Its a case where too long is definitely an issue...ok now that we put THAT in your minds....My Resto mod is 28-1/2 feet long from the front bumper to the rear dock bumper currently. That is how long the 2002 E550 chassis is that my 1955 C600 cab sits on is. From the rear of the C600 cab to the edge of the rear bumper is 17-1/2 feet.

Additionally, I have a 1956 Cab that will be added to the 55 cab to end up with a 4 door.

I want a shorter truck., one to mostly mirror the one in the included photo. Im not quite sure how much frame the added 2 doors will use. How is the best way to determine how long the frame should be to accommodate the extra 2 doors and a bed the size of the one in the example picture?

The truck as it is is unmanageable. I want to shorten the frame and have a drive shaft made and installed in it to be able to move it under its own power. The engine was moved so it hasnt moved under its own power for a long time. We are all tired of what it takes to move this thing. The frame needs to be shortened NOW to keep my buddies body shop happy. Ideally we would add the two extra doors and see but this isnt how it will happen. I think about 6 feet will be removed so she is still going to be about 22 feet long.

How long do you guys think that bed is in the photo example of what I mostly want to copy? 8 foot? I dont like the look of the rear fenders any ideas to fix that?



Mostly I want to mirror this result

As is right now. It will eventually tilt under power there is a mechanism to slide the cab forward we are working on...if not it wont tilt.

showing where the engine and transmission are.

Not this cab but another one that is suitable to be cut etc will be added to make 4 doors.

The frame is actually bolted together

see how long she is? 28-1/2 feet front bumper to rear bumper. 17-1/2' from rear of {RESENT cab to rear bumper edge.



What Im Mostly trying to mirror2

 

i would do some cardboard and tape mockup of how you want the cab to be then unbolt the rear tire and set it where it looks good to you then cut accordingly.

 

Maybe not what you want to hear but if possible I would at least get the two cabs together to the look you want. The truck in the pictures look like the second set of doors or back ones have been lengthened as well. From there you can see how long a box you want based on the ratio of the pic you have. For the rear fenders I would cut them in the middle and lengthen them to better fit over the wheels. cutting the frame without a plan will allow you to fail and not knowing how big you need makes it hard. but I do like your project.

 

I would mate the cabs together first and the mount the Siamese twins to the frame. Seeing as the frame appears it will slide into place mount the box so the fenders are centered to the wheels. Measure the distance between rear of cab and front of bow allowing for the space between them and how much over lap you have on the frame now and drill and bolt back together. If all else fails you may have to weld and box that section of the frame if bolting is not suitable to have it legal..

 

Marten typed faster than I...lol

 

Marten, thank you. Im very uncomfortable doing this work in anyway other than as you have suggested. Currently there are many options to have the wheel base be best determined etc. Shortening will cause issues because of the guess work.
As a "cost of doing business" think I should get a drive shaft to fit in what is presently there, do what it takes to make it steer, throw a radiator in it and at least be able to move it much easier.

This truck is never going to be a shrinking violet, I figure its going to end up being about 22 feet long when its at its correct size. Its going to take up a fair amount of real estate where ever it sits while parked at a curb finally or in a body shop.

Some of the issue is my friend who owns the body shop recently lost the off site overfill lot he stored some of the projects HE WANTS TO DO. They have now been moved to his shop. Space is at a premium. My truck takes up a bunch of real estate. I dont want him to be sorry its there. We work well together. It will work out. I may have to go there and help him organize this new situation so things can proceed in a logical progression. for the recent changes he is dealing with.

Does anyone have the specs for an 8 foot bed that looks period correct so I can see where the rear wheels should mostly be? I need the measurement from the wall of the bed positioned at the cab to the center of the rear fender for an 8 foot bed that looks to be period correct. What years of truck Bed have the look that a 1955 or 56 bed have?

 

I get it. There is no room for this level of guess work here...Im going to have a drive shaft set up in the trucks long current configuration to get it to move under its own power. Once we shorten it I have another drive shaft made for that final length. Ill call this expense the cost of doing business. Maybe Ill cut and weld my first drive shaft. It doesnt need to be balanced etc it just needs to make this truck move slowly thru a parking lot under its own power. Installing a drive shaft will solve the present pressure to reposition this truck when that has to happen just because of the lay of the land stuff that goes on at that shop..

 

If I understand our question correctly you are trying to achieve a look that has the proportions for an F250 8 foot bed? If so that should not be hard to get measurements for here as there are several owned by frequent posters.

 

 

Mr Fenders I absolutely am hoping someone will tell me the magic measurements for the length from the bed wall to the center of the fender on an F250 with a traditional 8 foot bed.

 

John just did in the post above yours. It's measured to the center of the wheel but that should be very close to the center of the fenders. Should be plenty of room if you are stretching a fender for larger tires. It would probably look a little crowded on a short bed's rear extension panel.

 

A dimension is possible with the information supplied so far. But until the unknown ( the crew cab graft ) is realized a hard dimension will be unknown. 2 - 4x 12 x 20' and some intermediate timber, build a frame table and start mocking up. It looks to me like the section that holds the rear axle is completely removable so many options here.

 

I can't even imagine an easier to work with donor for the project he has in mind. Remove one crossmember and you have a mile of what appears to be easy adjust range that can even be temporary for now. I'd be tempted to study the cab situation hard, then just cut it 8 inches too long on purpose for now. It would be a lot easier than trying to park a "semi" indoors for a long period of time. I would be working on that cab mod a very long time and the sooner the truck got shorter the better.

 

I was thinking along the same lines as Fenders. If it's possible to incorporate the overlap / slide, like the original where the 6 bolts are, you could whack it off "close enough" as long as you could slide it together or pull it apart as needed.

 

I have some very nice spring loaded wheels from a Maximizer Tool box that will work well with a nice wood fixture to put the cabs on to do the crew cab fab job.....I still want to shorten this thing even if we put the cabs on a mock up table. Its been too long for too long. Once the frame is shorter i could then move the chassis elsewhere to get it out of our hair.