cab swap? (mosly venting)
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Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2003
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From: Harrisburg, NE
cab swap? (mosly venting)
the other day my dad found a pickup that had a good cab and front clip, he wants me to swap the cab w/ the one on the highboy i just got, but i dont think thats its completely neccessary because my cab only has two bad spots, three counting the windshield (small rust on bottem drivers at the rear of the cab and in the door sill) i would still need doors and front fenders/grill, but dont want to mess with removing the cab, but then at the same time, he wont let me get plates for it because the windshield is cracked (which we can get a windshield w/mirrors for 50-60 bucks) and even though its ugly, i will drive it. but dont get some of the things that my dad wants to do, like wanting to tear apart the truck that im supposed to be driving (im still using the bronco). so which would seem more economical? swapping parts gradually, or swapping cabs? sorry about the long post.
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 373
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From: Wallaceburg On.
Cab swap
I am currently swapping parts from the doner truck over to the original cab, My deciding factor in not swapping the whole cab was lack of manpower/hoist. I totally gutted the original cab, put in floors on both sides, swapped the seat covers. Takes some time but I don't think I'll have over two hundred bucks into it. I also now know every square inch of the cab and dash. I also painted the inside while everything was out of the way.
More Turbo
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 535
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From: Evans, West Virginia
hey guy's I had a tow truck tow truck come to my house i rigged the cab and front clip altogether he swapped them and charged me $25 hell it only took him 20 min.
cab change is easy everything just unplugs radiator hoses gound wire and starter wire you'll be glad you did
cab change is easy everything just unplugs radiator hoses gound wire and starter wire you'll be glad you did
Postmaster
Joined: Feb 2003
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From: Spokane WA
Originally Posted by muscletruck7379
the other day my dad found a pickup that had a good cab and front clip, he wants me to swap the cab w/ the one on the highboy i just got,
Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 1999
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From: SW Missouri
I've swapped cabs between narrow and wide frames no problem.
I'ts a no-brainer to use the good cab. from a safety point of view, I wouldnt let my boy drive around in a patched up cab, when a rust-free one is available at reasonable cost.
the most you may have to do, is cut out the trans tunnel hole if the donor doesnt have it cut out already.
swap the cab, let your dad and a few friends have a good time swapping it out. its an easy saturday job.
I'ts a no-brainer to use the good cab. from a safety point of view, I wouldnt let my boy drive around in a patched up cab, when a rust-free one is available at reasonable cost.
the most you may have to do, is cut out the trans tunnel hole if the donor doesnt have it cut out already.
swap the cab, let your dad and a few friends have a good time swapping it out. its an easy saturday job.
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Logistics Pro
Joined: May 2003
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From: Northern Illinois
I took my cab off with a cherry picker and two floor jack's and some length's of 4x4. 1 man job that I would never do again!!
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Joined: Jan 2004
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From: Colorado
Sounds to me the same as wondering if you should wear dirty sicks, cause they are next to your bed when you wake up, or walk to the dresser for the clean ones, one days work beats being cold..and i mean really cold in the winter we have, i have bad seals on my truck, and i cant stand the cold, cant imagine rust holes..a cab swap is easy, you will learn everything in and out, you patch the existing one up, you learn how to pay someone to weld them on for you...and trust me, doo everything with your dad, never know when it will be too late to even see or talk to the guy... 
---JOHN
---JOHN
Last edited by Colo79Ford; May 6, 2004 at 09:58 PM. Reason: oops
Freshman User
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: Las vegas
OK...Ill toss in 2 cents...I changed a few cabs ...not that hard...I found an easy way..I take off the tires after all is ready to pull...drop the truck on the ground.. then use a standard "cherry picker"...you can rent the type that has legs that extend out... pull the legs out a foot or so more than the boom..and use a strap threw the windows and pick it up.....I had a couple big fellas to stand on the rear corners of the lift while we rolled it away from the chassis...right over to the waitin chassis and down it went....the whole "move" took less than 10 minutes and we were bolting up steering and cabs mounts...drove the truck that nite. ,....and i would go with a clean cab ANY day over one with even one rust hole....I know In my old age Im gettin picky....livin in mich as a young man I fixed more than my share of rustout..if it aint spotless...I aint touchin it...LOL....
Freshman User
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: Las vegas
oh....I agree....MY dad was a fireman and ford salesman....he couldnt screw it a light bulb in the garage...but...I would not trade the time he spent sittin drinkin iced tea watchin us boys wrench for any other memory I can think of....He was fastenated by watchin us tear em down and drive em away in a few hours...he's been gone 20 yrs this year...but I see him everyday ..watchin me an smiling...
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Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2003
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From: Harrisburg, NE
ok guys, i gotta admit something, you sure can convince a guy...
swapping cabs should be no problem with what we have here. we have an A frame that we can use to lift the rear of the cab (stick boards or a pipewith neccesary protection through open windows and use big come-along to lift) while using my cherry picker for the front. but i would probably repaint the interior and engine compartment while i have it torn down so far, will paint the exterior at a later time unless i get lucky and have a surplus of $$$ to paint the rest of the truck, i was thinking about a mettalic midnight blue on the outside, and would like to do blue on the inside, but not sure what color (keep in mind that the highboy has good baby blue door panels and dash)
even though i as kinda worried about the wiring, wouldn't the only piece that would really require disconnecting would be brake lights? of course ther is also brakes, fuel line, and such that shouldn't take too much to do. and what would it take to get the body mounts to line up if my highboy has the skinny frame? it would just include changing the mounts that bolt to the frame wouldn't it?
plus i have two friends that owe me some labor... i work on thier stuff more than i do my own (maybe because they have dodges and chevies)
swapping cabs should be no problem with what we have here. we have an A frame that we can use to lift the rear of the cab (stick boards or a pipewith neccesary protection through open windows and use big come-along to lift) while using my cherry picker for the front. but i would probably repaint the interior and engine compartment while i have it torn down so far, will paint the exterior at a later time unless i get lucky and have a surplus of $$$ to paint the rest of the truck, i was thinking about a mettalic midnight blue on the outside, and would like to do blue on the inside, but not sure what color (keep in mind that the highboy has good baby blue door panels and dash)
even though i as kinda worried about the wiring, wouldn't the only piece that would really require disconnecting would be brake lights? of course ther is also brakes, fuel line, and such that shouldn't take too much to do. and what would it take to get the body mounts to line up if my highboy has the skinny frame? it would just include changing the mounts that bolt to the frame wouldn't it?
plus i have two friends that owe me some labor... i work on thier stuff more than i do my own (maybe because they have dodges and chevies)
Freshman User
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: Las vegas
I believe everything is "bolt on or in" between the cabs. piece o cake...hava few beers with dad get dirty and tell some nassy jokes....youll be glad ya did....oh an..blue..maybe toss alil blue pearl in it if ya want some spice ....but your choice sounds as a good as any...dont worry bout a thing once you get into it you'll see how easy it really is....remember ford drops these cabs on in 2 minutes...using anybody they can hire.. I think you'll hava good time to bad Im not close id toss a couple beers an help out...just make sure ya watch those dodge an chevy boys....they may be mezmerized by the ford engineering.....LOL....
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Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2003
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From: Harrisburg, NE
i take it back, the door panels and dash are dark blue, and you gotta feel sorry for the guy with the chevy, he would rather have a ford, but his dad wont help him with anything auto related unless he drives that little cavalier, poor guy. but the dodge guy IS mezmorized by ford engineering!
