The Stovebolt Forums Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Full cab rear panel.

Has any of you folks replaced the cab rear panel instead of just the cab corners? I see that it is available and it looks to be held in place by bolts in the rear edge and spotwelds on the sides. Is that really all there is, or am I missing something?

I don't think I'd tackle that unless the whole back panel is extremely wrinkled/dented/rusted. Yes there are bolts, but according to the FAM (see section 1 sheets 37.00 and 38.00), there are also 37 spot welds holding the outer upper panel and lower outer panel together, and THEN the inner upper panel is spot welded to the belt rail. I think it's the belt rail that's bolted to the upper/lower panel joint (see FAM section 1, Sheet 12). It would entail removing a lot of metal to put it back together the same way.
Not to say it couldn't be done, but it would be a BIG job.

Are we talking about the rear cab section below the belt line? I believe that there is a panel available for the entire back of the cab including the window hole.
Whichever way you go, there will be high level skills needed to pull that off.
The full panel would require a butt weld all of the way across the width of the cab at the roof. A nightmare for someone without high level sheet metal welding skills. The benefit would be no seam to rust out at the belt line later on, (The full panel is all one piece.)
With the panel for below the belt line, you will need to cut below the seam of the belt line and hope that the lip at the bottom of the upper section is sound.
One benefit of just replacing the cab corners is that if your work is not perfect, the bed covers up much of it.

Yeah, my welding skill level is basically non existant at the moment. I've buzzed a couple random things together here and there but not sheet metal. I have a Lincoln 110 migwelder, not the gas option unfoetunately. do you folks think that is good enoufh for welding in some patch panels?

No. You will be using flux core wire and it doesn't do well with patch panels.

Alrighty, looks like I will be updating my welder then, do you happen to have any suggestions on a machine that will do the job?

Does your welder have the capability to add gas or is it strictly flux core?

I've used a 110V Lincoln Handy-MIG for all my sheet metal welding. It has 4 power levels and variable wire speed control. I usually run it on level 3 or 4. If your machine can accommodate a gas cylinder, then it should work for you.

Check out the sticky thread at the top of this Paint and Body forum for some great tips on welding sheet metal.

I have a Lincoln 120, no gas option unfortunately. I'll check out that sticky, thank you for the direction.

If you're going to buy a welder, get one that will help you fabricate all aspects of your truck restoration. Something with enough power for 1/2" steel. You could probably save a buck or two by finding a low use, preowned version.

That's a good thought. I bought that 110 V Lincoln MIG setup (traded up from a $100 flux core), then an O/A setup, then a 225A Lincoln tombstone stick welder, then a plasma cutter, then....
There are multi-process welders out there that will do TIG/MIG/Stick and maybe even plasma cutting. They aren't cheap, but take up less space and potentially cost less than the gamut of welders I have. And with TIG, you can weld aluminum. I was just at a buddy's shop and was drooling over his new TIG welder.