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Body Rebuild. My truck flipped over and did a barrel roll while baking down a hill.. thankfully I am ok. the chassis is fine and motor still purrs. How hard is it to swap the cab, bed, front panels, etc. basically the whole shell?
Just a lot of unbolting and removing then putting the new parts on, the technical part might be if it is OBD2 and make sure the replacement cab has a valid title that matches the serial number. The replacement cab should be an exact match (as much as possible) to prevent surprises in the wiring / control circuits.
Glad to hear you're ok. The cab will be the most time consuming part. Replacing it gives you the chance to clean up the frame and replace the cab mounts, too.
Alright so I'm in for quite a bit of work. Spent today cleaning it up and getting broken glass out. Does anyone know if the 87-91 bodys are compatible with the 92-97s??? always thought they looked exactly the same except for the headlights and grille. Or am I just gonna have to get the same year and model cab and bed and everything ?
87-91 body will work, but you will run into electrical issues.
you will have to swap the complete electrical harness and dash from your truck into the older cab.
91 and older uses cable speedometer, 92 and newer uses electronic.
and the firewall plugs for wiring harness are different.
OBD-II is on board diagnostics.version 2. if you have a port under the dash, it most likely is OBD-II
if the diagnostic port is under the hood near the driver hood spring, it is EEC-IV
OBD2 was mandated to be in 1996 and later models with gasoline engines and all the things it monitors have to work correctly to allow the vehicle to pass inspection in the states like mine ( North Carolina) that require federal emission tests in 1996 and later model years.
1995 and back only has to pass the safety inspection here, but all of the emissions things have to be n place and APPEAR to be working. Diesels are a whole different thing.
So if your truck is 1996 or later and you live in a state that requires federal emission tests you really should stick as close as possible to what you have. Same thing with the VIN on the cab, for some strange reason all states want the VIN plate on the cab to match the title the vehicle is registered under, otherwise the insurance companies, the people that issue the license plates, the folks that issue the titles and quite often the police, as they really want everything to match, and changing the VIN plate gets into a much deeper pile of doo doo than you ever want to experience. There are also hidden places in the frame that have the original vin numbers hidden, but if you have a title that shows you own that part also, you should be ok. Some states want a motor/frame/cab/ etc transfer document filled out. Maybe you better ask your local DMV about all that before you really start swapping things around.
I have experienced just a tiny bit of the fun that goes with not having something match and never want to repeat it, even though it was not my doing.
What year model is yours, I have not seen it mentioned.
Last edited by sloopdog1; 10-13-2019 at 05:39 PM.
Reason: duh on me.
This is where im at right now. I cut the roof off to have room to work. unscrewed all the trim and started loosening screws on the dash. I think I need to remove the steering column first? the plan is to strip everything apart without breaking parts in the process and see how it all goes. seems like a daunting process for an average dude but I feel I can do it. any tips and tricks are appreciated .
Wow, impressive looking chop you did there. I can only advise to take your time. Proper welding to get the windshield and doors to line up looks tricky. Your determination is admirable.
10-10-2019, 10:59 PM
