Well I've reading and collecting information and parts for some time now and am now ready to start my truck. I have a 74 2wd crew cab short box and a 74 4wd reg cab highboy that I'm going to be mashing into one with a super short box. Today I picked up a 79 rad support and inner fenders that I'm going to be getting powder coated black. The cab of the 79 was crushed in a roll over but the floor pans and cab mounts are still mint. So I'm going to be using the lower half of the cab in my crew cab. So things are coming together good so far.

 

Sounds like a fun project
So you'll be using the top off the 74 CC I presume .. The 79 rad support will only use the square headlights and single piece grille unless you modify it .. You'll need to drill for the rear cab mounts with the CC and fab your own rear cab mount brackets ..

 

Why not just use the parts from the HB to make the CC 4wd? That sounds to me to be a better and easier plan. Everything is there to do it.

 

The headlight buckets can be changed to bolt on the 73-77 grill and round headlights. And once i figure out how I want to build the rear cab mounts I'm going to have them cnc plasma cut and bent so they should look like a professional piece.

 

Yes, I have changed the buckets out on 2 of mine.. I believe it is 3 bolts, pretty simple job..

With a Cnc plasma there is no doubt that this thing will be legit!

Looking forward to seeing the progress

 

I thought about changing the crew cab to 4wd but it's actually more work and I'm going to end up much more unique truck when I'm done

 

The 79 with mint floor pans that I narrowly saved from the crusher





My two trucks as they sit for now

 

So last night I fixed the bullet holes in the inner fenders (of course there's bullet holes haha) and sent them, the rad support, and the battery tray off to the powder coaters. That should be done by Friday.

 

So tonight I figured out my measurements for the box and cut it up. Once it was all apart I found the top rail of the front box panel was bent from years or abuse so I cut it off as well and am having a guy make a new one out of thicker gauge material tomorrow. Then I can start welding the box back together at the proper dimensions.



You can see why I needed a new rad support and why I'm not using the cab





Here things are measured and ready for cuts

 

Lookin good!

 

So I've got a new piece built for the top of the front bulk head in the box because the old one was dented all to pieces. I got that all welded up and started putting the box back together yesterday. And today I picked up the front end pieces from the powder coater.

 

It's gonna be like a big Explorer SportTrac, four doors and a tiny little bed. Good job so far. Can't wait to see it finished.

 

I found pictures of the rad support and inner fenders before the powder coater

 

New parts day is my favourite day!!!!






Got polyurethane instead of rubber

 

SUBBING FOR SURE, AWESOME BUILD!!!!!!!