Project: ALTER-K-TION ('57 GMC Quad Cab)

[addicted2dunes]

Originally Posted by winchster

Saw this on the board, thought you'd like it.

I've got that picture too. The only thing I didn't like is how he used front doors for the rear. I want this baby to look like it is supposed to be a quad cab from the factory. My rear doors will be made up of about 200 pieces (no exaggeration).

[addicted2dunes]

This is it for tonight. Got it fitting a little better. I have to do a side job Mon-Wed night so I'll pick this back up on Thurs. Little more trimming and tweaking and I should be ready to weld it. Then I'll be ready to mock up the bed, modify it, then it's on to the front half of the cab.

[addicted2dunes]

Does anyone know of any 03-06 Dodge quad cabs in the junk yard? I could really use some patch panels if they're out there. Also need the top half of a big window back cab (as you can see), my upper was WAY rotted out, not salvageable.

[addicted2dunes]

Played a little bit tonight, windy as hell here. Got the bed test fitted on the chassis and am trying to determine where I want the bed to meet the cab.

[blackdiesel]

i just picked up what you should have bought! give me a minute or two and ill post some pictures.

[blackdiesel]

alrighty boys here we go. picked up a 06 2500 4x4 big horn edition this afternoon with 60k miles, all the bells and whistles excepet leather seats for 9500 bucks. starts runs drives stops. this is what you should have picked up to do a swap on! all the things that are necessary to make it start and run are there. She iiiissss sweet!

btw, im cliping the cab, new bed and new front fender. Painting inferno red. Should have a 22,500 dollar truck for 14,000 bucks. Salvage title but oh well, last truck was a rebuild and put over 50k miles on her

[addicted2dunes]

I got everything I need except for an engine, transmission, t-case, and front axle. Have all the interior with this truck too. Plus I wanted the dually.... build something not seen before'ish

[addicted2dunes]

You guys are probably gonna kill me when I start chopping up this perfect fleetside bed. Say bye bye to the bullets, plus I need to move the wheel well back about a foot.

[addicted2dunes]

Here's a pretty good photoshop of what the cab will look like when complete:

[blackdiesel]

woahhhh how are you going to get the slant in front of the rear door to function?

[addicted2dunes]

Originally Posted by blackdiesel

woahhhh how are you going to get the slant in front of the rear door to function?

It'll be a little different then drawn up there. It'll be more like the pencil drawing in the first post. Along the top section of the rear door there will be a 4.25" filler panel.

[blackdiesel]

Originally Posted by addicted2dunes

It'll be a little different then drawn up there. It'll be more like the pencil drawing in the first post. Along the top section of the rear door there will be a 4.25" filler panel.

ahh that sounds like itll work. cause if it was going to be like in the photoshop pic you'd have to make it a "hardtop", like the tri-five chevy cars (for example) with out the post.

[addicted2dunes]

Originally Posted by blackdiesel

alrighty boys here we go. picked up a 06 2500 4x4 big horn edition this afternoon with 60k miles, all the bells and whistles excepet leather seats for 9500 bucks. starts runs drives stops. this is what you should have picked up to do a swap on! all the things that are necessary to make it start and run are there. She iiiissss sweet!

btw, im cliping the cab, new bed and new front fender. Painting inferno red. Should have a 22,500 dollar truck for 14,000 bucks. Salvage title but oh well, last truck was a rebuild and put over 50k miles on her

$9500 is a bit pricey for me. I got my truck for $150

[blackdiesel]

Originally Posted by addicted2dunes

$9500 is a bit pricey for me. I got my truck for $150

lol! you'll think pricey when you go to find all the parts to put this chassis together. one peice at a time aint the way to buy a diesel pickup

Hope it works out for ya, i'll ship you the peices i can like the fuel door filler if mines good. might be able to snag you a patch panel or two for the floor if the one in my parts truck is good

[addicted2dunes]

Originally Posted by blackdiesel

I'll ship you the peices i can like the fuel door filler if mines good. might be able to snag you a patch panel or two for the floor if the one in my parts truck is good

Awesome, that would be great. I have had no luck looking around on the internet and junk yards here.

[addicted2dunes]

Originally Posted by blackdiesel

lol! you'll think pricey when you go to find all the parts to put this chassis together. one peice at a time aint the way to buy a diesel pickup

That's what I figure, but the way the economy is right now I'm barely skating by on buying little pieces here and there, let alone a whole truck. I thought about it and I figure I could do all the grafting and setup on this chassis and then maybe I can afford a truck that is complete and just bolt my cab and bed on that truck. We'll see what happens.

[addicted2dunes]

Progress for last night. I installed the rearend.... what a chore to move that bastard by yourself, took me 2.5 hours just to get it from the front of the truck to the rear. I used everything I had, cherry picker, jacks, dolleys, etc. Heavy bastard, guess that's to be expected with a 11.5" ring gear.



Looks like the 57 has a lift on a stock 2005 chassis.


And here's why I have to chop the bed, need to move the wheel well opening back about 10"

[OrrieG]

Originally Posted by addicted2dunes

You guys are probably gonna kill me when I start chopping up this perfect fleetside bed. Say bye bye to the bullets, plus I need to move the wheel well back about a foot.

If you are going to kill the bullets think about using a 60-67(??) bed, same as the 58-59 but slab sides. Uses the same front panel and tailgate too. You could probably sell the bullets sides, buy a later one and have money left over.

I also like blackdiesels idea about making it a hardtop. I wonder if 58-60ish chevy auto 4 door hardtop hardware would work??

[addicted2dunes]

Originally Posted by OrrieG

If you are going to kill the bullets think about using a 60-67(??) bed, same as the 58-59 but slab sides. Uses the same front panel and tailgate too. You could probably sell the bullets sides, buy a later one and have money left over.

That is the plan, I plan to use a 60-66 lower section of the bed and use the 58-59 upper portion, split and graft the beds together at the seam down the side of the bedsides. The 60-66 upper portion of the bedsides is different than the 58-59.

[addicted2dunes]

I wish I could figure out how to change the thread title on this project. It's killing me knowing I spelled "quad" incorrect.

[addicted2dunes]

Did some chopping and drilling on the front end today to make way for the front cab. The Dodge firewall is free at last!

[Restrorob]

Maybe I'm missing something here but wouldn't it be easier to shorten the rear of the frame to keep the wheel wells/bed proportioned correctly ?

[addicted2dunes]

On these older trucks they used to center the wheel well in the bed side. If you look at a newer longbed truck they are set more towards the rear. I don't want the dually fenders centered on the bedside, I want them towards the back like newer trucks.

[Restrorob]

Gotcha, Just thought it'd look funky seeing a older bed/truck stretched like the newer ones.....

[addicted2dunes]

I really need some help..... I really need to find an upper rear big window cab section. Without this I am at a halt. Anyone have one or know of one? I can't finish the back of the cab or the roof without this. HELP ME PLEASE!

Here is a link to my wanted ad that show what I am looking for- http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=394003

Thank you for your help.