Does anyone offer a NEW cab?

[TP from Cntl PA]

Me and my brother talk about this quite often and I keep forgetting to ask about it on here, but the thread about why these trucks are so popular jogged my memory.

You can buy just about every part new for these trucks other than a frame and Cab. Of-course, frames seem to have survived the years quite well and even in the rust belt they still are in decent shape. But the cabs on the other hand seem to be all patched and repatched. I am curious, why doesn't anyone offer a reproduction? It seems to me that the demand is there, I know I wouldn't fart around with putting in rockers, cab corners, cab supports and who knows what other junk when you could buy a new one even if it wasn't cheap, but it would be right and not all hacked/patched up. I know I'd rather have the advancement in metalurgy and rust prevention over the OE. Someone mentioned Fiberglass..........I haven't heard of such a thing, could you fill me in? Is the DOT the main reason they are repro'ing the cabs?

The K-20 I just bought needs some attention to the cab, but the rest of it(Western truck) has very little rust on it and it drives like a new one. If I could have a new cab to pop on that beast I'd practically have a new truck that would last me a long time.

Could someone enlighten me about this subject.

[pjmoreland]

There was someone who posted a link to a place that sells a fiberglass cab a couple months ago.

[chevybill]

There is a company that reproduces the cab and other body parts in fiberglass, not metal. I think the company is in Florida, but not 100% sure.

I think you can easily find it with a little internet searching.

[kingsolver72]

Actually you can get a frame for our trucks,a boxed frame at that.I forget who fabs them.They are however very expensive.I have never heard of anyone who can provide a new cab or the windshield cowl.Other than being too costly to manufacture a cab,there may be a legal issue with vin #s.I am just guessing.

[Longhorn Man]

was it U.S. body or something like that? Complete fiberglass cab.
They make reproduction Camaro bodys, Model T bodys, 32 ford bodys A.C. Cobra bodys... No problems with them.

[subtle71]

http://www.usbody.com/ShopOn-Line/

Yep! Look at the price of the cabs: $5800. I wonder if you have to worry about fitment issues or the cab flexing. It is at least comforting to know that there is an option. Can you imagine what it would cost to build a fiberglass truck from these guys?

[71SWBChevy]

Originally Posted by subtle71

http://www.usbody.com/ShopOn-Line/

Yep! Look at the price of the cabs: $5800. I wonder if you have to worry about fitment issues or the cab flexing. It is at least comforting to know that there is an option. Can you imagine what it would cost to build a fiberglass truck from these guys?

I am sure you would get a discount if you were buying an entire truck from them!

[TP from Cntl PA]

Seriously though, for a daily driver the price isn't bad when you consider, unless you smash it up, it will last a long time.

My neighbor totally restored his '72 C-10 about 10 years ago, and drove it daily...........Even though he kept it clean, the rockers, and cab supports aren't pretty and could be replaced again. Now when you consider the time he spent x2 if he does it over again, the price of the patch panels, and other misc. costs it adds up pretty quickly.

Wonder about the roll over issue though............Are they re-inforced in those areas? On the OTR trucks at the shop, Fiberglass is actually awesome untill you hit a deer, because it cracks/breaks it to heck.

[al's71gmc]

Originally Posted by TP from Cntl PA

My neighbor totally restored his '72 C-10 about 10 years ago, and drove it daily...........Even though he kept it clean, the rockers, and cab supports aren't pretty and could be replaced again. Now when you consider the time he spent x2 if he does it over again, the price of the patch panels, and other misc. costs it adds up pretty quickly.

10 years on a daily driver resto seems pretty good. But who knows the quality of the work done. Rockers and corners cost very little. If you have equip and skills to do it yourself the cost is time. And spending time on these trucks is what I LIKE to do.
The fiberglass cab just seems too much like plastic. I like a good solid steel truck. My .02

[tripleblack]

that is probably one of the craziest sites i have ever seen....

[71SWBChevy]

The other thing you have to think about is on fiberglass paint tends to age more quickly so even though you won't have to replace the corners and rockers after 10 years you will probably need to repaint it sooner than a metal truck.

[HotRod71]

Year One even makes a complete 69 Camaro Convertible body.

[Jim_PA]

Originally Posted by HotRod71

Year One even makes a complete 69 Camaro Convertible body.

