Really nice rotisserie! That should make it easy to repair your cab. I wonder if 2 engine stands would work? Probably not high enough.

 

I recommend taking it off the rotisserie at some point to make sure the doors line up with the panels tacked in. If the doors don't fit once the cab corners and floor pans are welded in place, it means having to modify the doors.

 

Jakevidrine - The top door hinge and the door latch mounting holes are almost level with each other so it made it really easy to make a couple of plates with holes to run bolts through to use to mount the horizontal bar!

 

Effie Trucker - Thanks for the advice. I plan on doing that.

I am guessing since I have to replace pretty much everything in the bottom foot of the cab, that I need to proceed with these steps. First will be the bottom of the door frame, front and back. Second the rocker and the inner corners on both sides. Then check the fitment of the rear floor section. At that point I will probably check door fitment. And then once I determine the doors fit properly, continuing with the front sections of the floor and probably check the door fitment once again. After this point, once I ensure the doors fit properly, I will then weld in the rear section and rockers and inner corners. and check doors once again before proceeding with welding in the rest....

Does this sound like the correct sequence for replacing what I need to?

I know a better cab would be the way to go but I am ambitious and already have all of the replacement sheet metal.

Thanks!

Jeff

 

I had to do a similar job on my truck, I replaced the bottom 12" of all sheetmetal except the firewall. Once I pulled the doors off I welded in 2" angle iron across the door openings and from right to left on the front and rear of the opening so the cab would not move once I removed the floor and rockers. I then used a plasma and cut out what was left of the floor and rocker panels. I replaced the rear corners and lower rear door pillars first, then the front corners and door pillars. Then I put the rockers back in saving the floor for last. Once the rockers were in I rolled the cab on its back and put the floor in, my door gaps didn't move and everything cam out really nice. It is a big job but if you enjoy welding and fabricating you should enjoy it.


Use an airsaw to cut your panels, it leaves a much nicer gap than a cut off wheel. I also used tek screws to overlap my panels for final fitment before cutting then I just welded the screw holes shut when I was done.

 

jakevidrine,

Yes, if you look closely in the pics I used 1" square tubing tack welded in across each door frame and then front and back side to side and one additional diagonally across the inside of the cab to keep the openings from moving while I do the metal replacement.

I do have an air saw and have been using it to cut the panels out.

I am really excited about doing all of the fabrication work myself and being able to show before and after pics to show how bad the cab was and then how it turned out! I understand it is going to take a lot of time and patience to get everything cut out and the new panels in place.

Jeff

 

Finally have some progress to show! I worked a while on the cab yesterday and actually welded the first replacement piece on the cab, the passenger rear lower door jam piece.



I am going to work on replacing the front door jam piece next then the rocker!

Jeff

 

I was able to get back out in the shop tonight and cut off the old front door jam/lower hinge mount and got the new replacement piece welded in!



Its slowly coming together!

Jeff

 

Looks good Jeff.

 

Nice start! My cab had similar rust as well, I'm almost finished with it. I had a really tough time getting all the aftermarket panels to line up- the bottoms of the door pillars with the cab corners, rockers / door pillar / cowl panel joint was the worst. The cowl panel had a different curve than the door pillar, and the rocker panel had different geometry than the cowl panel. Pain in the butt, and I haven't fit my doors yet to see how they match up.

Anyway, you seem to have a good approach and looks to be coming along well. I wish I started with blasting and primer like you.

 

Firebird,
Yes, I worked on the rocker yesterday and the fit at the bottom of the pillars is horrible! I am not sure what I am going to do there just yet. I was able to make the reinforcement panel for the front of the rocker that seems to be impossible to buy at this time, I was very pleased with the piece I made! Now I have to weld it to the rocker then attack the fit at the bottoms of the pillars.

Jeff

 

I ended up getting it squeezed as close as possible by spot welding (from the top down) the pillar to the rocker without the cowl panel on, and filling the remaining 1/4" gap between the pillar and rocker with weld. There was no way I was going to persuade everything to line up right without the door pillar getting tweaked, plus the rocker reinforcement tabs cover that spot too.

For the cowl panel fitment, I cut the bottom of the new cowl panel off about 3" up in the start of the curve, attached it to the rocker, and patched my way to the rest of the cowl panel. Since I have to patch my doors anyway, I'll just get the doors to match the same contour. Probably better ways out there to do it, but it came out ok, and all the fender mounting holes remain in the right spots.

 

Looking good. Can't wait to see the progress and learn along the way.

 

Just a word of caution, I had to completely relocate my hinge buckets after I replaced them as you have.

 

Nice work. I just bought a 53 Ford in Arizona. I am looking forward to watching you as I am just getting started on my build. The guy who had it before me had the frame sandblasted then painted but the body needs a bit of TLC.