Crewcab body swap on Regular Cab C&C 159.5" WB?

[Haydenh]

So, I have an idea in my head and I've been searching this forum and any other squarebody related forum for the last month or so when I have free time, and I've seen tons of posts or questions about swapping Crewcabs to suburban frames, RCLB pickups, etc.

What I haven't seen yet, is someone that has considered swapping a Crewcab onto the long wheelbase (159.5") Cab and Chassis regular cab trucks. If I missed a post/thread on that, will someone point me in the right direction? If it doesn't exist however, I'm wanting some advice on my idea below.

My idea is essentially to find a rust free Crewcab Cab to swap onto my 1987 V30 C&C with the 159.5" WB and then weld up a flatbed for the bed portion. I've done some referencing of the cab lengths (from the engineering drawings) versus the wheelbase lengths and I think it would be possible to make it happen and not have it look strange like the CrewCab body on a Suburban frame. The only reason I'm playing with the idea or considering this is:

1) 4x4 crewcab projects in my area are north of $10k, running and driving are getting close to $15k+, however, I've found two CC cabs for less than $1000
2) I got a screaming deal ($2700) on the C&C late last fall with only 117k miles on it where a clapped out, rusted out C10 is going for the price I bought this truck for.
3) A crew is more useful for what I do than a single cab is.

My initial thoughts are that the Wheelbase of a Crewcab is 164.5" and the C&C is 159.5" so while a normal fleetside Long/short bed wouldn't work, a flatbed would take care of weird bed fitment. (That 5" shouldn't be too much of a difference right?) I'm going to be getting rid of the 11' Utility bed regardless of doing the cab swap since a flatbed is more useful for me (hauling wood, farm work, etc). The rest of the truck should look fairly normal just a touch sorter than a true CCLB or a C&C CCLB. The main issues I see is needing to fab up additional body mounts, pulling off the saddle tanks (maybe do the blazer fuel tank upgrade?), and then the interior work needed to get it all to play nice. I wish I could photoshop my idea up for y'all but don't have the means unfortunately.

Am I missing something completely and there's a reason why no one has done this? Thoughts on the idea and its implementation or recommendations to making it happen? If it's just astronomically expensive to do the swaps then I won't do it but, in my head at least, it seems fairly straightforward. Definitely not committed to the idea, I just thought it would be easier than searching for a rough crewcab 4x4.

I've attached a reference photo with simple markup on my C&C where the end of the Crewcab should sit +/- 1" (Red vertical line). The blue line to the red line and measurement is the theoretical back of the crewcab to the axle centerline in case anyone measures a fleetside short/long bed and it would work. A normal fleetside with a crewcab and a C&C dual rear end would be a pretty cool combination in my book!

Thank you!

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[SquareRoot]

 

[PrairieDrifter]

I've tossed this around as well. I've got a couple cab and chassis frames. The only difference is I don't have a crew, but I have a suburban with a rusty back half and very clean front half, and a parts cab. Theoretically that would be perfect for a "mega cab" short bed build. Or crew conversion and just an offsize box, depends if you want a topper or tonneau cover really. Or a generic length flatbed might look a little off.

 

[Bennyt]

Seems like it would look ok.

 

[bucket]

If the frame kicks up right behind the cab like the shorter c&c trucks do, the crew cab's rear floor will need notched to clear the frame.

 

[Strick]

I built a Crew on a LB frame about 20 years ago. I used a 74 K20 chassis & a 77 cab. I used a body lift for the radiator support & front cab mounts. I then used angle iron welded to the frame for the center cab mount & finally welded a 2WD tranny crossmember on top of the frame for the rear mounts. A very shortened rear section from a K5 is what I used for the bed.

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[PrairieDrifter]

It's a straight shot till the axle kick.

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[Haydenh]

If the frame kicks up right behind the cab like the shorter c&c trucks do, the crew cab's rear floor will need notched to clear the frame.

It's a straight shot till the axle kick.

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I scrambled underneath last night to look and the frame is like @PrairieDrifter's photo. Straight across the back until the axle kickup. Up front however it does have the drop down right after the front axle, and then it pops back up before the rear cab mounts. Cab mounts are on the flat and I assume that the crewcabs run similarly? If not, maybe I'll look for a crew cab with a rusty floor if I'll be hacking it up anyways and needing to weld in new metal.

@bucket Is that what you were referring to or something else? I took a couple of photos of the front frame where it pops up under the cab.

