Body swap
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5th Wheeling
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
From: West Centeral Wisconsin
Body swap
I currently have 2004 EB 6.0l 4x4.
I bought a 2000 XLT 5.4 4x2.
I’m I crazy for wanting to do a body swap?
The ‘04 has lived most of its life in the Rust Belt. The rockers, inners are really going bad. The dog legs as well are falling apart. The ‘00 has lived it’s life out West and has only 2 little surface rust spots.
Should I expect to run into any major issues?
I bought a 2000 XLT 5.4 4x2.
I’m I crazy for wanting to do a body swap?
The ‘04 has lived most of its life in the Rust Belt. The rockers, inners are really going bad. The dog legs as well are falling apart. The ‘00 has lived it’s life out West and has only 2 little surface rust spots.
Should I expect to run into any major issues?
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5th Wheeling
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
From: West Centeral Wisconsin
I can’t even get a body shop to look at my truck. They hear rust and stop. I get it, rust is like cancer. Where do you stop?
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,997
Likes: 206
From: South Eastern Michigan
My father always said, "The rest of the vehicle wasnt sitting in the garage while the quarters were outside getting rusty..."
So, if you look at the rest of the vehicle, frame, suspension and drivetrain, is it all worthy of that amount of work?
As well, like a few others on here, once you get the body off, why not clean up the frame a bit, and replace the brake lines, and calipers, and springs, and may as well clean up the diffs, gonna need body mounts, oh, look at that tank tub...pretty soon you're on the cover of Excursion Monthly leaning on your trophy.
I'll be doing the RH dogleg and rear rocker this fall. After that, only minor repairs. Im going to find a nice one out west or have Tim make me a 2015 model.
So, if you look at the rest of the vehicle, frame, suspension and drivetrain, is it all worthy of that amount of work?
As well, like a few others on here, once you get the body off, why not clean up the frame a bit, and replace the brake lines, and calipers, and springs, and may as well clean up the diffs, gonna need body mounts, oh, look at that tank tub...pretty soon you're on the cover of Excursion Monthly leaning on your trophy.
I'll be doing the RH dogleg and rear rocker this fall. After that, only minor repairs. Im going to find a nice one out west or have Tim make me a 2015 model.
Thread Starter
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5th Wheeling
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
From: West Centeral Wisconsin
My father always said, "The rest of the vehicle wasnt sitting in the garage while the quarters were outside getting rusty..."
So, if you look at the rest of the vehicle, frame, suspension and drivetrain, is it all worthy of that amount of work?
As well, like a few others on here, once you get the body off, why not clean up the frame a bit, and replace the brake lines, and calipers, and springs, and may as well clean up the diffs, gonna need body mounts, oh, look at that tank tub...pretty soon you're on the cover of Excursion Monthly leaning on your trophy.
I'll be doing the RH dogleg and rear rocker this fall. After that, only minor repairs. Im going to find a nice one out west or have Tim make me a 2015 model.
So, if you look at the rest of the vehicle, frame, suspension and drivetrain, is it all worthy of that amount of work?
As well, like a few others on here, once you get the body off, why not clean up the frame a bit, and replace the brake lines, and calipers, and springs, and may as well clean up the diffs, gonna need body mounts, oh, look at that tank tub...pretty soon you're on the cover of Excursion Monthly leaning on your trophy.
I'll be doing the RH dogleg and rear rocker this fall. After that, only minor repairs. Im going to find a nice one out west or have Tim make me a 2015 model.
carbon coupe, I’m trying better understand what you’re trying to tell me.
As of right now I have to replace both side inner rockers, both sides outlets and both rear dog legs. Doing all that work is better than swapping a rust free body? I was already planning on doing Super Duty spring upgrade (v/b per Junior’s suggestion). Also some other minor upgrades.
I get that this is a 20+ year old truck, but it fits what I need it to do. I’ve already done the “bulletproofing”, so that major investment is done. I want this truck to last another 20+ years.
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,997
Likes: 206
From: South Eastern Michigan
carbon coupe, I’m trying better understand what you’re trying to tell me.
