Cab swapping ?s

[cliffsta]

Ok Ok I know, over-abused topic, but I can't figure out forum search (read: doesn't work 4 me)..

My truck is an 80 model, the last year of the older-style front clips. After conferring with the body and paint man, whom I do trust, I need to find a cab. He said he could spend countless hours and I could spend mega money on parts and I'd still not have a long-term fix, but he said I could probably find a better cab for 500-600 dollars (just a guess) and we could strip it, do any little fixes to it, and things would go alot quicker, we could just fix that then hang and spray it and the hood and bed pieces, then take the fenders off, yada yada.

So of course the question is how much work is involved in mating an 81-up cab to my 1980 front clip? I know there's the cowl difference, how hard is that to work around? Should I just get a 73-80 cab?

edit: The reason I'd like to look for an 81+ cab is I could probably find one in better shape than an 80-down cab. If its too big of a hastle to mate that cab up to my clip then I'll just go with the 80down cabs.

[84 400]

i have seen them on cregis list/ ebay going for under 400 and other times they go for 700. But i bet you could find a nice rust free western or southern cab for short money. The only thing is shipping it. I think besides the cowl which screws on the swap is pretty easy. but i have never done one so i guess i am the wrong guy to ask.
good luck

this one is not that great:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1981-...QQcmdZViewItem

[Slonaker]

One thing to consider is how it would be titled. A newer cab is going to have the VIN for the newer truck on it, and you might have to title your truck under the year of the cab. I don't have any experience with this, but it is something to look into before you buy anything.

Slonaker

[lownfast]

its a pretty straight forward swap, everything will change over easily. you can always swap vins, lol

[cliffsta]

Originally Posted by lownfast

its a pretty straight forward swap, everything will change over easily. you can always swap vins, lol

Yeah I would "hypothetically" swap the VIN tags... just hypothetically.

So the cowl on the 81+ does indeed just bolt on top of the front of the cab, where there isn't one on the 73-80? Or is there more to it?

And the wiper arms, if the cowl is just "on top of" the old design, would there still be holes for them, or would I have to make them?

What about the dash? I know 81 they changed up the dash pad, will my new 80 dash pad still attach properly?

I'll start surfing sleezebay I guess, and that other place you mentioned, I'll look there, also.

[Captkaos]

Originally Posted by cliffsta

So the cowl on the 81+ does indeed just bolt on top of the front of the cab, where there isn't one on the 73-80? Or is there more to it?

There is more to it sorta. There are holes in the top portion of the cowl that secure the cowl panel. It is bolted at the front side (behind the hood)

Originally Posted by cliffsta

And the wiper arms, if the cowl is just "on top of" the old design, would there still be holes for them, or would I have to make them?

There are still holes there, but the mounting where the bolts go are different you will have to drill new holes. Plus the 81-87 wiper stalks are longer to go through the cowl (and hit the 73-80 hood if used)

Originally Posted by cliffsta

What about the dash? I know 81 they changed up the dash pad, will my new 80 dash pad still attach properly?

The shape of the dash pad changed the metal mounting surface didn't. Everything from the pre '80 interior will bolt into a post '80 cab.

[dswancutt]

Originally Posted by Captkaos

The shape of the dash pad changed the metal mounting surface didn't. Everything from the pre '80 interior will bolt into a post '80 cab.

Except that the wiper control moved to the column in 84. My question is this Cliff, Just really how bad is your cab. Are we talking the Flintstone car where you can see the ground as you drive down the road, or just the typical Chevy truck where the rockers and the cab corners are gone. Buying another cab doesn't guarantee that you won't be doing the same thing in a few years with it. I think it is an excellent opportunity for you to learn. Take some classes on welding and body work and do it yourself. I plan on doing as much of the work on my 3 trucks as possible. I ended up bying a complete truck to replace the body on my 78 4x4 because it was just too far gone to save. Your truck doesn't look that bad really. Remember that most professional bodymen make there money of insurance jobs, not trucks like ours.

Just my random thoughts.

