The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop Extended Cab C-10

I posted this to the Paint and Body Shop with no responses so I may have posted it to the wrong forum, this may be the right place to ask. Here goes:

As of this morning when I mailed off my check I am now a 1965 C-10 owner. I was looking for the Holy Grail of C-10's (short bed, big window, factory air, factory tach). I found all that but in a long bed. I have since found the website describing the long bed to short bed conversion which I am 99% sure will happen on this truck. A friend of mine who does body work suggested instead of chopping the front portion of the frame to instead extend the cab. So tonight I found a truck in the color I am going to use with a side profile shot. I came up with this:
http://laanderud.com/texastruck/ExtendedCab.jpg

Any comments/suggestions?

Thanks.

Lee

Looks good to me!

I like the look,the side window fits the picture !!

What did we do before Photoshop? Now if the extension will be as easy as it was on my computer. I'm guessing that I will have to come up with some parts off a donor cab to do this... like the drip rail... the rest looks like flat sheetmetal. The window opening could be a little tricky.

I started with a longer extension and it reminded me of an early '90's Ford Ranger extended cab so I started shortening it. I think this is probably about the right length, any shorter and it wouldn't be worth the time and effort (money). I'm a little surprised at the people I've shown this to, nobody has said not to do it.

Lee

FYI-an extended cab was available in the '64-'66 Chevy C10 models. I believe one of the Motor Coach fabricators performed this customization back in the day. There are a few '60-'66 Chevy bolters that can shed some more light on this subject.

I wish my body skills were as keen as your photoshop skills. I would like to convert one of my '64-'66 Chevy trucks to an extended cab. Good luck with your conversion. It looks really cool.

I like your idea.
Found this site by Jim Forbes. He extended a 59' cab and took a few pictures. You might find something useful.

http://www.selectric.org/59ext/index.html

I think it looks great. Go for it!

I had the idea to build a 59 extended cab about 10 years before I actually did it, so I spent a lot of time thinking about how to make it easy...and using a donor suburban body definitely did make it easy.

One problem with a short extension is that the quarter window looks too small, the pillar between the door glass and quarter glasss is almost as wide as the quarter glass. A longer extension looks more natural.

Shortening the frame is much easier than lengthening the cab, too....

Thanks, after looking at several trucks at GoodGuys over the weekend... I'm having second thoughts. The friend of mine who owns a restoration business didn't seemed phased by it... but the stamped ceiling concerned me. He said no problem, just find a donor cab to patch from. I don't know...

Lee