The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop major cab restoration.

I have my truck chassis/engine/driveline all in control and in working order and have started doing some detail work and fresh paint on everything that looks like it might rust in the next ten years of my driving in Pennsyltucky. That I have a good grasp on but this is my first cab rebuild. I have almost finished doing the floor pan autopsy (much like an alien autopsy because there is nothing in there that is not alien to a 55 chevy). I started with the top layer of patch being 1- Tiger hair fiberglass. Then dug into 2- thick guage aluminum plate screwed to the floor with erector set square nuts and button head flat screws. Then 3- thin aluminum plate riveted to the floor with aluminum 1/16 rivets every two inches. then 4- another layer of thick guage aluminum with steel 1/8 rivets every three or four inches. then I got to 4- some floor pan that was cut from a modern junkyard car that was also screwed to the floor and then welded here and there. After that was layer 5- the actual rusted window screen looking leftovers of my original floor pan that this was all clinching to. Then I found 6- a few patches layered to the outside of the firewall and floor. To end it all out layer 7- was roofing tar that was hardened into a plastic-like crust layer that held all of the water in between all of the patchwork from escaping and therefore rotting things more. Well I have my hands full now. I am currently looking through all of the catalogs to see who has the best deals on these patch parts for cabs and who I can buy the stuff from at carlisle (in my back yard) so I can cheat out shipping charges. Any advise on sourcing these floor and lower cab parts is appreciated. Also, I am looking at things a few steps ahead so I don't screw up what little good I have in the cab which brings me to a few questions from guys who went down this road. How do you get the cab to keep from flexing when doing a new main floor? How do you know when it is squeezing the front to rear lower cab or stretching it apart when doing a new floor? It looks like this floor has been split the whole way across once or twice already anyhow so how do I get it to a factory shape so the door gaps are right? Thanks again guys.

1955 second series 3/4 ton 3600 long bed 235 in case you were going to ask that.

You have your hands full for sure. Try to weld up bracing from under the dash(cowl area) down to whatever is solid near the seat area.If you think the door openings might splay add a cross brace on the jambs.Don't take out big sections all at once unless your are sure of your bracing. As far as commercial aftermarket body dealers for these trucks, I've rarely seen them at Carlisle,but have at Hershey. You may find a shadetree mechanic selling used cuts from trucks or a panel he doesn't need. Good Luck.

Well. If I could figure out how to post pics I would show you the horror. I didn't even tell you about the hole in my firewall the size of the tranny access hole that must have been for a v8 distrib. After removing as many rivits screws and patches as possible, it looks like somebody filled the firewall and floor with buckshot. Swiss cheese. Fishnet floorpan. Anyhow, I just cut a parts truck firewall outside of the factory seem the whole way to the flat seem of the floor. The floor from the factory seem behind your feet up to the first bend upwards is pretty much all I need of the floor now. The other madness is the lower hinges have sheetmetal welded onto them making them permanent fixtures of the patched cab assy. The step wells are pieced together home made jobbies. The rear lower corners of the cab are patchers. All bodywork performed in the last 54 years to this cab should be punishable by firing order. Heaven wasn't ready for this truck so I am giving it new life as best I can. If anybody needs parts from my donor trucks send me an email and I will send photos to your email address of the particular bit you have interest in. I always like trading needed parts with other guys trying to get something together.

Sounds interesting, learn how to send pics!!!!!!!!!!

How do you guys add pics?

just look at the bottom of the left column on this page and it should tell you how.
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