[dswancutt]

By the way, this is my 78 that I am changing the body on when I get time

[cliffsta]

Originally Posted by dswancutt

Except that the wiper control moved to the column in 84. My question is this Cliff, Just really how bad is your cab. Are we talking the Flintstone car where you can see the ground as you drive down the road, or just the typical Chevy truck where the rockers and the cab corners are gone. Buying another cab doesn't guarantee that you won't be doing the same thing in a few years with it. I think it is an excellent opportunity for you to learn. Take some classes on welding and body work and do it yourself. I plan on doing as much of the work on my 3 trucks as possible. I ended up bying a complete truck to replace the body on my 78 4x4 because it was just too far gone to save. Your truck doesn't look that bad really. Remember that most professional bodymen make there money of insurance jobs, not trucks like ours.

Just my random thoughts.

Well, its more than just the rockers and corners, the floorpan is soft, you can look down through the rockers and outside edges of the floorpan and see the road. The other big thing was the passenger doorjam is rusted out, and it has eaten into the roof, and the door is also canerous in the same spot. My man told me straight up he'd love for me to just buy a bunch of sheetmetal and let him get rich on the hours of work, but it would just make more sense time and money-wise to find a better cab and do whatever work to it. Which is why I want to do this, he said we could spend countless hours on it and it would still be a problem down the road, as opposed to finding a better cab and doing it really good so that it will last.

This is indeed my only means of transportation apart from bumming rides :-\

As for learning and classes, I'd love to learn to do bodywork, and I will, someday. Now I just want my truck to be done, and done right, so I can quit pouring money into it. I'm about to be a fulltime student in college, I'm working fulltime, and at least trying to be a social 18-year-old. If I can find a pretty good cab, work on it with my man, as well as the rest of the minor little tihngs to be worked, then take out a loan and get it painted, I'd much prefer to do all that and be done with the body now than try and figure it all out for myself and turn it into a 2-year learning experience.

And wow that's a great stable of trucks you got there, I'm mos. def. jealous! And thanks for your advice, you're wise beyond my meager years.

To CaptKaos:

Wow that's alotta good info. So in your opinion, is it do-able without turning into an ordeal?

[Captkaos]

If you are using the 73-80 clip on it the only "issue" would be the hood hinge holes in the cowl and the wiper arms mount differently.

[cliffsta]

LMAO naw that doesn't piss me off, it makes me laugh. Besides, I doubt they would have wanted to ship something that big from NE (Nebraska?) to good ol' Louisiana for less than a fortune, but then again I would have paid a fortune if it was that good.

Yeah I realize I'm gonna stay broke with my love of trucks. Although after I'm 99% satisfied with my truck (paint, body, engine, tranny) I'm gonna spring for a new Tundra, I'd love to rod one of them I'd also like a K5 Blazer from the 70s too, though....

[longhorn71]

Cliff,Here it is hard to find a good solid cab.The other problem is thy all rust in the same areas most of the time.If you floors are only "soft" and the rockers have hole in them.That is the kind of cab we swap to our trucks cause they need less work!Our 71 longhorn has holes in the outer 6" of floor.needed cab supports,rockers,cab corners.kick panels and the lower tips of the door posts.That is a rough cab here but still fixable

[cliffsta]

I'm going with what my bodyman told me and i trust his judgement. He told me it would be both cheaper and less time-consuming to buy a cab in better shape than mine. The rockers are gone, the floorpans have holes near the rockers, the front cab corners are gone, the outside in the engine compartment is rough, the doorjam and top of the pass. door are canerous. If he tells me it's cheaper to find a cab for a few hundred bucks then that's what I'm gonna do.

So I take it an 81-up cab would work just fine without too much trouble? Remove the cowl, fix the windshield wiper "problem" and potentially cut a hole in the metal dash for the light switch.

[Slonaker]

My "rust fee" '86 that has always been here in south Texas (no snow, no road salt) since new recently developed a rust bubble on one of the cab corners. This cab looks like new underneath even with 235,000 miles, and still rusted from the inside out. Be careful about what you pick to replace yours.

I agree, it sounds like yours is a really good candidate for a cab swap. If it was just cab corners and rockers, I could see fixing it, but it sounds like you have a much bigger problem than that. Good luck.

