Has anybody stretched the cab or a bumpside? I want to put a nice set of buckets in my truck, but I'm already crowded by the pedals and wheel. I know the buckets are thicker, and sit a bit further forward so the problem will be even worse.
I'm thinking of cutting the B-pillar area and moving the back wall back about 4", the first truck I do this with won't have a bed so it's not a problem. I do intend to keep the in-cab tank in place, since that's really protected from any wheeling damage.

 

Never done a bumpside, but I have stretched other cabs. You're going to either need a spare cab for all the extra sheet metal, or do a bunch of sheet metal fabricating....

I'd suggest splitting the cab ahead of the door frame, and inserting a piece the width you want from the donor cab. Flanging the metal on one piece and overlapping the skin makes for an easier joint then a but weld IMO... For the doors, same deal... cut the "keeper" door on the flat part of the door just before the window pillar radius.... then measure the donor door from the back and make it the width you want, flange the joints and weld them together.... TIG welding IMO works the best for sheetmetal work, but a MIG will do a great job too if you're patient and don't let the heat warp things.....

 

Not really much that can be used there on these trucks. I was planning on major sheetmetal work, just don't want to stretch the cowl, way more work there on these.

 

now thats a cool idea put the back wall of the cab back about 8-10 inches so a guy could have room for some huning gear or speakers or even an extended seat slider. i ges it would be like those new regular cab 4 doors huh!

 

if you can find one shotting a crew might be simpler....you could just cut the rear door out of the cab move the back up and weld it together....give me a few mins and i will get a picture of where i was thinking you could cut....

 

ok so if you cut along the red and put it back together you might save some time and effert because the extra distance is there you just need to match it up and weld......and you could always weld the back doors or part of them closed if you want even more distance, the doors would give you all the extra metal you would need and in the right contuer....now the only problem is finding just the cab or a crew that isnt over priced....

 

Heck, I've got ideas for bumpsides that would get me barred from this site for life!!!!!!!!!!LOL


I really enjoy the customizing part of this hobby, just can't leave anything stock!!!! If you're bored wizzard, take a look at the Ranchero in my gallery. Just hoping to get the shop cleaned out enough this winter to be able to get back on it!!!!

 

At a later time, I'm going to do a Supercab version of one of these trucks, to about the same dimensions as the late 70s one.
I couldn't bring myself to chop up a crew like that- If I got my hands on one, it'd get turned into a full size SUV if anything. That's actually a back burner years-down-the-road project for me, a full size diesel electric hybrid built off a crew cab, something the whole family can pile into and haul a trailer too, while turning ridiculous mileage.

 

Cool idea. Would a cab from one of the extended cab Explorer models from the late '70s have any useful sheetmetal? I think the windshield is the same but I'm not sure about the rest. They're probably easier to find than a crewcab.

Here's a photoshopped version with about a 6" stretch. The frame was stretched also. That seemed easier to me than shortening the bed.

[IMG]<a href="http://s40.photobucket.com/albums/e217/stoopidfish/?action=view&current=68extendedcab.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e217/stoopidfish/68extendedcab.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>[/IMG]

If I stepped on your toes by posting this image, let me know and I'll zap it.

spots

 

one other idea might be to make the door longer.......

but that truck doesnt look to bad...

 

That would have been easier to do in photoshop. I figgered that stretching all of the stuff in and around the door (glass, moulding, weatherstripping, inside door panels) would be almost as big a pain as hand forming a new rear cab section from scratch.

 

I like the idea of stretching the cab some. As for chopping up one of the very rare crew cabs, I don't think I could do that!!

 

i would like to stretch my crew some, the back seat has NO leg room, a good foot would be nice....

and streching the back doors would be nice too they are really small......

kinda like this:
thats 10.5 inches longer

oh and PS i love this guys truck!

 

Stretching a crew, I'd agree with that. Just couldn't stand to see one chopped up, though! That is a cool truck!

 

Stretching doors is not a big challenge, as I said in an earlier post, easiest and best way I know of is to have a spare pair of doors....and it does look better then the original door size and a longer cab like in CN's photoshop.....

Should you guys ever wanna do one, let me know... I've been building custom's for a lot of years, and got ideas for some that are really way out!!!

Another thing I've thought of doing is to section a bumpside...eliminate the part on the side that has the bump!!! With careful selection of grilles and lights, could leave them guessing as to what year it was.... Would be fun, anyway!!!!

As for stretching a crew cab, how's about stepping up a few years in body's, then find a good crew cab, add about 10" between the doors, and put a back on the cab off an extended cab, plus stretch the back door so it's usable!!!!!