1949-50 3100

[BlueJeep]

Looking very good!

How much will you be into replacement panels when the cab is done (not including labor)? I think this is testament that almost any cab can be saved, very glad you're posting for all of us to see - thanks!

[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by BlueJeep

Looking very good!

How much will you be into replacement panels when the cab is done (not including labor)? I think this is testament that almost any cab can be saved, very glad you're posting for all of us to see - thanks!

I think its under 3 k for new panels but I haven't totaled it yet.

[FarmerSid]

Hey Dave. It's amazing how you are bringing that cab back. Wondering if I can pick your head a bit. I have a 51 that needs floor, kick panel, lower hinge pocket and cab corner repairs. I'm wondering how I should start going about this. The box is off, cab still bolted to frame, seat and gas tank removed and the doors are still on. What do you think is the first or smartest thing to start first? I'm worried about the cab getting out of square during repairs. I could brace the inside but that would make things hard to work around them. Should I maybe put new cab mount bushings or mounting pads in first? Hope you have some idea's.

Thanks!

[CAL 58 GMC]

Nice work!

[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by FarmerSid

Hey Dave. It's amazing how you are bringing that cab back. Wondering if I can pick your head a bit. I have a 51 that needs floor, kick panel, lower hinge pocket and cab corner repairs. I'm wondering how I should start going about this. The box is off, cab still bolted to frame, seat and gas tank removed and the doors are still on. What do you think is the first or smartest thing to start first? I'm worried about the cab getting out of square during repairs. I could brace the inside but that would make things hard to work around them. Should I maybe put new cab mount bushings or mounting pads in first? Hope you have some idea's.

Thanks!

Post some pictures of the areas in question in your thread and I'll look at them. First I would remove the front mount spacers and rubber if its still there so it down on the frame and use the front bolts as alignment pins. I would then tack weld the old cab mount to the frame horn in several spot. Do it so you can get at them after the floor is in. Then make some spacers of equal length and place them under the rear cab mount to the frame so its the same height on each side. Leave the rear mounts in place. This way nothing shifts and the floor is locked down to the frame.

You did a real nice job on that fender so I think you can do the sheet metal on your 51.

[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by CAL 58 GMC

Nice work!

Thanks,

[dwcsr]

Getting near the end of the cab work, doing the final weld up. Seams are looking good and tomorrow we fit the inner panel, finish up some odds and ends clean up some welds and send it off to the painter early next week.

[Kabwe]

Beautiful work, thats all I have the say.

[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by Kabwe

Beautiful work, thats all I have the say.

Thanks, Much appreciated.

[dwcsr]

No pictures today, We have been working on the inner rear window insert. What a PIA this has been. We have managed to get it in postions but it is slow going to make it look right. Hopefully I'll have some pics tomorrow. We did decide to fill the rear seam so that will get done tomorrow as well.

[dwcsr]

A little more progress. Working on the upper door gaps. For some reason the front part of the door has a huge gap that needs to be closed up. I used welding rod as fill stock. tacked it and then welded up and ground down to fit the gap with the new drip edge in place. I don't want to make them too tight because when the door hinges wear a little they make shift and start rubbing. This is the beginning of the task with the rods tacked in place

[Denee007]

Looks fantastic!~

[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by Denee007

Looks fantastic!~

Thanks,

[dwcsr]

working on door gaps today. The door is lined up with the beltline and the front gap is good so I have to jack with the top and rear gaps. The rear gap is tight on the top and wide on the bottom so we add metal to the bottom and moved the top. At the beltline it was a 1/16 which is to close and the bottom was 3/8 way to wide. We slit the top partway down and hammered it back. Tacked it in place to widen the gap. half way down we added 3/32 tig rod to the door edge and will trim to fit. These show how we added the metal and started trimming to fit.

[dwcsr]

Here its way to close so we slit the panel about 3/8 off the edge so it retains the metal corner we won't have to build it up with bondo that will break off later. we then tapped it back and tacked it in place. We will continue to add and move as we go down the gap so it looks straight and even.

[dwcsr]

Starting to get bored with all that metal work. Heres the suspension for the front. Its a Scott Danforth cross member that can use S10 82-2004, G Body 78-87 and Camaro 82-92 for some parts.
Gbody and S10 spindles, new used or dropped
LCA Camaro, S10, G-Body
UCA G-Body, S10
Springs Gbody, S10 or bags
Rotors/Calipers G-Body, S10, Camaro, Vette big brakes with some mods.
Rack or box steering. Power or manual
93-03 Camaro power rack
You can fit the original engine if you want without taking it out.

My reasoning for this over other types is, S10 , G-Body and Camaro parts are everywhere new and used. Tried and true parts nothing fancy and you get the right width without messing around with control arms. S10 is just about the same GVW as a 3100 so no troubles their. You can bring it to almost any front end shop for alignment. The list goes on..

[dwcsr]

We are back to fixing doors and hinges. The door bottoms were pin holed and badly pitted on the inside but fortunately only at the lower sections. We fabricated a sheet roll so we could get the slight bend that the door bottom has. Its a simple device made of angle iron and a length of pipe that works on most brakes and does the job nicely. Take an angle iron and lay it flat on a table or the floor and weld the pipe to the angle and flip it and weld the other side, its that simple. Then take the sheet you want to shape and slide it in the brake and slide the new bender roll on top of it and clamp the brake down. The gentle push up on the sheet until you get the desired shape for the door bottom. This will work on a metal or heavy wood work bench as well.

[dwcsr]

Back to the doors. We replaced the inner and outer lower sections. My Harbor freight $200 brake has served well or the years. Its a 20 gage brake but it has done 18 with effort. So here we have the doors we are fixing and some odd damage that also need work. We used the new roll tool for the outer bottom shaping

[solidaxel]

Have you used a Scott Dansforth crossmember before?
I did not know he was still producing these crossmembers.

[dwcsr]

I have not used it before. I picked this one up locally from a guy that didn't complete his install. As far as I know Scott is still making them and has a thread over on stovebolt.com

[dwcsr]

Sorry but we got busy with other work and missed posting some of the work. Its one color now. Doors are on and Altman Ez latches on. Which by the way are by far the best latches going, easy install and open and close very smoothly. Its time for final body work and final fit and off to the paint shop it goes.

[Red Foreman]

Cab looks real good, keeping an eye on this one!

[av8tr33337]

Originally Posted by dwcsr

Here its way to close so we slit the panel about 3/8 off the edge so it retains the metal corner we won't have to build it up with bondo that will break off later. we then tapped it back and tacked it in place. We will continue to add and move as we go down the gap so it looks straight and even.

Great "How To". This is my first build so I try to suck up all the research I can. Thanks for the pics and tips.

[Denee007]

That looks fantastic!! What color will it wind up being?

[Kabwe]

Really top-notch work going on here.