Is this cab worth trying to save?!

[kleedus]

I don't know what kind of welder you have but do not use flux core wire for body work.

I use .023 wire when I weld sheet metal it is the thinnest wire you can get and it generates less heat when welding.

brace cross brace and then brace some more before cutting anything.

take your time fit everything the best you can before welding. you can use small self tapping screws to hold parts together for test fitting and welding.

and you might want to get some weld threw primer to help prevent rust in the future. paint the insides of where you are going to weld. that way the bare metal is covered on the inside where you can't paint after the repairs.

good luck

 

[kleedus]

As I type this I can guarantee somewhere in Arizona there is a cherry rust free cab going over a scale at some scrap yard.

I have three cabs with only minor rust in the cab corners that I use to store parts in.

and I have scrapped many better cabs with only minor rust in them. but sentimental value is hard to put a value on.

 

[smoothandlow84]

Wow...frame cancer. Being from Az...rare to find cabs like that here. Most locals would scrap.....but....if you want a learning experience go for saving it. Be patient as it will take a lot of time and effort to get it done right and look good.

 

[BiggG74]

I would save the cab. Definitely make sure you tack supports in when welding. Also it may help if the cab is on the frame while you do the floors and and cab corners.

 

[adaml23]

What/where on the cab is the best way and places to attach bracing pieces to it? Any pics?

 

[cobra20]

I would cross brace through the door frames and triangulate across the cab from the back wall to the dash

 

[RecklessWOT]

I wouldn't repair everything with the cab off the frame unless you support it in every way it can move by tacking on support pieces to hold it square, and yeah if you replace the cab its not the same pickup anymore new vin, new cab, new title.

Eh, i've swapped the cab in a toyota pickup without changing the registration or vin. Technically maybe you're supposed to the way the law is written but who's gonna know? Same frame, same engine, same doors and fenders dashboard and everything else that was original. The only place with a different VIN would be the one on the firewall and who ever looks there? Plus, if EVERYTHING else comes back to the original VIN who's gonna say anything about that? Just be honest, say the cab was ****** up so you replaced it with one from a junkyard. IMO people worry too much about laws sometimes, you really just gotta do what's reasonable regardless of what some book says and a lot of the time common sense will prevail.

 

[77chevy400]

Those photos look identical to mine. All my rust is mainly 2 floor pans. 2 bed wheel tubs and one bottom door rocker. I spent 75$ so far on new sheet metal. Rust of course has at the paint on the chassis but ima coat that with sprsy on liner. Id say save it. This is my daily driver so work will be slow but ill purchase a gas sipper but ill never own another truck or vehicle. Ive found me a geo metro to drive while i take this truck outta comission till i decide to fix it but as soon as its repaired im still back to 1 vehicle(; love my 77 and couldnt ever think of parting with it.

Sent from my Reddot R50 using Tapatalk

 

[highdesertrange]

well if your vin doesn't match your title or registration they will impound it until it is straighten out. my buddy had one confiscated because the cab he bought was stolen. he even got the paper work with it but it was a forgery from back in the 80's and no one caught it until they started digging because the vin didn't match the registration. highdesertranger

 

[adaml23]

Well a little update and some questions for you guys on this:

So I was planning on trying to save this cab because of the sentimental part and also that's what I figured my dad would like to see. But after showing him the rust I'm working with under the rubber floor mat, he was quick to point out that he wouldn't be opposed to just replacing the entire cab... I still think we're gonna keep the old cab and maybe eventually fix it up.

But in the meantime, I came across a guy who is a autobody guy and has a cab that he patched up to use on one of his own projects but ended up going a different direction with the project and is now selling the repaired and primered cab. I'm going to look at it this weekend. He says it's a 73-81 cab with factory A/C. Our truck is a 1979 non-a/c cab. Don't know if it has doors but I'm pretty sure it's just the shell. He's asking $600 for it but I think I can talk him down a little. What's a fair price for just the cab? I was thinking $500.

