The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop cutting, chopping, stretching, - how to

First off you all MAY want to boot me right on out of here... I not a "Chevy" guy,... but on the other hand I'm not a dreaded "Ford" guy either... LOL I got a STudebaker,.. and was just looking for some 'general info'... so maybe the poor old newbie can be overlooked. Needless to say no forums for what few of us Studebaker guys there are,.. Maybe I can get "adopted" here..?
I'll be glad to add back with whatever I learn or see..??

SO I was curious... we got any folks here that got any knowledge about chopping, stretching, etc...

I got 'big plans',... but don't want to get in over my head.
Not REALLY afraid to jump in and try ANYTHING. Got good common sense,... and decent skills.
Just don't want to get too far,.. and ruin my cab,.. and have to try and round up another one.

I got a '46 Studebaker M5 pickup
Here's what I was HOPING to do.
I DO PLAN on chopping the top 2 or 3 inches. I know that will require adding a strip at LEAST a couple inches wide to make up for moving the front post forward...
Also plan to add in a sunroof.

What I WANTED to do was see about adding about a 6" "stretch" threw the doors (making the cab longer) I figure since I'd have the roof cut into already,.. that part is just adding 6 extra inches.

WHAT ALL is involved with cutting the floor and doors into..?? Looks kinda complicated,.. but then again with the right knowledge,... most things can be overcome. Maybe I just need to get the right information.
Also would it be easier to swing the hinges around and make suicide doors on it... would the extra weight be better in the long run and have less chance to sag in the years to come??
Could some people that (I hope) have experience please post (or send me info) that can help me. Cab goes to the sandblaster tomorrow,.. and when I get it back in two weeks,.. cutting and chopping begins.

Finally,... I also plan to add 12 inches on back behind the door (kinda like an 'extended cab'). I think that will be the easiest of the projects. Lots of cutting and rewelding,.. but it's just cut loose, move, and reweld. Or is that an over simplification.

I'd be interested in hearing what all you folks have to say. Don't want to screw this up... Studebaker cabs are hard to come by... not to mention the 'down' time of looking for another one, added expense of buying another one,.. added expense of sandblasting it, etc... the cost just multiply.
Please chime in... any info is good info.
THANKS

Oh I meant to mention.. I DO have an extra set of doors.

Studie forum for your Studie fix
hotrod and custom forum for lots about very extensive body mods - check the Tech Archive especially

your post here may be answered by our 'resident' bodywork expert , Martinsr, but the HAMB will give you lots to read up on - good luck!

Bill

Welcome to the bolt, hope you get the info your looking for, I live in the middle of the Canadian Praires and our little City had a Studabaker reunion last year and I counted over 40 of them. You should find a lot of knowledge on body and paint work on this site. Cheers, Bob T

if you want some pictures here you go. it's pretty amazing what they have done to this truck. you'll have to see to believe
http://totallypolished.com/baccasgmc/1956_gmc.htm

[img]http://www.covell.biz/ChopSectionVideoCover.jpg[/img]

I HIGHLY recommend you pick up this video available at http://www.covell.biz/.

I have it and it is the Stude in the photo that they chop and section. It is very well done and will give you some good info.

Brian

Chris.

I am doing the same thing (stretching ) with a 48 chevy 5 window. Check my pictures out and you will see the progress and how he has done it.

By the way...... You need a donor cab. That's the easiest.

http://community.webshots.com/user/tomy2tone01

Go to the General talk and look under my 2 posts on the 3 or 4 th page.

Tom

Thanks for the replies folks...
Also thanks for the Stude link. Hadn't found that. Just that so few are worked on,.. if you get 'clasified' into your own group,.. info is REALLY limited.
Appreciate being accepted here... I know as far as any "specific" questions,.. this is the wrong place... But as far as "general"... how to (body work, wiring, etc) thats all fairly generic.

Note.. Happy to say I DO have two complete cabs. Pretty much two trucks (fenders, beds, etc). My bad I should have said that up front. Gonna go look at the links and info listed... I'm all excited. Best of luck to everyone on their projects. :-)

Check out these links for some more info. The second link pages read from bottom to top and start at page 28 and read back through 26 to read in chronological order. The second link gives some new thought on stretching a cab. Hope this helps!

http://www.nucleus.com/%7Eagingles/topchop.html

http://hotrodders.com/forum/journal...9&page=25&perpage=5&reverse=

Ya know, late Studes (65-66) had Chevy engines, mostly 230's and 327's. That would make them Stovebolts by association, wouldn't it?