Cab Alternatives
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Junior User
Joined: Feb 2009
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From: Townsend, DE
Cab Alternatives
Looking for some ideas / input on what to do with the cab on my 79. Driving down the road (to the DMV for inspection), my cab roof lifts clean off and goes airborne. I knew there was some rust around the front / rear glass seals that I planned on getting to after I got through the DMV, but did not expect the whole roof perimeter to be gone.
Floor is in good shape since I welded in new metal on about 25% of the area. Bottom rear corners are iffy, and the back wall of the cab isn't very pretty.
Thinking about cutting out everything but the floor and front of the cab, putting in a roll cage (to the frame), and maybe some provisions for a soft top. Kinda like a scout. Anybody out there do something similar? Pics would be nice to help visualize it.
Oh, and to add insult to injury, driving back to the house after retrieving the roof (obviously didn't end up going to the DMV), caught a stone in the windshield for a nice sized chip. So I'm not married to the idea of keeping the original windshield. Figure if I'm going the fabricated cab route, it'd be easier with a flat rectangular windshield, not to mention probably cheaper to replace one of those vs the curved original glass.
Floor is in good shape since I welded in new metal on about 25% of the area. Bottom rear corners are iffy, and the back wall of the cab isn't very pretty.
Thinking about cutting out everything but the floor and front of the cab, putting in a roll cage (to the frame), and maybe some provisions for a soft top. Kinda like a scout. Anybody out there do something similar? Pics would be nice to help visualize it.
Oh, and to add insult to injury, driving back to the house after retrieving the roof (obviously didn't end up going to the DMV), caught a stone in the windshield for a nice sized chip. So I'm not married to the idea of keeping the original windshield. Figure if I'm going the fabricated cab route, it'd be easier with a flat rectangular windshield, not to mention probably cheaper to replace one of those vs the curved original glass.
Moderator & parts slinger
Joined: Feb 2007
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From: S/W Missouri, Polk county
Wow that's a bum deal, roof and a rock in the w/s. Here are some roof replacement threads to read up on. There is one from a FTE guy in Australia that did an awesome replacement job. Sorry can't find that exact thread it should be in the list.
Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums - Search Results
Time to make it into a some what of a "truggy" (truck/buggy). Sort of like a rock crawling rig set up. I would enlist a real good fab shop/race car shop/off road shop to make a roll cage that is attached to the frame the right way.
As far as replacement w/s, look into "lexan", I believe its stuff used in race cars for w/s and that way you can pass the DMV ck.
I love the idea of the truck mods in pic I posted, and yes they narrowed the front clip on the grey one.
More ideas.
1973 Ford Rock Crawler Or Mud
Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums - Search Results
Time to make it into a some what of a "truggy" (truck/buggy). Sort of like a rock crawling rig set up. I would enlist a real good fab shop/race car shop/off road shop to make a roll cage that is attached to the frame the right way.
As far as replacement w/s, look into "lexan", I believe its stuff used in race cars for w/s and that way you can pass the DMV ck.
I love the idea of the truck mods in pic I posted, and yes they narrowed the front clip on the grey one.
More ideas.
1973 Ford Rock Crawler Or Mud
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From: Townsend, DE
I like the look of the green one in the first post. That's along the lines of what I was thinking. While a truggy does have it's appeal, that's a little more fab work than I'm up for at this point.
Truck was intended to be a winter road option - my other vehicles are both RWD and miserable on snow / ice. So while a convertible would be awesome for driving out on the beach in the summer, it'd be pretty harsh making my way in to work in the cold. Maybe it's time to think about abandoning that notion for this truck, at least for this upcoming winter...
Truck was intended to be a winter road option - my other vehicles are both RWD and miserable on snow / ice. So while a convertible would be awesome for driving out on the beach in the summer, it'd be pretty harsh making my way in to work in the cold. Maybe it's time to think about abandoning that notion for this truck, at least for this upcoming winter...
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From: Townsend, DE
Thought has crossed my mind. For now the truck is back in the garage while I think over my options.
Time and effort to locate, transport, and install a suitable donor cab might be more than a little fabrication on my part. Plus the idea of a one of a kind truck (not that I've seen many dentsides around here to begin with) I built myself is worth something.
Daydreaming - pseudo roll cage with provisions for a soft top as well as removable metal panels for winter. Rolling around in the summer with the top off, maybe a set of removable half doors, back glass out. Winter comes around, put the original doors back on, install insulated metal panels and be on my way. Sure, lot of work, but anything worth having always is...
Time and effort to locate, transport, and install a suitable donor cab might be more than a little fabrication on my part. Plus the idea of a one of a kind truck (not that I've seen many dentsides around here to begin with) I built myself is worth something.
Daydreaming - pseudo roll cage with provisions for a soft top as well as removable metal panels for winter. Rolling around in the summer with the top off, maybe a set of removable half doors, back glass out. Winter comes around, put the original doors back on, install insulated metal panels and be on my way. Sure, lot of work, but anything worth having always is...
More Turbo
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 611
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From: Estevan, Saskatchewan
never heard of the top of cabs rusting out before coming on this forum. even my field truck grumpy has no rust around the top of the cab at all. Dad's owned like 10 different dent sides and never even seen or heard of the problem. Is this something common in the states that use lots of salt in the winter??
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Moderator & parts slinger
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From: S/W Missouri, Polk county
Well since the real fun route is not an option at least you have the main frame of the roof and the cab body lines. Get ride of the remaining rust, and graft on a new roof.
JY, sawzal and cut it at the A +B pillars wala parts roof.
JY, sawzal and cut it at the A +B pillars wala parts roof.
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More Turbo
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 682
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From: NB, Canada
I had never seen a roof rust out on a dent before either, being in Canada I was used to finding them with no floors or frames left to them. My theory is trucks in the hotter climates end up with the paint and seam sealer burning off, allowing moisture into the inner panels of the roof, rust sets in and nature takes its course.
I ended up buying a junkyard cab, the floors in this thing were BAD. But the the roof was mint, grafted the good roof onto my good cab. I'm happy with it, Some guys would frown upon me cutting and splicing them at the pillars but at least now I know what I have, a completely rust free cab.
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From: Townsend, DE
I decided to go the route of fabricating a new cab. Basically, my plan is to weld up a skeleton cage, salvage some of the cab skin to keep body lines and tack them on to the new cab frame. While I'm at it, I'll probably remove the mis-matched and rusted out bed (80-86 gen) and build a flatbed.
So this may turn into a demo / build thread. I'll try to remember to take pictures of the process.
While the cab and bed are off, are there any jobs you can think of that this would be an opportune time to take care of? So far, I've come up with:
Replace fuel tank / lines (complete)
Run new brake lines (partially complete)
Repair body mount brackets which have rusted through
Replace frame cross members which have rusted through
Repair upper shock mounting brackets which have rusted through
Clean / Degrease back of engine, transmission, transfer case, etc.
Drain / fill gear oil from drivetrain cases
Twin stick NP205 transfer case
Grease / replace speedometer cable
So this may turn into a demo / build thread. I'll try to remember to take pictures of the process.
While the cab and bed are off, are there any jobs you can think of that this would be an opportune time to take care of? So far, I've come up with:
Replace fuel tank / lines (complete)
Run new brake lines (partially complete)
Repair body mount brackets which have rusted through
Replace frame cross members which have rusted through
Repair upper shock mounting brackets which have rusted through
Clean / Degrease back of engine, transmission, transfer case, etc.
Drain / fill gear oil from drivetrain cases
Twin stick NP205 transfer case
Grease / replace speedometer cable
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