Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

In my signature you can see how it started. So I ended up finding more cancer than I had hoped for, but ultimately no more than I was prepared for. The game plan is to have a truely modern 72 full-size that makes all the mall crawlers feel bad about their life choices. Going to use an interior, wiring, HVAC, heated seats, roof console, keyless entry, the whole shabang from a 2000-2006 Escalade, LTZ Tahoe, or Denali. Oh and Ofcourse the drivetrain will be LS, I already have a set of twins to help it whistle, Oh yea a functioning 4th door with no exterior handle. Not feeling big on words tonight so I’m just gonna put up a bunch of pictures to bridge the gap from the last thread till now.

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

Original drivetrain used for a partial wheel & deal. Spent my birthday on the 29th making myself happy. 157” chassis gonna be shortened to a 148.5” by relocating the already spring mounts.

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

And yesterday my one man wrecking crew got to this point.

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

Subscribed

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

All the parts that I took out from under the cummins truck will be put to good use

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

Keep up the good work.

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

I’m trying. But as we all know it’s time more than anything. Speaking of I go back to work on night shift tonight so since I woke up early and the weather was nice...............
Hope to start joining the cab to it next week if I don’t get hit with overtime

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

Well good news after someone beatin on my door and waking me up after only 3 hours of sleep. Anywho the floor in the donor cab looks as good as I could have hoped, really appreciate it “Uncle” for all the metal so far. Trying to not cut anything as to keep all the factory dimension in place so I have less chance of getting things out of shape. Quick cuts on the roof and inner skin as they will be cut back even more so I just need it off first. Following the Frankenstein crew on the way I’ll be attaching the lower rear of the cab. Well here are the pictures and perhaps I’ll get to take one more after I eat before I head to work.

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

And off to work I go

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

You accomplished a lot after I left!

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

I am liking this project! Looking forward to following the build.

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

You will have to cut the back off the frame in order to set it in place. When I started building mine, I started it on a Burb frame as well.

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

Well the route I took I’m following drew skiren’s method. You see I cut the cab off above the floor. I’m going to put a 90 degree angle on the rear skin and sit it directly on the suburbans rear support plate. Then I’ll plug weld it for now and finally I’ll stitch weld the outer portion and seem seal it. I’m going to use everything left from the cab to fix every bit of rust in the front all at one time and in doing so I’m going to make the middle body mount a truck style so my main floor will be one original solid piece. When I went to get the cab and chassis I picked up a beat up cab marker roof, going to cut it out and hammer & dolly it back in shape, then use the door openings from it to frame the 4th door and sleeve all my cabs upper roofline joints. I want absolutely all the cab work done before I move frames as I know this frame will keep me square

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

Yes sir I did. I don’t want to have a single week where I don’t make progress. Plus I don’t have much room as is so the more I get done the more working room I have. Good thing it’s gonna be a short bed or it would never fit in the garage period.

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

Well this week is a bust. Had yesterday, today, and tomorrow off. Felt like total crap when I woke up yesterday and no change. Still managed a picture though

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

So another no real update post but news and entertainment. The flu is vacating my body and I swapped my wheels/tires on the red truck and went to oreollys to get what I needed to plumb my 60 gallon compressor. Well it didn’t take much enticement from the guys to show off, side note right across the steeet is the police station but I didn’t continue into the roadway.

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

Hell yeah:metal::metal::metal:

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

Hell ya - keep up the good work

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

Alright so after the flu last week, and then forced three days overtime of my four off I feel like I’m being a bum. I did swing by oreillys though to check on my witness marks.

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

O and I actually did something, made a cardboard template off my truck to make sure I had the correct angle. Now instead of doing the cab back and partial roof first, I can line them up with the door’s window frame. Ended up slotting the rear window track mounting holes so I didn’t have to modify the actual top of the track.

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

Nice work. In for the ride!

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

So hopefully I can get some actual progress done tomorrow. But I did acquire some more items today. Got me a bed to shorten or should I say finally picked it up. Oh and picked up a set of 72 DG4 West Coast JR brackets for a painful $20.

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

Well thanks to be forced 3 days overtime the past couple of weeks no real updates. Been more collecting of parts and thinking more than anything else. Collected some emblems and been considering chopping up the current daily driver that I’m building this to replace. Irony is I drive my 70 so much the battery died in the suv. So for the people that don’t know, the Saab 9-7x (essentially a trailblazer SS) has a 6.0 and 4L70e so can you say perfect donor drivetrain. Ten the interior is black leather, heated seats, adjustable pedals, navigation, memory seats, and the best part the key is in the center console so it would be way to retain the security key and put it in the dashes stock location. Check out how compact the underhood is, sure would be easy to do the twins with it under the hood of a 67-72

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

Well a tiny bit of actual work, been moving stuff around and started wrapping up the cab to floor attachment. The plan is to use a piece of 72” angle iron tomato the cab back to the burbs floor support plate. Used screws to attach the angle temporality to the cab. Then plug weld and stitch weld the cab to the angle, then remove it all and wrap the sheet metail around the bottom. Skipping a few steps to get to the point. Lastly I’ll thru bolt everything to the floor to draw it right, and weld it to the floor. Sounds complicated but this way the original cab sheeetal will be sandwiched and uncut, hopefully stronger and easier to seal up.

