The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop 5 window upgrade

Was wondering if anyone has or know of anyone who made a 3100 into a 5 window truck? I'm looking at another 3100 and it needs back cab work and tossing the idea around to put side windows in it to make into a 5 window. Any thoughts on this conversion would be greatly appreciated.
Jim

Are you grafting a 5 window cab corners to a regular truck? Are you buying one of the kits with the corner window cutouts already in place?

I am sure there is you tuber out there that has. Also, there are some of those Saturday shows that did those. That is one thing that I wish my truck had for visibility. .Here is one of many.

Classic Parts (and other vendors) have cab panels to do that, but it would be a lot of work (and $$.) Outer Panel Inner Panel

The other option is to cut panels out of a donor cab that has decent corner windows, but is otherwise trashed (sitting in a bog with the bottom of the cab rotted away.)

When I bought my truck in December of 2020, The cab had a lot of rust under the back window. I replaced it with a new inner and outer panel. It was not too hard to do. The rest of the truck was fairly solid except behind the front tires on the floor pans. I replaced them too.

Exactly what I'm thinking of doing if I purchase another truck.
Did you have any bodywork experience

I like this guys work on YouTube Carter Auto restyling

Not really. I've done some of my first cars with Bondo but not welding in body parts. I have restored some old tractors that I had to patch the fenders on. I bought a Miller 211 mig and with .023 wire and using gas, it is not too difficult to do. I am a retired Machinist and Millwright. I like to do my own work if I can. I did not paint my truck, my neighbor is an excellent body man and painter. I roughed it in, and he finished painting it. My truck already being a Five window cab, but, was rusted out below the back window, I had to replace the whole panel. If I was going to convert a Three window, I would just do smaller patch panels and not mess with the lower seam if it can be avoided.

Cheapskate: My “48” three window needed partial floor pan replacement, toe panels, cab corners, etc: not real extensive like I’ve seen with some of the projects here on the site. At best I’m an average amateur bodyman so I made those repairs. And then I got the “hots” for a five window. This was 20+ years ago. But cutting out and welding in corner windows-inside the cab and outside–kept me up nights and was way out of my wheelhouse. And then I had a light bulb moment!!! I was at my favorite country junk yard one day and there were a half dozen five windows with the bottom halfs literally rusted away into the ground and way beyond any reasonable panel replacement᠁.but the top half’s were ABOVE ground and solid! Hmmmm? How about a ROOF TRANSPLANT!? So, there’s that body seam/pinch weld at the back of the cab which can be split᠁but you have yo get to the spot welds. Back then there were no battery powered reciprocating saws so I literally used a hack saw to cut off the roof at the base of both A pillars and below the body seam at the door latch area. From there I used a wide cold chisel and a bfh to chisel cut the sheet metal all the way across the back of the cab about an inch below that body seam. It wasn’t pretty but the salvage yard guy was happy to take my $100 and I strapped that 5-window roof upside down on top of my station wagon. Back home on my 3 window I did all the operating above that body seam and, at the A pillars, found where the factory lead seam was and cut above that area. With the body seam spot welds all now readily exposed it was easy to identify and drill out the factory welds. Placed the donor roof on the lower half of the cab and welded ‘er up. (Make some exacting measurements along the way; bracing as needed). I guess the trick today would be to find a salvage yard that has a donor 5-window cab from which you could decapitate the roof᠁.make some calls᠁.
I LOVE my 5-Window! Good luck, Dave

With so many phony 5 windows out there now, the 3 windows are going to be the rare ones.

Not very helpful, Otto.

Great then I'll have one of each

Cheapskate1229,

The 51, 3100, 3 window I purchased had rust holes above the driver side windshield. It was pretty nasty. Instead of trying to patch it I decided to replace the roof and also decided to make it a 5 window while I was at it. Bought the roof panel, inner support panels above the windshield, inner and outer rear window panels from one of the friendly vendors in KC. It was a lot of work but it wasn’t rocket surgery. Just take some good measurement before you start and brace her up a bit before you start. Definitely doable, especially if you’re just going to do the rear window panels.

Looks amazing.

“wasn’t rocket surgery᠁”
An artful mixing of metaphors.

Ones that do custom trucks won't touch a 5 window as the JC Whitney add a window look breaks up the smooth flowing lines of an AD truck. One of my guys blanked in the corner window holes on a 54 and made a show winner. For DRIVING the increased visibility is a plus.

If I remember right, the beltline seam on the back of the cab is bolted and only welded on the ends inside the door jams. I wish some of the vendors would offer a 3 window panel to repair the commonly rusted area above the beltline seam. Usually rodent damage. I am one of the oddballs that prefers the look of the 3 window cab.

The 3 window is definitely better looking. The uniqueness and improved visibility of the 5 window is the attraction.