Tinman builds a crewcab '54 F500 car hauler!
 

Well, I'm at it again........this will be a pretty ambitious project. Not mine, for a customer........he has several hotrods and wants something cool to haul them on, with room for the family.
For those that are new here, I've done this sort of thing before....my custom COE thread from a while back;
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...uck-build.html
Starting off with a really cherry '54 F500......plus a second nice '55 F600 cab. Chassis is yet to be determined, but he wants a diesel. Either power stroke or Cummins.
Stay tuned.......


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...8980a8f205.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...674e3132fd.jpg


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...fd01789509.jpg

Very cool, Scott! I'll be looking forward to following along at home! :)

Here we go again. Buckle up and hang on!!

This one should be fun to watch.

Bobby

Thanks guys!
As always, I don't work off of a set of plans, just a picture in my head of how I want it. Looking around the net, I find quite a few '56 crew cabs but almost no slant cab crews.....if anyone has pics, please post them!
The '56 cab has a squarer cab above the belt line, making it easier to extend. I see the biggest challenge for me will be at the front of the rear door. Also the sloping roof line(s).
Found this pic....

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...bdbcda74c0.jpg

I'm looking forward to watching this build.
Would a 56 cab be better for the back section? I wonder if that is what they did for the picture you found.
Now of the most important question, will the customer go with the 54 or 55 grill. :)

I think this crew cab was professionally done by an aftermarket coach builder in 1954.

SUBSCRIBED
*daily updates*

JML

Excited to see this one progress, good on you for taking on the project Tinman!

Awesome! Will be watching you transform that truck!

So I pulled the seat and heater out, as they were both mouse hotels........and did some cleanup. Really a shame to cut up such a nice cab. On the other hand, it's really nice to work with non rusty metal.
Removed the back window and laid out some cut lines.


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...e8fcf831f2.jpg

Good luck! I bet some guys could use the nice clean rust free cab back, especially the bottom part.

You know I have been waiting for another big build from you. I will be watching for the posts. This is good motivation for the guys that enjoy your builds.

Take a deep breath and cut on the dotted line...................


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...1c819972d9.jpg


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...c7123c1050.jpg

I got to hand it to you Scott, you've got some big balls!

looks good
Bobby

And a good looking rear end..........right Bobby?


Sorry, private joke. On the HAMB Bobby was complimenting the rear axle for my other project....

LOL..yup, you got it all going on!!

Subscribed

Cool project. I decided to extend the cab on my 54 project. I had an idea in my head on how I wanted to do it. I kind of described it in my build thread and someone posted a link to these build pics below. The rear doors are suicide doors. And it appears that they did a nice job on it. If you wanted you could make the rear doors a wider and even space them back a little from the front doors. Just be careful, if the rear doors are spaced to far back or too big, it ends up looking like a bad limo. My idea for the rear doors is to take a few spare doors. Cut them top to bottom. Then join the back half of opposite doors to make each door. The down side to doing this is it takes four doors to make the two rear doors. But I think that would be the simplest way to do it.

Here's some pics of the build I was shown.

https://i.postimg.cc/nVNdtrFR/53sept20041.jpghttps://i.postimg.cc/8Ck4br45/sept2004.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/ZnvycJX0/53march20041.jpghttps://i.postimg.cc/ZnvycJX0/53march20041.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/MTFQVnPh/53march20042.jpghttps://i.postimg.cc/1ttF8GHG/53nov20041.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/jCVn3Grc/53nov20042.jpg



https://i.postimg.cc/nc73VxMH/53fromtopblue.jpg

Here's more pics of it finished.

https://i.postimg.cc/LXwVRQpY/truckext1.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/JhTqY4YQ/supernationals9.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/gJnKCFfb/supernationals10.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/4xsQJhr5/truckext15.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/9Xwp12dG/truckext6.jpg


https://i.postimg.cc/Fsjx5xnz/truckext13.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/7hznL1HB/truckext2.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/bw9LbRQW/interior9.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/MZns4VSf/interior1a.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/DwTB8Nb1/interior8.jpg

Ted, thanks for the pics, that is one beautiful truck. My direction is a little different.....full length rear doors, and not suicide. I do want the doors as close together as possible, without the big blank space between that I see on some. Still gonna require another set of doors, or at least the top parts, maybe someone has some with junk bottoms and good tops? I'm pretty sure I can rework the front(hinge) part of the rear doors without cutting them in half....
Hopefully.
I'm probably in way over my head and just don't know it. Sink or swim, right?