As of right now I have to replace both side inner rockers, both sides outlets and both rear dog legs. Doing all that work is better than swapping a rust free body? I was already planning on doing Super Duty spring upgrade (v/b per Junior’s suggestion). Also some other minor upgrades.
I get that this is a 20+ year old truck, but it fits what I need it to do. I’ve already done the “bulletproofing”, so that major investment is done. I want this truck to last another 20+ years.
As of right now I have to replace both side inner rockers, both sides outlets and both rear dog legs. Doing all that work is better than swapping a rust free body? I was already planning on doing Super Duty spring upgrade (v/b per Junior’s suggestion). Also some other minor upgrades.
I get that this is a 20+ year old truck, but it fits what I need it to do. I’ve already done the “bulletproofing”, so that major investment is done. I want this truck to last another 20+ years.
I was saying that if the frame and running gear is worn out or super rusty/flaky, it may be time to find a different truck.
Sounds like you're happy with everything but the rusty body. I agree, if you have a rust free donor, SWAP IT!!!
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 889
Likes: 156
From: Gainesville
If the holes line up, go for it!
Make sure you go with polyurethane body mount bushings with liberal amounts of bushing grease.
Take plenty of pics and post them here.
Sounds like a great project.
Make sure you go with polyurethane body mount bushings with liberal amounts of bushing grease.
Take plenty of pics and post them here.
Sounds like a great project.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 983
Likes: 366
I was seriously considering a custom large SUV body swap about a year ago (was thinking about putting a suburban body on a dodge Cummins chassis I already had , and basically making something comparable to an Excursion). The reason I didn't (and just went out an bought an Excursion) was shop equipment, namely the lack of a lift.
Unless you have a two post lift at your disposal (which I don't), it really makes body swapping large SUV's difficult. I've swapped cabs and beds on trucks plenty of times using jacks and wooden 2x4's. But cabs and beds are separate, smaller, more manageable items that a full size SUV body like the Excursion.
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Unless you have a two post lift at your disposal (which I don't), it really makes body swapping large SUV's difficult. I've swapped cabs and beds on trucks plenty of times using jacks and wooden 2x4's. But cabs and beds are separate, smaller, more manageable items that a full size SUV body like the Excursion.
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Thread Starter
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5th Wheeling
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
From: West Centeral Wisconsin
Definitely going to upgrade body bushing and other such parts.
I’ll try to remember to take pictures and then try to remember to post them. Life has a funny habit of getting in the way. 🤔
Thread Starter
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5th Wheeling
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
From: West Centeral Wisconsin
I was seriously considering a custom large SUV body swap about a year ago (was thinking about putting a suburban body on a dodge Cummins chassis I already had , and basically making something comparable to an Excursion). The reason I didn't (and just went out an bought an Excursion) was shop equipment, namely the lack of a lift.
Unless you have a two post lift at your disposal (which I don't), it really makes body swapping large SUV's difficult. I've swapped cabs and beds on trucks plenty of times using jacks and wooden 2x4's. But cabs and beds are separate, smaller, more manageable items that a full size SUV body like the Excursion.
.
.
.
Unless you have a two post lift at your disposal (which I don't), it really makes body swapping large SUV's difficult. I've swapped cabs and beds on trucks plenty of times using jacks and wooden 2x4's. But cabs and beds are separate, smaller, more manageable items that a full size SUV body like the Excursion.
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A lot of planning and organization, with a little bit of good luck thrown in.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 214
Likes: 25
I have to admit, I've never really understood the concept of a 'body swap'. Any vehicle I've ever owned that had a rusty body had an equally rusty frame / suspension if not more so. Is a vehicle with a body so far gone really sound enough for an entire body transplant? I'm not trying to be an @$$, just asking. Maybe Excursions are more stout than the muscle cars from the 60's and 70's that I'm used to piecing together. My '02 came from the South and is spotless except for surface rust on the frame and suspension, which is why I feel like when the body is gone badly enough to be a concern, the frame and undercarriage are usually worse. . .
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