And that's steel, not fiberglass

[Skruffy]

I think the best closest thing to getting a new cab would be to get a good one to start with, replace any questionable panels and send it to one of the places that dips it to take off all paint and rust, then e-coats it like a new part. http://www.redi-coat.com/

[67ChevyRedneck]

Tooling for a new cab would be crazy expensive and even if all the panels were produced they would still have to be put together. LOTS of welds and lots of time. Steel cabs would probably have to be really expensive to justify the cost and I'm sure shipping one would be expensive as hell too. There are still too many cabs available and all the pieces to fix most of the ones that aren't totally shot are available. I think if you fix something right it shouldn't need to be fixed again for a long time. Like rockers, if they are replaced you also need to coat the insides of them and make sure the drain holes are still there. Dry storage when the truck isn't driven helps a lot too. My two cents. I think it would be neat to have a 'glass cab though... no rust ever again!

[70rs/ss]

If you read that description, it says intended for serious "race only" applications. I doubt I'd want to roll around in a fiberglass car. I doubt you'd be able to register it because of the safety issues? Well, they do put fiberglass t-buckets, etc on the road, but $5800!! I'll sell my complete running driving 454 powered 67 Short Fleet for that much!! Not a for sale thread, but $5800 is rediculous for a cab.

[Woody]

Doesn't Ed at Mothertruckers (Brandon, FL) offer a complete restored cab that has been dipped and sealed? Ed is a First class guy to buy from. And anything you get from him is as advertised.

Woody

[cstanley]

Originally Posted by subtle71

http://www.usbody.com/ShopOn-Line/

Yep! Look at the price of the cabs: $5800. I wonder if you have to worry about fitment issues or the cab flexing. It is at least comforting to know that there is an option. Can you imagine what it would cost to build a fiberglass truck from these guys?

a dash blank would be nice, though. $289 for the '47-'53 model.

[smbrouss70]

Originally Posted by 70rs/ss

If you read that description, it says intended for serious "race only" applications.

That's for the "light weight" cab, they also offer a "heavy duty" version

[72armyswbtruck]

That's pretty expensive, however, if you figure the time and effort to make everything straight the cost could soar. thye heavy duty version has a floor and is reinforced. I think that if I had the money I would still choose an all metal cab and have it redone totally correct, resealed, etc...

[JAKES 68GMC]

Yeah, it you buy a 'glass cab, you have to wonder about the quality of the glass itself. It could be like a figerglass dune buggy body (resin slopped over cardboard with very little cloth) or it could be fairly tough. I'd rather have a steel cab with rockers, corners, etc. put in it, or a solid one to start with.

[Rokcrln]

I think a new steel cab would be great but the demand would not justifiy the price. I would hate to see what year one is getting for the re-poped 69SS.
I have thought about when work slows in my shop I may find a few cabs and redo them. Have them blasted, replace any rusted part, do full metal finishing then check into this E-coating or Tip & Flip the cab and use por15 on the inside of every nook and cranny even the headliner and windshield post/top edge. Their are plenty of good cabs out thier still and with a little bit of work

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[71SWBChevy]

Originally Posted by Rokcrln

I think a new steel cab would be great but the demand would not justifiy the price. I would hate to see what year one is getting for the re-poped 69SS.
I have thought about when work slows in my shop I may find a few cabs and redo them. Have them blasted, replace any rusted part, do full metal finishing then check into this E-coating or Tip & Flip the cab and use por15 on the inside of every nook and cranny even the headliner and windshield post/top edge. Their are plenty of good cabs out thier still and with a little bit of work

Kevin
LFD Inc.

The 69 convertible camaro is right around $20k, about the price of a new car. that will pay for ALOT of body work on an original 69 Camaro.

[Jim_PA]

Originally Posted by 71SWBChevy

The 69 convertible camaro is right around $20k, about the price of a new car. that will pay for ALOT of body work on an original 69 Camaro.

20K for the car, 20K to finish it off = 40K --

And you are basically left with a kit car

[boundstaffpress]

The Camaro isn't a kit car at all. The justification is that if you were to refubish every part of a camaro, you would pay $50k+ and don't forget the price of your time, even if it is a hobby. So $40 for an all new car that has all the class and style of a Camaro isn't so bad. It is not entry level, but that's ok.

There is talk, maybe just talk, about doing other classics soon. 65 mustang, 71 cuda, i think, possibly a 70 chevelle. It is concievable that they would eventually get around to our trucks. I'm not holding my breath.