Decision made. I accept the wisdom coming from all of you and will continue to clean up that which I can see.

I am putting new wood in the bed. Have all the new metal and some beautiful Japanese beach that came from some dismantled river docks. I had a commercial shop mill it to the correct thickness (the stock was originally 4 x 6 and hard as concrete) and I will rout down the edges. I am nearly ready to install the wood as soon as I apply rust stuff to the undercarriage.

Thank you for your cordial welcome. I am really benefitting from you guys already.

Fred

 

just a side note.. my truck body is shot ..broken,, rusted severely,patched with fiberglass ,bondo and chicken wire ..seeing this discussion..helps ..I have been offered a body for a great price ..and scraping the money together ..not know if I should even try replacing the body ..knowing of how my other projects have gone..this helps ..you guy's are helping a lot of out here, with little faith in our ability's,, we get the courage to try ..still scared to destroy my toy/mistress ..but thanks for all the information and encouragement ..

 

ken, remember that all the trucks, even the big jobs except the COEs used the same cab, and a lot of the larger trucks are in better shape and less expensive.

 

if I found a Bigger truck ..I would be looking at a divorce ...and space in the garage..Humm..and I would still be looking for parts ..F-700 would be nice..or a 9000 Louisville...I need a bigger yard..so I can hide my toy's from the wife..

 

I meant as a cab donor, not another project!

 

Oh ..Yah ..right .. my bad..

 

just a question .. the cab-over ford...I got a call about a big truck for a good home ...how hard is it to get parts for the big truck ??(divorce imminent)...haven't see it yet but...I like orphans...big truck ..big fun right ??

 

That sounds like a great choice for the bed wood.

I'm sure we all want to see pics of that going together. At least, I know I do.

 

I would say that with the exception of the COE specific body parts, big job parts should actually be a bit easier to find. They were sturdy enough to last and not in as high demand by restorers. I've seen a number of COE variations from short wheelbase pickups to working trucks with all kinds of industrial bodies to one-of haulers and rec vehicle conversions.

 

Hi im new at the forum I have red some of your advice on 56 ford f100 cab removal. I have the cab almost ready to be removerd. the reason of removal is replace the mounts all worn out and take it to sandblasting shop. Is there any advise on the removal and reinstall process and do you think is good idea to paint it before install it back. Told five of my friends to help me over the weekend i hope i get it off the frame and work on chassis and suspension while cab and other body parts are at sandblasting shop thanks for your time.

 

Welcome Roverman!
I'd definitely paint the underside of the cab and interior while it is off, and the frame.

 

Depending on how far stripped down you are going, I have slid a few cabs off sideways by placing 2 sturdy planks on the frame rail and working it down the planks. Just a thought if you don't have a tree, hoist, 4 strong friends and you need it off.

 

Sounds like the way I'm going. Sort of did it the same way removing the bed. Wasn't too concerned about getting it banged up on the way down as it's going to be replaced anyway. Cab safety would be a different matter though.

 

While it is really convenient to remove the cab it's not really neccessary. A complete (frame off) can be done with out totally removing the cab from the frame, technically speaking.

I live in a condominium with strick regulations regarding working on vehicles in the driveway so I had to come up with a plan. I removed all the mounting bolts etc. fom the cab and moved it back and forth along the frame to gain access to areas I was wworking on. I did the whole frame, (rust removal and paint) with this method. At first, the back of the truck (box removed) was my main work area were I did a lot of the prep work. Then, I moved the cab to the back to work on the front area of the frame. A whole rebuild of the stock frontend end and engine installation. I rebuilt and paint the whole chassis without removing the cab from the garage. All of this work takes place in my single car garage. It is tight but can be done with determination.

Good luck with your build, you came to the right place for inspiration and guidance. Everyone of these guys and gal on here and the greatest, and no questions are too dumb. There is no other place on the net that has all this knowledge in one place and we're friendly too.






Just a couple pics because Everyone on here likes pics!

 

What's cab safety? LOL