Slonaker

[cliffsta]

Hey y'all, I took some pictures (of both the new bedsides/hood) and of THE RUST of the cab.... old man jsut got home he'll upload them tonight and I'll post them so you can see just how bad it is.

EDIT:

Here ya go, maybe y'all can see what I mean by I need a new cab.

Here's the passenger doorframe.




Here's the driver's front corner (surprisingly my rear corners are pretty solid)


Driver's side rocker


Passenger Rocker


And the real kicker (to me) the passenger floor


This next one is under the A/C stuff,... when we went to run the power wire for my amp, there was already a big enough hole to just push it through, the cab is swiss cheese down there under the A/C and glovebox.


Hope y'all get a good laugh outta my poor cab

[Slonaker]

Wow!

Slonaker

[dswancutt]

Cliff,

Ok, you need a new cab. That is worse than my yellow truck by far. Don't know if all the trucks down there are that bad, but if you see one parked, you might just ask about it. Never know, you might just stuble onto a good one. That is how I found my white one. Went to look at a 4x4 at an auction, but the white one was in way better shape, just dirty as hell and not one good tire on it. You might even keep an eye on auctions in the area. You can stuble onto a good deal sometimes, especially if the truck doesn't run like my white one did.

[N2TRUX]

cliffsta it's a really simple answer here buddy. You live in the south. All you need to do is a little shopping and you can find a rust free truck. They are common as dirt around here. DO NOT waste your time on that cab. Spend a few hours of research and you will have a rust free truck for $600-$800...

[lawricker]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

They are common as dirt around here. DO NOT waste your time on that cab. Spend a few hours of research and you will have a rust free truck for $600-$800...

Give me a buzz when you find a pre-81 rust free...must be a different kind of dirt in Cypress than in east texas..

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by lawricker

Give me a buzz when you find a pre-81 rust free...must be a different kind of dirt in Cypress than in east texas..

Actually it is. You have mostly gumbo and clay in your part of the woods. That stuff sticks like glue and traps moisture. In the Southern part of the state we have very sandy soil. It doesn't stick to the metal so it doesn't promote rust.

Regardless of where your from in the state of TX they don't use salt on the roads so rust free trucks can be found. Ya just gotta look hard enough, right cliffsta....

[lawricker]

I'm not saying I haVE done this, but if you were to get behind the vin plate with a drill and just drill the back of those pop rivets slowly the plate will ease off and you can use a little epoxy and it will fit rite into the new cab...or so I heard,,,,,

[cliffsta]

Wow.... I hit paydirt!

75 GMC Sierra Grande Longbed Fleetside... RUST FREE.... completley straight, no dents, 24K Gold. It's white, full trim, even the bumper doesn't have a dent on it. The dash pad isn't even cracked!!!!!

Take a guess how much!

$800.

I'm so excited that I am going to Alltel to get the USB plug for my phone so I can upload the picture I took to the forum!!!!! Gotta let the old man, his brother, and/or the body/paint man to look but hell, I'll buy it regardless, I have the money.

go ahead and put the "worthless" smiley, but I promise to have a pic or two! I might jump in the truck with daddy's digi and take a couple pics.

[84 400]

let see those pics!!! you gonna snagg the cab or is it to nice and just drive it as is.. i know the steeper has sentimental value to you.
good luck and lets see them man !!!!

[bigblock73]

Cliff, might want to check this one out. LOoks to be better than yours, and the price seems fair...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1981-...QQcmdZViewItem

[cliffsta]

Guys I'm getting this 75 I found. I couldn't upload the pic from my phone, long story..... but I swear, no rust, perfectly straight. I'm gonna take the cab and the front fenders and maybe the hood from it and strip the interior, sell off everything I don't need, maybe keep the 350 and rebuild it It's perfect!! $800, its a steal for twice that.

And yes, the white truck is a lot nicer than mine, and driveable other than it has a knock, but Ol' Red has way too much sentimental value to sell. I couldn't bring myself to do that. So I'm just gonna take all the nice stuff from this white one, sell the rest to try and maybe break even, then get everytihng painted.