old chevy truck cab question

[tree MDS]

I have an 85 GMC one ton 4x4 dump that I purchased a while back to restore and add to the fleet. The frame and drivetrane are sweet...the cab needs alot of work.

So just yesterday I found two sweet doors, complete with west coast mirrors, for 50 bucks each. Then I was looking at craigslist and I see an 81 chevy cab for sale that was supposedly in storage for 15 years and has absolutely no rot! I said yeah right! I've gotta see this - it turns out its just what the guy said, the nicest cab I've ever seen! So I decided to buy it for $1300 sinse I really didnt feel like doing another cab over. The problem is this cab was a two wheel drive, so it has the small tranny hump, not the large one like the 4x4's - and no cab lights. Does anyone have any expierience with this situation?? Is it just cut the hump out of mine and weld it in?? or is there more to it? What is the easiest way to put cab lights on this cab?

Should be a good winter project I think.

 

[fj40dave]

No specific experience with the Chev trucks you mention (or modifying them)....but it seems like a straight forward cut and weld the 4x4 hump into the two wheel cab to me.

The lights should be a remove and install relatively easily - mounting holes and wiring access hole mod.

Clutch linkage issues?

Dave

 

[tree MDS]

Yep! no chutch master cylinder mounting flange on the 81. :censored:! just found that.

Should be able to cut and weld the other flange onto this cab pretty simply though... I hope.

oh well, at least no rust.

 

[chowdozer]

There were two transmission tunnels in those trucks. A large removable one and a small one that was not removable. The large tunnel was used for the Turbo 400 and the SM465, ths small one for the Turbo 350 and all the small manuals. It made no difference if they were 4wd.

 

[Ductape]

This is really taxing my memory banks....... but i do believe you will have to cut out the 2wd tunnel, and just drill holes and bolt in the 4wd tunnel. Back in high school and for a couple years after, I worked in a small autobody shop and we changed a bunch of cabs. Here is mine I did, also putting a 2wd cab on a rolled-over 4x. Even changing from pre 81 to post 81 was pretty simple, with a cowl modification for the cowl mounted hood hinges. Ahhhhh the eighties !!!!! I lost my virginity in this truck !!

 

[Blazin]

Yep, I've done a bunch of them. You can weld it, or drill it and bolt using some J/fold clips instead of nuts incase you ever wanted to remove it. Mark the outline of the old one out with some masking tape and buzz er out with an air saw or sawzall. You may have to fold up some of the new cab floor for a flange if you bolt it though. Oh yeah...and that clutch master bracket will have spot welds you can drill out and then just plug weld it back on your new cab. Good luck and keep us posted!

I miss my old square nose chevy's, those were trucks!!

 

[tree MDS]

Thanks for the imput guys.

Got the old cab stripped off yesterday. the frame is in the shop for some more descaling after I remove the gas tanks. Then time to blast.

The old cab was even worse than I thought...thank god I found this one before I started welding on that POC.

Ordered a ton of new parts so things should go pretty easilly.

Nice job on that chevy ductape. that truck would be worth some dough today.....just needs green paint and I'd take her!

 

[Guarddog1]

Good amount of info here http://www.chuckschevytruckpages.com/ I just did one about a year and a half ago.

 

[tree MDS]

Good amount of info here http://www.chuckschevytruckpages.com/ I just did one about a year and a half ago.

Thanks gd, good site there.

Old chevys rule! I swore I'd never do this again...but when I see what the new ones cost, and what you really get for the money, it sort of seems worth it. plus I'm trying to buy my way out of most of the misery, lol.