The suicide doors allows them to be right next to each other with the almost hidden door jamb between them. For the standard opening rear doors, if you want to use stock hinges, it's going to require a wider post between the doors for the hinge pockets.

There's a lot of different ways to handle the doors.

You do great work. I can't wait to see how this build turns out.

..........................

Yes, I realize the post will be a bit wider to have room for the hinges. I think that will be OK.....just trying to keep it simple(?).
Redesigning the door openings/doors/hinges for suicide is a huge amount of work.

We know you have the skills to pull this off Scott, can't wait for your next update.

Scott look into newer van side door hinges for the back doors I seen some on a ford that hardly took any space at all.. It seems like almost every different vehicle i get into these days i'm looking for a solution for a future project.

Suscribed!! I want to do a serious build like this some day. You have some major cajones to make those types of cuts!! Hats off to ya!

Fordman...GORGEOUS truck. I really like the idea and the finished product. Kudos for going a different direction with the "typical" truck project.

I was going to ask that - I don't know of any that Ford actually made, but would have been a specialty aftermarket company that catered to special use/commercial?

I am definitely on the watch list for this build! Love the Tinman work.

The suicide set up is a lot of work. But so is the standard set up. The design itself is pretty simple I'm using all stock door jambs, hinge pockets etc. I'm just using a driver side front door jamb/hinge pockets for the passenger side rear door. And a passenger side for the driver side rear.

With more of a crew cab instead of an extended cab lay out, the standard opening doors will work better for the rear passengers. With the full size door a standard opening hinge lay out will just be more functional/user friendly.

Mine is sitting in a bunch of pieces right now. But I've got 3 cabs and 8 doors to work with. So I should have all the pieces to do the cab stretch and then some.







Those pics I posted are not my truck. I wish it was! Mine is sitting in a billion pieces waiting for me to get to work on it. I've got too many other projects in front of it right now.:(

I was hoping I could retain these cab mounts, but no dice. They are in my way and are now gone....


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...5787825034.jpg

Also started trimming the back cab......


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...785cf06e1b.jpg

Well, I'm subscribing to this one. Can hardly wait to see how you do this. And knowing your history of fine work Scott, I'm sure we're all going to be impressed. :-drink

Hi Joe, great to see you are still checking in here now that you have one of those "modern" trucks, LOL!
Thanks for the kind words....I hope I can pull this off!

Tinman,
Way good skills and eye you have for details. I went back and read some of your COE build. Just amazing custom work. My brain thinks I could do something like that but my hands and wallet just dont seem to cooperate! Your documentation is very good! Fab skills are very creative.
My wife says I should not go look at a local 55 for sale. I think I need to just to get my monthly fix of old Ford trucks!:)
Regards,
Chris

So I set the back cab up there to see what I'm up against. Mostly how the 2 floors will meet......didn't realize before now that these floors are not flat.


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...cad8d4c695.jpg

Also these cabs are tapered.....about 3 inches narrower in the front....


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...92afb2d38f.jpg

so next is more cutting!

To correct the taper issue I cut the floor on each side along the door sill and removed the center of the roof. Then spread the hinge pillars outward 1.5" on each side.
Temporarily tacked it all back together to measure and check door fitment. I had to brace everything up also.


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...3363699ada.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...b35b88c798.jpg

After some welding to brace up the floor, I mounted the rear cab again. Much better fit this time!
Looks like I will have about a 3 inch reveal at the center post, which I can live with


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...07669656ea.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...d00324f80d.jpg

Tinman,

I'm in on this one. Will like to follow your progress. Good luck

It's always enjoyable and educational watching people with real talent do what they do, and you are one of the people with real talent. I, like everyone else here, appreciate you taking the time to share your project with us. "ROCK ON" Scott.

I am interested in how you are going to deal with the front slope of the rear door Scott.

Will you section the rear door to eliminate the slope and have a perpendicular post top to bottom?

Looks like you have the tapered cab issue solved.

Scott,
Wow man, nice progress.
Thanks for taking the time to post the pics, it always amazes me how much is involved in something like this.

Bobby

Hi Tom, yes i have now acquired a 3rd cab and doors.........will use the rear edge of those doors to make the front edge straight up. Same with the jamb.
I feel a bit guilty about chopping up these solid cabs, I know some guys to the east could use them. No one else around here seems to want to do anything with them though.