Big window conversions?

[McCoyAZ]

I asked over in the body shop section and didn't get a reply.

Anyone here have photos of before and after a conversion from a small back window to the big back window?

And comments on whether or not it is worth the amount of time and expense it takes to do it? Would you do it again?

[jocko]

Only worth it if you like it that much more than a small window. And some people do!
Here's some info:
http://www.classictrucks.com/tech/cl...all/index.html

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=393235

[Clyde65]

Most do this because the BBW is kinda more sought after. they cut one out of another truck and weld it in theirs, if someone has the skills to do it, then it isnt too costly. however having a body shop do it, I think it would be way cost prohibitive.

There is also this guy

http://www.classicbigwindow.com/

[McCoyAZ]

Thanks guys but I am looking for someone who has actually done the project and was curious if they were happy with the results.

I have a back half off a 64 big window complete with an unbroken glass and dome light , etc, etc. and I have a guy that says for $400 he will chop out the old small window, install, weld and bondo and prime for paint the big window into my 64 stepper.

Almost sounds too cheap and I have seen the guys work....it looks great.

[jonzcustomshop]

I have a link posted in the faq section, a guy had step by step photos, you might pm him on his opinion.

[Budman56]

Originally Posted by McCoyAZ

Thanks guys but I am looking for someone who has actually done the project and was curious if they were happy with the results.

I have a back half off a 64 big window complete with an unbroken glass and dome light , etc, etc. and I have a guy that says for $400 he will chop out the old small window, install, weld and bondo and prime for paint the big window into my 64 stepper.

Almost sounds too cheap and I have seen the guys work....it looks great.

at the end of the day its up too you and what your looking for, but having said that, the conversion is nothing more than drilling out some spot welds, cutting one seam at the top and inserting the new interior panel either from an old truck or purchasing a new insert from http://www.classicbigwindow.com/ from there you will need to cut the back of your cab to match the new or old panel then weld and do body work. thats it (lol)

[jonzcustomshop]

couple links:
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=393235
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=358955

[MikeS.]

I would do it, I really prefer the BBW.

[b2948kevin]

Agreed. I really like the BBW also. It gives it a real classic look, IMO.

I am thinking of getting the conversion kit down the road somewhere.

[rbar]

Converted mine. Just drilling out spot welds and spot welding in a donor one. The seem at the top is not even a problem and there is no body work to be done. I'll try to post pics tonight.
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[dan72swb]

I just completed my big window conversion a few weeks ago and I think it was well worth the time and money spent. Here are couple pics for how it turned out. We used a big back window inner panel out of a donor cab as many others have done. I think that is the best way to do this conversion.

[McCoyAZ]

Thank you for the encouragement and the pictures.

No doubt now I will have me a BBW not too far down the road.

When I get it back up here and I can work on it I'll post a few pictures.

Thanks again.

[rbar]

I cut the back portion of a cab off so that I retained all of the inner panel. Then you can drill out all of the spot welds around the window, around the door rubber, and at the bottom of the panel. Then I cut the top of the cab away so that I could reach the top part of the panel that folds in and drill out those spot welds. Then I had the separated panel. At that point I already had the truck in the body shop, so they tacked it back in to my truck. I had them glue the top lip in with 3M panel bonding so that it wouldn't have to be welded in from the inside and cleaned up and body worked. I think you would be able to do this swap with a painted truck and not mess up the paint. To get the small panel out of the small window truck, cut all of the door spot welds and the ones at the bottom of the panel. Be careful not to cut through both panels on the bottom. You don't have to cut the spot welds around the small window itself. It can be roughly cut all the way around to seperate the two because the big window is going to be bigger. To seperate the top of the panel, cut the small panel across, below the seam, so that you can remove the panel, and then have access to drill out the spot welds above and remove the last little bit (maybe 1/2" or so). Then you can glue the top of the panel in and spot weld all of the locations that were originally drilled out. Once the window rubber is in and the door rubber is in, you see no spot welds. With the top panel glued in you shouldn't be able to tell that this swap was ever done unless you pull the rubber seals back and look for non factory looking welds. I hope this helps some. I've got a second panel at my house and trying to decide if I want to do it to my step side, but I think I prefer big windows on fleetsides and small windows on step sides. Seems to match up to the beds better that way. For the record, the donor cab was slated for the crusher and had the entire floor cut out of it. I still felt like a murderer though. It had a door that someone should be using though. Hopefully he kept that. As far as time, I had about 3.5 hours into getting the panel cut out and trying not to cut it up any worse than needed. The body shop had 6 hours into installing it. I would have really liked to done all of it myself, but that would have meant loading it up and bringing it back home. I think anyone can do this if they have a drill and a welder.

