1970 short wide (official project thread)

[Dcm]

Originally Posted by Xeen

Yikes it looks like there is some damage to the rear crossmember, that won't be a problem though there are plenty of longbed's that have been parted out that you can get one from.
Have you found any more frame damage?

So far so good. I have talked to a company that makes a kit to convert long frames into short frames. For the life of me I can't recall the company name, anyway, the rep said they usually ditch the rear crossmember and weld or bolt in a C channel piece for added strength.

[Dcm]

Finally made forward progress!!! (Not taking apart, tearing down, cutting off, or otherwise disassembling). I got most of the frame primed tonight. Winning.

[Dcm]

Rear 2/3 of frame is painted and turned out nice. Now I'm just sanding, priming, and painting all the loose parts like brackets, mounts, hood hinges, and all the other parts not bolted or riveted to the frame. I bought the metal today to repair the damage on the rear of the frame.
I have a cousin (more like a big brother) who has a tire shop that's gonna replace front end suspension and steering components for me. (Thanks Joel)
I have also made the decision to replace the rusted floor pans in the cab myself. One of the reasons I took on this project is because I'm a DIY'er and I enjoy learning how to do new stuff. Wish me luck.

[Xeen]

I'm sure you will do great.
You can learn tons about auto body repair just reading other peoples builds on here, especially how to weld in patches.