How easy is it to transfer all of the components that I can from our non-a/c cab to the new one. How much time are we talking to swap components? I would like to have ac and was planning on doing this to our truck. I'm know there are components that I will need (ductwork, ect.) that our truck doesn't have but how much different (if any) is the wiring? FYI, we have a parts truck that is factory a/c so i'm gonna steal whatever a/c components i need from that one.

 

[CSFJ]

Well a little update and some questions for you guys on this:

So I was planning on trying to save this cab because of the sentimental part and also that's what I figured my dad would like to see. But after showing him the rust I'm working with under the rubber floor mat, he was quick to point out that he wouldn't be opposed to just replacing the entire cab... I still think we're gonna keep the old cab and maybe eventually fix it up.

But in the meantime, I came across a guy who is a autobody guy and has a cab that he patched up to use on one of his own projects but ended up going a different direction with the project and is now selling the repaired and primered cab. I'm going to look at it this weekend. He says it's a 73-81 cab with factory A/C. Our truck is a 1979 non-a/c cab. Don't know if it has doors but I'm pretty sure it's just the shell. He's asking $600 for it but I think I can talk him down a little. What's a fair price for just the cab? I was thinking $500.

How easy is it to transfer all of the components that I can from our non-a/c cab to the new one. How much time are we talking to swap components? I would like to have ac and was planning on doing this to our truck. I'm know there are components that I will need (ductwork, ect.) that our truck doesn't have but how much different (if any) is the wiring? FYI, we have a parts truck that is factory a/c so i'm gonna steal whatever a/c components i need from that one.

Double check that the cab you're getting is 80 or earlier. They changed the hood hinges and cowling at the base of the windshield in 81. Otherwise you should have most everything on hand to convert to ac. I may be mistaken, but the biggest difference in the cab, other than ductwork was the opening in the firewall for the ac heater box and core.

 

[PrairieDrifter]

yeah it was basically the heater box, the duct work, and the number of vents were different

 

[adaml23]

How much different is the wiring?

 

[HotRodPC]

The wiring will vary very little so long as both cabs originally had the bright light switch on the floor, and the wiper switch in the dash near the headlight switch. Otherwise, in 84 they went to the multifunction switch with brights and wipers on the turn signal stick.

I'm going against most, but I'd agree with you finding another cab. It'll still be the same truck if you do it right. You can also transfer as much as possible, like the glove box door, steer column cover, bolt him trans hump, seat belts and keep those sentimental parts from the original cab. EVER SO CAREFULLY, you can remove the VIN tag with it's original rivets, and DO NOT damage the rivets, they are important and must match, so carefully remove the VIN tag. I forget how I got mine out now, I think I used a brass drift and pushed like hell, maybe even a little light tapping and was able to get the rivets to come up. Then on the donor cab, I opened up the holes with a drill bit ever so slightly cuz the rivets will be mushroomed on the bottom. Then I used glue, and glued the VIN tag down in the donor cab so the rivets are actually just about free floating. They're snug but for sure not tight as factory. You really need to do this anyway rather than register the new cab. Some states, Cali being one of them, when you get a vehicle registered there, they match up the VIN tag with other known hidden VIN #'s. On these trucks, the VIN is also stamped in the frame. Cali knows where it is and will an inspection mirror to find it on the top frame rail on the passenger side under about where where the passenger would be sitting. If they don't match, no registration.

 

[HotRodPC]

Kinda to bad you're not in the need for an 85 Cab dammit. But such is the way it is. I'd probably sell this perfect cab 85 C20 cab I have for $400. Have you talked with @toejoe to see if he has a cab for sale? OR, you might want to change back to plan A and save that cab. He has several tornado damaged trucks that he's talked about scrapping. I bet he'd help you out with a junk cab for cheap that maybe crushed on the top, but I bet he has one of those damaged cabs that might have good floors, rockers and cab corners that you could cut good factory sheet metal out of and repair yours. He's in Lafayette, IN. Not sure how far that is from you, but I bet he has something that will help you out. Maybe even a whole cab. Get in touch with him, I'd imagine between the 2 of you, you'll get a good plan together with something he can cut loose of reasonably priced.