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[Haydenh]

I built a Crew on a LB frame about 20 years ago. I used a 74 K20 chassis & a 77 cab. I used a body lift for the radiator support & front cab mounts. I then used angle iron welded to the frame for the center cab mount & finally welded a 2WD tranny crossmember on top of the frame for the rear mounts. A very shortened rear section from a K5 is what I used for the bed.

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That's cool! Do you have any photos of what the rear section looked like when you got it done?

 

[Haydenh]

I've tossed this around as well. I've got a couple cab and chassis frames. The only difference is I don't have a crew, but I have a suburban with a rusty back half and very clean front half, and a parts cab. Theoretically that would be perfect for a "mega cab" short bed build. Or crew conversion and just an offsize box, depends if you want a topper or tonneau cover really. Or a generic length flatbed might look a little off.

I kind of like that idea of going "mega cab" and using a suburban. I can find a good bodied suburban around here for less than $1000 for the whole thing. I'd just have to graft on the back of a truck cab but I assume that wouldn't be too crazy. Now you've got my wheels spinning a bit more. I'd still want a minimum of a 6.5' bed and I don't want it to look weird like crew cab on a suburban frame does. I'll have to see if I can mock something up to get an idea of the wheel spacing with frame length. I don't want to cut the frame or anything that major but shifting the axle back or something wouldn't be too bad. I'd want to go with a skirted flatbed to hopefully make it look a bit better that way.

 

[Strick]

That's cool!

I don't have any other pics unfortunately. A friend sent me those polaroid pics a year or so back after he re-discovered them during a remodel of his house. I sold the truck just after he took those pics. The home built crew went away and I used the money for the down payment on my first home! I know there was not much "bedside" between the wheel arch and the headboard though. Maybe 6-8 inches.

HS

 

[bucket]

I scrambled underneath last night to look and the frame is like @PrairieDrifter's photo. Straight across the back until the axle kickup. Up front however it does have the drop down right after the front axle, and then it pops back up before the rear cab mounts. Cab mounts are on the flat and I assume that the crewcabs run similarly? If not, maybe I'll look for a crew cab with a rusty floor if I'll be hacking it up anyways and needing to weld in new metal.

@bucket Is that what you were referring to or something else? I took a couple of photos of the front frame where it pops up under the cab.

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I don't recall exactly what the frame interference was, it must have been the dip in the frame like in your pictures. The frame kicks up too soon for a crew cab to fit properly, at least not without cutting or using a body lift on the front half.

I plopped a crew cab onto a reg cab c&c frame, I put blocks of wood under the front and let the rear simply set on the frame. As can be seen, it still sits higher at the rear of the cab. I've not got any further with that project yet, but my plan was to remove any offending floor in the rear of the cab, lol.

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[PrairieDrifter]

I believe an 80's big wheelbase cab and chassis, 2wd for both of mine.

What would really be the best option, is a heavy truck, like a c50. Fully straight, heavy frame rails you can do anything you want really. Then cut off what you don't need lol. Put 1 ton suspension on it so it rides like a pickup, or run the stock c50 leafs maybe take a few out haha. I'm not sure about frame width, but I'm sure it's plenty close to fit 1 tons under it. Probably have to move perches.

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[Haydenh]

I don't have any other pics unfortunately. A friend sent me those polaroid pics a year or so back after he re-discovered them during a remodel of his house. I sold the truck just after he took those pics. The home built crew went away and I used the money for the down payment on my first home! I know there was not much "bedside" between the wheel arch and the headboard though. Maybe 6-8 inches.

HS

No worries! Still cool photos nonetheless. yeah, 6-8 inches is what I want to avoid! Definitely need a couple feet at least between cab and wheel for it to look ok and not hang too much weight behind the axle

 

[Haydenh]

I don't recall exactly what the frame interference was, it must have been the dip in the frame like in your pictures. The frame kicks up too soon for a crew cab to fit properly, at least not without cutting or using a body lift on the front half.

I plopped a crew cab onto a reg cab c&c frame, I put blocks of wood under the front and let the rear simply set on the frame. As can be seen, it still sits higher at the rear of the cab. I've not got any further with that project yet, but my plan was to remove any offending floor in the rear of the cab, lol.

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So, the part I'm talking about is visible on your truck. About midway of the driver's side door is where mine kicks up. That's probably what's giving you some grief eh? If so, I'll be interested in seeing how you address the floor. If its beyond my skillset, she'll remain a single cab with an 11' bed!