The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Cab, new or repair

Almost done with the frame, which by the way looks like it just rolled off the assembly line, and next will be rebuilding the engine. The cab has rust through on the gutters, rusted out front door jams, some floor rust and steps that will have to be replaced. My question is do I try replacing the rusted out areas, I have a mig and tig welder but most of my welding is stainless steel, or look for a better cab? I have the time as this is a year or two long project.

What year and make/series truck?

I do not weld, but a good friend trades welding time with me. We both now agree that it is worth finding/shipping non-rusted parts long distances, rather than doing extensive sheet-metal replacement welding. Southwest (low desert) and northwest (high desert) and Dakotas areas have non-salted roads or/and are arid.

Hey Tim, By the way my name is Tim too, you can probably guess my last name from the name here, anyway my truck is a 1955 gmc 2nd with the big back window.

By all means, find a better cab.
For every place that's rusted through, there are 2 more that are paper thin and weak.
Use of repro patch panels is a distant 2nd choice.
Save your VIN plate to match the title, you have a couple years of cabs that will fit.

Tim the Toolman Allen or Taylor?

It's Taylor, I've seen new cabs but they go for 8000.00 which is more than I paid for the truck. As far as the VIN plate I have my old one and a new blank one which I will have an engraver stamp on the matching numbers. My problem seems to be the rarity of the big back window. My other choice is to find a chevy big back window and change out the dash but after looking at that online it seemed like GM built the truck around the dash.

You should be able to find a good cab out west without any rust though for a third of a new cab. (I did not realize anyone was reproducing 55 second series cabs.)

Windows are available @ LMC, classic ind., Dan's classics in Portland ore.
Figure $250+ delivered.

I feel your pain. I have a 57 small window with a severely damaged and rusted cab ( mostly fixed now). I found lots of used cabs in great condition. The problem was they were all on good trucks! So, since I was not willing to replace the whole truck with a better one ( it was my grandfathers farm truck) I started to repair the cab in my spare time.That was about 7 years ago.
If I bought a new cab I'd be done and driving it by now, however, would it be the same truck? I'm not sure at what point a restoration becomes a replacement. I've had many discussions with friends on this subject over many beers. Some think the soul of the vehicle will be transferred to the new cab with the VIN plate -I'm not so certain. Anyway, I couldn't afford a new cab at the time, so here I am.
Hope that was ambiguous enough for you!