Holes Fix Needed!
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 250
Likes: 0
From: South Western Ontario
It would be a good cab to practice welding on, then give er, and see how long your welds last. Im guessing not long cause there is not much good steel left on that thing. You could fix it up though, there are people out there that pull early 1900 war tanks out of lakes and they get them restored. I know you probably cant compare a tank with a Ford, but whatever.
Senior User
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 274
Likes: 0
If the cab's that bad then I'd hate to see what the rest of the structural bits are like too. Maybe you need to look further than the cab and make sure the rest of the truck is OK before you go to the effort of replacing it. The truck I got my front guards off was better in the body than yours and no-one would even contemplate trying to fix it (which was why it was at the wreckers).
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 153
Likes: 0
From: Selkirk NY
First, I agree with all of the others about just finding a donor cab. That said however, I did just finish doing the cab on mine. My driver side looked about the same as your passenger side. I went through LMC and got a cab corner and a B pillar lower section (the door curve). then I went out and bought a half of a sheet of 18 ga steel 4' X 4' (I probably could have gone with 20 ga). I went through about 5 spools of flux core welding wire 2 packages of cutoff wheels and about 2 weeks of cutting bending and welding metal. The passenger side on mine only had a few small holes. If both sides of yours are that bad I wouldn't even think of repairing it. I took several pictures of mine as I was doing it and posted them in my profile. Rebuilding the Beast Good luck and if you decide to go through with the fix feel free to ask me if you have any specific questions.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,808
Likes: 0
From: Cincinnati Ohio
well its completly up to you. Honestly its quicker and cheaper to replace the cab unlike me I fixed mine up, yours looked just like mine maybe worse but anyways I fixed the cab floor and the area where you step to get up into the truck. I wish I would of got pictures of the fixing process. I am happy with the results but it took time, everything is nice and structural sound.
BTW I had an old one lane bridge sign bend and pop riveted to the floor for my floor pan. I still got it to...
BTW I had an old one lane bridge sign bend and pop riveted to the floor for my floor pan. I still got it to...
Junior User
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 99
Likes: 1
From: Over Your Shoulder.......
Hey all you guys who say replace the cab, why don't you give him the money for it?
If he's like me he doesn't have the money or time to go that route. In my opinion he's wanting a cheap, quick fix. Unless your building a show truck sheet metal, pop rivets and bondo work wonders. Just take your time and mold the metal. Remember this is my opinion. If you can replace the cab by all means do so. But I wouldn't.
If he's like me he doesn't have the money or time to go that route. In my opinion he's wanting a cheap, quick fix. Unless your building a show truck sheet metal, pop rivets and bondo work wonders. Just take your time and mold the metal. Remember this is my opinion. If you can replace the cab by all means do so. But I wouldn't.
Fleet Owner
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 21,437
Likes: 76
From: Gilbert, PA
I can get cabs all day long for 200. W all the tiawan patch panels, bondo, rivits, you will just have a cabage patched POS. If it only needed floors or cab corners, or rockers, or inner A or B pillers, that is one thing, but his needs everything
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,429
Likes: 4
From: patricia ab canada
Hey all you guys who say replace the cab, why don't you give him the money for it? If he's like me he doesn't have the money or time to go that route. In my opinion he's wanting a cheap, quick fix. Unless your building a show truck sheet metal, pop rivets and bondo work wonders. Just take your time and mold the metal. Remember this is my opinion. If you can replace the cab by all means do so. But I wouldn't.
If he's like me he doesn't have the money or time to go that route. In my opinion he's wanting a cheap, quick fix. Unless your building a show truck sheet metal, pop rivets and bondo work wonders. Just take your time and mold the metal. Remember this is my opinion. If you can replace the cab by all means do so. But I wouldn't.FTE Stories
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Junior User
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 99
Likes: 1
From: Over Your Shoulder.......
I got a rust free cab for nothing, and another for a couple of hundred bucks.they are out there for cheap.why would you spend time and money repairing a roted cab.the cheapest route is a cab swap.if you look hard enough,you would have a complete parts truck.btw bondo and pop rivets won't make that cab structurely sound.
Cost,
Finding one,
Transporting said cab to your location,
Disconnecting everything on your cab,
Finding a hoist or something to lift off your cab,
Putting on new cab,
Hooking everything back up.
Deisel Brad, I'm sure you have enough tools and equip to make the Craftsman dept. at Sears jealous but I don't. I just have a shady tree out back and moderate amount of tools.
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 153
Likes: 0
From: Selkirk NY
I agree with Spennyman except for the pop rivets. That is only because I don't like pop rivets because they make the repair area more likely to rust again because the metal of the rivets (aluminum I think) reacts with the steel causing accelerated rusting. If you pick up a cheap harbor freight welder and some metal you could improve the longevity and strength of the repairs.
Fleet Owner
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 21,437
Likes: 76
From: Gilbert, PA
I live in Rust belt PA. You can use a cab for 80-all theway to 97. That gives you 17 years worth of truck to find. Besides. I just Bought a 77(way more desirable)doors, and dash from New Mexico for 950. Shipped to Carlise For Nationals. If you look, they are there. When it is time to put my pulling truck together it is gettin a cab, And all that needs is a inner floor on each side. I HATE RUST
Thread Starter
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Junior User
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 84
Likes: 0
Here in rust belt WV rust free cabs are non-existant I've looked for years..... I don't know where he lives. Deisel Brad you must live in a no-snow no-salt region I don't know about in PA. We have new body-style Dodges showing bed rust. I love the smell of Bondo in the morning. It just depends on finances, how long he's going to keep it and what he wants to do with it. There's a lot of things to consider changing the cab:
Cost,
Finding one,
Transporting said cab to your location,
Disconnecting everything on your cab,
Finding a hoist or something to lift off your cab,
Putting on new cab,
Hooking everything back up.
Deisel Brad, I'm sure you have enough tools and equip to make the Craftsman dept. at Sears jealous but I don't. I just have a shady tree out back and moderate amount of tools.
Cost,
Finding one,
Transporting said cab to your location,
Disconnecting everything on your cab,
Finding a hoist or something to lift off your cab,
Putting on new cab,
Hooking everything back up.
Deisel Brad, I'm sure you have enough tools and equip to make the Craftsman dept. at Sears jealous but I don't. I just have a shady tree out back and moderate amount of tools.
