truck body and chassis with so much welded on material and plastic filler it is not even worth the money and labor you put in to it.

Friend, for the money you will spend in mig wire, arc weld sticks, sheet metal, body filler, personal labor, fuel for that there fork lift and beer alone would probably pay for your gasoline and U-Haul trailer to the southwest buy virgin rust free truck to start a solid project even if your pile was free.

Again, I do like the short bed crew cab stepper idea but I think you would have been better off starting with a cleaner canvas to create your art work on.

But that is just me talkin'

X2, I just sent a suburban to the scrappers because it had less rust than that! I could have got you a crew cab for 100 bucks out here rust free too, but anyway cant wait to see the finished result!

[Troy-Built]

I guess us Hoosiers just aren't right. But I can live with that. The 72 Blazer I have is 99 percent rust free and came out of Michigan. I also have 69 4x4 that is 95 percent rust free and has been in Mideastern Illinois all of its life. They are out there you just have to be in the right place at the right time.

[Bus Ted Knuckle]

All of the trucks I build were either free, or dirt cheap. I can't do it any other way. I totally understand and commend you for digging into what you got and getting the job done, one step at a time. Some of these responses shocked me to tell you the truth.

I love it man. Go all out on it. Can't wait to see the results!

P.S. Did you ever get the 6cyl power steering stuff that you bought from me?

[toomanytoyz]

DirtyLarry & Rc 415,

I do appreciate your Input on This, I also wish the Body were a little Better to start with. Truth of the Matter is the Frame is in Excellent Shape & That is More Important to me at this Point..................

Gas & Trailer to Troy's = $125.00
Rusty Hulk = Basically Free
Spending the Day Making Some New Friend's = Priceless

Rick

[Troy-Built]

I suppose they are the same people that would stop a task because of a little flesh wound too.
Just kidding Even if you don't agree with our current projects I wouldn't hesitate to help any of you on yours.

[Zoomad75]

Guys-

Don't get all butt-hurt over the rust vs. rust free debate. Spending some money up front for a rust free truck isn't a cop out or make you a wuss. Your bucks ahead because time and money spent on sheetmetal, welding wire and gas can actually be spent on building the truck up. You end up a couple of steps ahead of the game.

We out west don't have the rusty junk to sort through to build so we don't have the same mentality to bring the titanic up from a rusty grave and make it seaworthy again. You guys got some skills to raise the dead.

So before you start calling out the guys with nice sheetmetal, not all of them were 100% perfect or bought that way. I know mine wasn't (or is now- haha). DirtyLarry's truck was Solid yes, but it sure wasn't built up when he bought it. Take a minute and look his buildup. The most he farmed out was for the exhaust and charging the a/c.

Keep this in mind, I'm all for the crewcab stepside buildup. It's just hard for us out west to see when most of the stuff around us for trucks is in much more solid shape.

[longhorn71]

they cab is not to bad anyways.You can still tell it had rocker panels.Here most cabs are that bad or worse.To start with a rust free truck would cost the same as all the body work you have to put in to a rusty one anyways.Gas and hotels to travel south from here would be killer.


here is a rusty canadian truck for ya!!!I pulled the body off it last year cause there was a loud bang on every bump.......all but 2 body mount blots had rusted through!!But i did find a less rusty body that only needed rocker panels and a lower quarter repair panel

After looking at an 07 chevy 4x4 crewcab for $55,000 I think i may look for an older one too.keep us posted on your work!!!

[toomanytoyz]

Hey Guy's,

Enough Bickering on the Issue of Rust, Really don't want the Thread to get Locked out for It.............

Part of the Reason for the use of this as a Starting Point was the 4x4 Frame Which is in Great Shape to start with & Also the Fact that i have a Part's Burb to Rob from. Should be able to use all 4 door's ( Hope they are all the same) & The Interior for the Crew. Basically Just Trying to use Part's I currently have, No Plan on a High Dollar Build..............

Again i do Appreciate all Opinion's, Both Pro & Con. Probably should have Made more details available

Here is the $ 75.00 Part's Burb

[Bus Ted Knuckle]

Gosh Rick, you stole that burb for 75. the wheels are worth more than that! then you could sell the front crossmember, then the seats, then...yada yada yada...

See this is how I pay for my projects

[Troy-Built]

Opinions are just that opinions. We all have them but we also rely on them to get us through certain issues. Especially on all of these boards. Even though we may not like what we here we still value everyones opinions here. We have just learned that we have to deal with what we were dealt with and except that. I would love to come out west and pick up some rust free muscle cars or trucks and maybe some day I will but right now I am going to make the best of what I have.

[Palf70Step]

Originally Posted by Srubydo1986

this is going to be fun to watch/read.

[Captkaos]

Originally Posted by toomanytoyz

Part of the Reason for the use of this as a Starting Point was the 4x4 Frame Which is in Great Shape to start with & Also the Fact that i have a Part's Burb to Rob from. Should be able to use all 4 door's ( Hope they are all the same) & The Interior for the Crew. Basically Just Trying to use Part's I currently have, No Plan on a High Dollar Build..............

You can use the floorboards from the Burb to fix the Crew floorboars also and the doors are the same (all 4)

BTW, wanna sell those front seatcovers, my are shot and I need some new ones.

[desertrat]

Hey Rick,


Good luck on the build. It's going to be cool when done.

For you're info the photoshop picture was done with the wifes f-250 and it has 37" tires with 8.5" lift. Although her truck looks good it's a bear to get in and out of all the time (but she loves it).

My crew cab project is on the back burner, but it does make a good junk hauler in the meantime. I am going to keep an eye on this thread.

Keep us posted, desertrat

[mike nutt]

rick , what kind of shape is that suburban cab section in, reason i ask is the suburban from the back of the rear doors forward is the same as a crew cab truck.just cut the burb off just behind the rear doors and graft on the rearwall of a pick-up cab (two door or four door) that might be easier than repairing the trucks cab . just a suggestion . well good luck on you project .

[87 STEPPER]

Well i think it's gonna be a kool old truck when it's finished.

You deffinatlly have some serious work ahead of you with that project but that's what this hobby is all about.

You know how you are gonna use this rig when it's done so build it the way you planed and just keep safety in mind while doing your frame and suspension mod's. and it will turn out fine.

And ya better not wait too long to get that white stepper bed/frame in the j/y thats a really solid looking bed and i think thats a really fair price for it.

I too will keep an eye on this build up.

Good luck

[toomanytoyz]

Bought a 81 Stepper Today, It has got to be the Plainest Truck I've ever seen for a 73-87 model, 250- 6 with 4 speed od. Actually Run's & Drives Good, But don't look like much. Has a Brand new Gas Tank & Battery..........

Thanks Again for All The Interest, Rick

[87 STEPPER]

Thats not too bad a lookin truck right there what did you pay for it?

At the rate your goin' you can start your own junk yard pretty soon