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Okaaaayyyyy... here's the deal... just brought home and excellent condition 1963 cab almost no rust and a tilt-column already installed... got lucky and e-Bayed a set of repop fenders, found a decent restorable 1961 hood (through here)and am currently looking for a replacement passenger door (damaged in an accident) and a grille mount... What I have available to me is: full assortment of tools, MIG welder, Plasma cutter, commercial air, but basically a one car garage, funds are there, but limited somewhat... I looking to build as high a quality "daily" driver as I can... I'm looking for "from the ground up" guidance as to what I could, and more importantly SHOULD do, to build as durable, and longlasting a vehicle as possible. Everything is mounting to a completely refurbished and ready to go 4x4 frame... Baring an accident, I want it last as long as possible...Things like recomendations on rust-proofing (I like that spray-on armor that was installed on project CRAZY HORSE on TRUCKS), rockers, cab corners are especially important since these are absolutely perfect!
So, let's go... the brews are on me!
As soon as I can, I'll post, start to finish photos, if any one is interested and I figure out how...

Hi Steamroller,
I was born in Johnstown, Pa. many years ago and came south when I was 7. Been back to Pa. many times and it's beautiful country.
I've been building 60-66 trucks for two years and used to build ADs back in the 60s. I have become quite knowledgeable on the 60 thro 66 since I am on my third and have two others taken apart. My 64 and 65 are in the Gallery under Paul Toth. The 64 is a 64 cab on a 66 frame with the bed and front end parts from a 61 parts truck, but the parts truck had a 63 or later hood. The engine and transmission is out of an 84 chev. pick-up (305 w/TH250c). I am restoring a 65 now that I have replaced both rocker panels, one cab corner and a lot of the floor section on both sides. I have two new front fenders from a 66 GMC that are old stock and have welded in Passenger side door inside bottom. The bed (fleet) is rust free. My next project is to put a 62 cab on the 61 frame off the parts truck and shorten the bed sides to fit the short-bed frame. Then the rockers, cab corners and other sheet metal from the 66 GMC will go on the 62 cab. Fitted with a 350 w/four speed it will look like a Chevy from the inside and a GMC from the outside.

What model frame are you going to use. There is some difference from 60 thru 66 in the width and will require some altering among some parts. The section that the grill mounts in is a new item offered from LMC truck parts. Costs $299.00. If you need many parts, it might be best to buy an old junker if you have room to keep the old cab and frame for a while. You will find yourself going back to it for many inems. Some items you may want to save for future use or to swap to someone else. My e-mail address is on my profile if you want to ask anything. Have a good day.

Truck Tinker

I took Rust Bullet & sprayed it all inside the visor mount holes, rocker access holes, air vents, etc. I used a typical suction gun for an air hose-commonly used to blow solvent to clean engines. Messy but effective. Zero Rust or POR15 could also be used, just something to coat-these trucks seem to rust from inside out. Brian

in you are into reading books steamroller then i recomend a book by Tom Brownell. "How to restore your chevrolet pickup" It is a great guide for all the paths you can take to restore your truck...It seems to be geared more for 40's and 50's style but it touches on 1928-1991. It gives alot of information on either rebuilding or restoring and the things you have to do no matter what year it is...It is a great book..

Hey guys, thanks for the posts... my thing is I really REALLY liked the curved windshield of the 60 to 63's, the oval shaped hood openings of the 60/61, along with the "dual hump" dashboard, to me, reminiscent of the corvettes. I was cruising, e-bay, found this cab, and was the only bidder. I had no plans to actually start a new project... But here I am... Over the years I've collected many 60/66 parts, since I LOVE these trucks, now I'll build something EXACTLY like I want... I have a converted 64 Chevy Suburban, and a near stock, almost original 65 GMC 1/2 ton. Both are daily drivers, in decent weather...
I bought the book mentioned awhile ago.
This cab will mount on a 1989 4x4 frame. I realize new mounts will need to be made. That's no problem... Being that it will be a serious daily driver, I really want it to last, hence my post... I see so many cabs, like was said, rotting from the inside out...
Thanks, Pete

I've had the same idea on putting a 60 - 66 truck on an 88 or later frame. The bed should be fairly easy and the cab may (or may not) bolt on close to the same mount pads. Once the cab is on, all the front end bolts to the cab except the radiator support which may need a mount point added to each side. Anyway, you can have a classic head turner with the modern ride. Keep us posted on what you do. I'm certainly interested.

Truck Tinker

My truck was built to be a driver. After two Illinois winters and 18,000 miles, the areas that look best under my truck are the areas that I coated with Duplicolor roll-on bedliner. I only did portions that seemed prone to trouble, like the bottom of the cab, since the stuff is expensive and I wasn't sure if it would work. The bedliner coated areas look so good, that I recently cleaned up more areas(like the underside of the running boards) and applied additional bedliner. The plain ZeroRust areas were rusting and it seems that it doesn't hold up to the grit and gravel thrown up.
The front fenders and the cowl area that is made to rust on an AD is being well protected by the neoprene fender liners I made.
On my next one, I'll epoxy prime everything, then coat the non-show surfaces with the bedliner. It's tough stuff.
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