My SuperCab Build.
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 388
Likes: 1
From: Northern Indiana
My SuperCab Build.
You have all seen my 78 black / silver lariat and my blue 78 bog truck. Here is my 74 supercab that I'm building. I shortened the frame and bed to factory shortbed specs and am putting a 78/79 square headlight grill in with the racetrack trim. It will be vermillion red inside and out, but 2 toned with colonial white inside the racetrack trim only. Hope to be painting next week, here is the progress so far...
Started with this....
Ready to make the cut..
Measure twice, cut once!!
All square and plated on inside..
Looks short, but is factory spec for shortbed.
Time to shrink the bed..
A little work with a body hammer to fold sides around the corner and a few spot welds then we are done...
Oh Yeah!
Had to get rid of the gas cap!!
Added a 98 F150 gas door....
Body work is getting close now...
More pics next week, hopefully with shiney paint!!
Started with this....
Ready to make the cut..
Measure twice, cut once!!
All square and plated on inside..
Looks short, but is factory spec for shortbed.
Time to shrink the bed..
A little work with a body hammer to fold sides around the corner and a few spot welds then we are done...
Oh Yeah!
Had to get rid of the gas cap!!
Added a 98 F150 gas door....
Body work is getting close now...
More pics next week, hopefully with shiney paint!!
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 530
Likes: 0
From: in country near Boone, IA
Trending Topics
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 388
Likes: 1
From: Northern Indiana
Thanks guys, I'll try to keep the pics coming. I hadn't been on here much lately and forgot how much fun it is talking trucks with you guys.
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)
Brett Foote
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies
Joe Kucinski
AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make
Brett Foote
Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!
Michael S. Palmer
Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home
Verdad Gallardo
10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!
Joe Kucinski
2026 Shelby F-150 Off-Road: Better Than a Raptor R?
Brett Foote
2027 Super Duty Carhartt Package First Look: 12 Things You NEED to Know!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Most Surprising 2026 Ford Truck Features!
Joe Kucinski
Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 47
Likes: 0
holy crap man! that is amazing how you can cut a truck in two and put it back together and it looks stock. i cant believe you can just cut a bed in two and put it back as a short bed that easy. I think i want to do that on mine now, very very cool! can i email you questions if i run into some? do you do this for a living? how did you get started? too many questions im sorry. awesome build and great craftsmanship!!
Freshman User
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
Nice work. Id thought about making my supercab into a short bed when i first got it but the long bed has kinda grown on me. I replied in the other thread about the rocker trim but havent heard anyhting back form you. Im interested in it, just let me know. thanks
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 13,133
Likes: 347
From: THIS IS SPARTA!, ...Mo.
Reading this, two things popped into mind.....
#1: All the guys that seem confused when looking at their vin and their truck is not what it's supposed to be. As I said on SO many occasions, these trucks are 33+ years old. There's no telling what has been done to them.
#2: When looking at four pictures people assume it's a cake walk to cut a truck in half and weld it back together. In reality, it's not terribly difficult, BUT it's not something I'd recommend for the novice builder. What isn't showed are the hours spent with a tape measure and grease pencil to get the cut lines perfect. (Red, we both know it was measure twice, measure again, check the specs, measure again, check the other measurements, measure again, draw a line, measure again, measure one last time, then cut.) The plasma cutter to get the complex cuts perfect. Then the skill of the welder to trim everything and put it back together and NOT have it look like a potato chip.
Yes, lots of stuff "behind the scenes" here.
Now having said all that, I SOOOO can't wait to see this thing in paint! That is one very cool truck!
#1: All the guys that seem confused when looking at their vin and their truck is not what it's supposed to be. As I said on SO many occasions, these trucks are 33+ years old. There's no telling what has been done to them.
#2: When looking at four pictures people assume it's a cake walk to cut a truck in half and weld it back together. In reality, it's not terribly difficult, BUT it's not something I'd recommend for the novice builder. What isn't showed are the hours spent with a tape measure and grease pencil to get the cut lines perfect. (Red, we both know it was measure twice, measure again, check the specs, measure again, check the other measurements, measure again, draw a line, measure again, measure one last time, then cut.) The plasma cutter to get the complex cuts perfect. Then the skill of the welder to trim everything and put it back together and NOT have it look like a potato chip.
Yes, lots of stuff "behind the scenes" here.
Now having said all that, I SOOOO can't wait to see this thing in paint! That is one very cool truck!
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 388
Likes: 1
From: Northern Indiana
Thanks guys.
Booger- Yes, I do this stuff for a living. Own a body shop with 12 employees and we also do mechanical and performance engine building on the pre 90's stuff. Your welcome to email me anytime you like, I'd be happy to help where I can.
pinto_351- shoot me an email, I wont be using the rocker trim since I went to racetrack trim on this truck. timspur@yahoo.com
earthquake68-
You know it man, this thing started as a 74 F-350 long bed. When I'm done it will appear to be a 78 or 79 Ranger Lariat F-250 Short bed. Decode that vin, haha.. Next winter I think it will grow a transfer case and a front axle, then things will really be different! You are also correct, I took a lot of measurements and thought 4 or 5 times before I cut, then just as many before I welded. It isn't that hard, but you do need the basic skills and tools to go cutting trucks in half and putting them back together. I've shortened a lot of trucks and still look at each new job as a challenge.
Hopefully next week I'll have some color on this pig!
Booger- Yes, I do this stuff for a living. Own a body shop with 12 employees and we also do mechanical and performance engine building on the pre 90's stuff. Your welcome to email me anytime you like, I'd be happy to help where I can.
pinto_351- shoot me an email, I wont be using the rocker trim since I went to racetrack trim on this truck. timspur@yahoo.com
earthquake68-
You know it man, this thing started as a 74 F-350 long bed. When I'm done it will appear to be a 78 or 79 Ranger Lariat F-250 Short bed. Decode that vin, haha.. Next winter I think it will grow a transfer case and a front axle, then things will really be different! You are also correct, I took a lot of measurements and thought 4 or 5 times before I cut, then just as many before I welded. It isn't that hard, but you do need the basic skills and tools to go cutting trucks in half and putting them back together. I've shortened a lot of trucks and still look at each new job as a challenge.
Hopefully next week I'll have some color on this pig!
Post Fiend
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 8,521
Likes: 16
From: Lost
Wow, nice job on shortening the frame and bed. I bet it will look good when the color is applied.
Kinda wish I was closer, looks like you wind up with a lot of LWB trim that has no place to fit on the trucks after they're done. Around here, I haven't had much luck locating a useable LWB upper trim molding, and shipping a piece that size can be be pricey thanks to the nearly 8 ft length.
Kinda wish I was closer, looks like you wind up with a lot of LWB trim that has no place to fit on the trucks after they're done. Around here, I haven't had much luck locating a useable LWB upper trim molding, and shipping a piece that size can be be pricey thanks to the nearly 8 ft length.