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

So a little proof of concept today so everyone can visualize what I’m doing. Excuse my blowouts, been a long time since I’ve welded different gauge materials but it’s coming back to me. And yay me for cutting too far, looks like now I get to add a filler for my mistake

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

Well not much on updates, been working my day job too much and combined with rain, yeah. So I’ve been collecting more parts, selling parts, getting cleaned up and a little more orginized since I don’t have much room.

Got the bed on a dolly so it’s not outside but can move it out of the way easy.

Weather was nice today so the 72 k5 blazer hangers got put on the front exactly 8” forward of the originals. If you notice the single thick fender washer that’s because the frame had a factory oval hole right there that lined up.
Here is the thought process, obviously I get the lift and they are correct for the narrow 40.5” leaf spring spacing. The wheelbase will now be 149”, regular cab short bed is 115” plus the 33” of the rear doors and you get 148”. Now I’m going to slide the bed back a 1/2” to avoid any rubbing on the cab when off road, now at 148.5”. Lastly I’ve always thought the rear wheels sat just a smidge too far forward when going with a large tire so that’s the last 1/2”. Should be perfect.

The lift is actually 8” also and the rear I will do a shackle flip which gets me 6” if lift in the rear which will make the total suspension lift 7” for the rear axle. My front is a 52” spring swap with 4” skyjacker springs, combine that with the weight of this thing it should be 7” of lift up front. When it’s all assembled I hope to remove the factory(I think) rear block and have it sit level.

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

And the sun was out today so I got a bit more done. Over halfway to being a 4wd chassis now.

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

Lost my job
Going up for sale
IF someone things work themselves out I’ll get back on it at that point. But right now is just bad timing

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

Too bad to hear...hope things get better for ya.

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

Me too. This is what happens when you have a vendictive manager and a weak union. Maybe I’ll get back where I need to before it sells. I couldn’t believe how much money I had wrapped up in it already

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

Wow!
Sorry to hear that. Ive been in a similar situation before and it sucks. Things have a way of working out though. Stay positive. Truck looks great!!!

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

Well if I can make things work out for the next few months and it doesn’t sell. The new goal will be to cut my 70 halfway up the b-pillar and where the top of the windows start curving down. Then join it to the crew so I’ll have 95% of my original truck from high school, have a title, registered as a truck, Oh and the Cummins drivetrain.

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

As you know, no progress on the truck. But I did want to share my drive home. I got to pull two fords off the side of the road at one time. The guys wife said she didn’t want me to hurt my truck trying to move them. Little did she realize I had a lot more motor than that broken down powerstroke.

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

Sorry to hear about the misfortunes. I really hope you get back on your feet and are able to keep the project. Do you still have and would you sell the 3500 badges? I could use them. Thanks. -Joel

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

Those are gone. Sold a bunch of stuff to help keep on my feet. Didn’t wanna dip into savings. I think now I’m about to get back on it. Sure hope so

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

Hey no problem. Glad to hear it actually. looking forward to updates. Just started on a crew cab project myself. Thx

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

So I haven’t been real happy with the cab attachment. Strength no doubt, but just don’t like the custom look of it. So I picked up something today from my local member. So tell me is this a 67-68 only thing? I’ve never seen the floor center like this as I’ve always seen smooth center “tunnel” areas and the under fuel tank extra pieces of metal I’ve never seen.

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

I did a lot less today than I really wanted to. But the weather feels so nice it was hard to push myself to do any real work. I did get the chassis into the garage, with the mindset that I’m going to get the suspension right, and the frame cleaned up first. Then transfer the cab over to the frame so I can start making my final modifications to the body. I love the duplicolor rust converter, funny seeing it turn blue/purple before it goes black. While I was getting the frame horns cleaned in preparation for the 4wd spring mounts I found these numbers. Anyone know the meaning of them?

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

Itty bitty progress, I seriously am enjoying the weather too much to car about working. But here are the DIY4X front spring hanger body mounts that I had on the Cummins truck. Also notice my angle iron cross tie to the rear bracket/nut plates. I always thought the front of these trucks should have had the hangers tied together. Still need to drill the bottom holes but I’ll do that when I roll the front axle under it

Re: Another Crew Cab, {72 Denali style}
 

Those are stout.
There’s a lot of numbers on these frames. The only ones I know about are the VIN. Maybe the others are part numbers or some date code from the stamping.