[rbar]

I just recalled that the only area that might cause problems with paint is the lower portion of the panel. If you spot weld that it will show up on the backside of the cab. However, it may not be too noticeable between the bed and the cab. If that is a concern, maybe the 3M panel bonding would work on this portion as well. Could try it and if for some reason it doesn't work out, you can then spot weld it anyhow. I am thinking it would work as well as the top. You have the spot welds all around the window itself and the door area to help support it.

[corvettejim1968]

im getting mine done in a couple of weeks. the guy thats doing the work has done 3 so mine will be the 4th.

[chad64chevy]

Originally Posted by McCoyAZ

Thanks guys but I am looking for someone who has actually done the project and was curious if they were happy with the results.

I have a back half off a 64 big window complete with an unbroken glass and dome light , etc, etc. and I have a guy that says for $400 he will chop out the old small window, install, weld and bondo and prime for paint the big window into my 64 stepper.

Almost sounds too cheap and I have seen the guys work....it looks great.

what do you mean bondo? i cant think of anything that needs bondo on it, unless the panel is bent or something! FLIPS72 has a write-up on it, and SCOTTI has done the conversion also!!

[chad64chevy]

i'll be doing the same conversion when i get a weekend off work, instead of working 6 days aweek! i think it will take me two days to install, i already have the panel out and everything for the conversion in my storage just waitin!!

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by rbar

I just recalled that the only area that might cause problems with paint is the lower portion of the panel. If you spot weld that it will show up on the backside of the cab. However, it may not be too noticeable between the bed and the cab. If that is a concern, maybe the 3M panel bonding would work on this portion as well. Could try it and if for some reason it doesn't work out, you can then spot weld it anyhow. I am thinking it would work as well as the top. You have the spot welds all around the window itself and the door area to help support it.

We left the original flange @ that lower panel in the original cab & just spot welded the corner 'ridges' where there was an air-gap between the panel & the OE cab wall. No paint damage... We also used panel bond adhesive for there, the window opening & the upper seam.

[corvettejim1968]

http://www.classicbigwindow.com/inst...n-instructions

this is the web site i bought the kit from.

[McCoyAZ]

I found a guy down in Phoenix that was chopping up a big window cab. Bought the whole thing for $100.

[argonaut]

This is good info! I'm thinking of doing the same. I have two cabs, one with a big back window, but a rotten floor, rockers and pillars. The other has a clean floor but is a small back window. I think I'm going to attempt to cut out the BBW panel and install it into the SBW cab. I would plan to use the seam sealer on the upper seam, and then tack weld and grind the side and lower seams (since I only have a MIG and not a spot welder).

[66clow]

Originally Posted by dan72swb

I just completed my big window conversion a few weeks ago and I think it was well worth the time and money spent. Here are couple pics for how it turned out. We used a big back window inner panel out of a donor cab as many others have done. I think that is the best way to do this conversion.

Your truck does not look good because it has a big back window it looks good because it's sick! big or small back window.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by argonaut

This is good info! I'm thinking of doing the same. I have two cabs, one with a big back window, but a rotten floor, rockers and pillars. The other has a clean floor but is a small back window. I think I'm going to attempt to cut out the BBW panel and install it into the SBW cab. I would plan to use the seam sealer on the upper seam, and then tack weld and grind the side and lower seams (since I only have a MIG and not a spot welder).

Panel Bond & seam sealer are 2 different things.

As my buddy that owns the body shop put it, you can separate 2 pieces that have been spot welded. You won't be able to separate 2 pieces that were panel bonded together w/o destroying them in the process.

[hop sing]

Originally Posted by dan72swb

I just completed my big window conversion a few weeks ago and I think it was well worth the time and money spent. Here are couple pics for how it turned out. We used a big back window inner panel out of a donor cab as many others have done. I think that is the best way to do this conversion.

Nice job bruddah especially the bumper

[dan72swb]

Originally Posted by hop sing

Nice job bruddah especially the bumper

Thanks for the compliment. Delmo deserves the credit for building a great truck.
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