The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk cab floor; repair or replace?

Am I foolish to think that the easiest way for me to fix my cab floor given the amount of rust is just to weld braces in the doors/cab, cut off the bottom sections, and replace with a single piece floor pan?

I've added up the pieces I need vs. the single piece floor and they are about the same (w/o shipping costs). So to me it seems better to get it all as one piece instead of welding all the little pieces together. About the only savable piece from the floor is the seat mount. http://picasaweb.google.com/briewestahl/1951Chevy12TonRestoration#5378828632624517170
Or the last option of just getting a new cab, keeping in mind that pretty much anything around me (Wisconsin) will be in probably about the same condition, which means shipping one in. The rest of the cab is decent and easily fixable minus the bottom 24" or so.

I'd like to get a general opinion from people on what they have done and what has/hasn't worked for them, and if my idea is reasonable or just 'ignorance is bliss'.

Your cab is fixable. However how much time do you want to put into it? My philosophy is to stay away from the rust buckets and start with something that is relatively rust free. I would rather put my time into fixing the mechanicals. A cab in your area that was well undercoated will be surprisingly free of rust. I am hesitant to replace floors with the cab off the frame. It is very easy to wind up with a cab that won't fit the frame or the doors won't fit. One of my projects is a 50 GMC. There is no rust from the bottom. However moisture stayed under the floor mats and rusted from the top. I am leaving the cab on the frame, replacing one side at a time to keep everything square. I have seen cabs so bad that there is nothing to weld to, and yours could be one of them. As far as bringing one in, watch this site. http://www.ytmag.com/cgi-bin/haulquery.pl You can usually get things moved reasonably. You might consider buying a whole parts pickup. There is a lot of little things on them if you have space to keep one.

What are your plans for the truck? Are you just putting one back together for a daily driver, hot rod or stock? What are your priorities? How much work are you going to do yourself? Do you have to start with the cab first? Can you start elsewhere, chassis, fenders, mechanicals etc and decide which direction you want to go after you have thought about the project for awhile? Patch panels will still be available for quite awhile and the decision can be made later. Just my 2 cents.

Well, here's my two cents worth:
I don't have big bucks, so I could never do a frame off restoration. I HAVE to figure a way to repair it without doing so. I would never take the cab off the frame until I had all my welding and patching done. The frame is your foundation...park it level and keep the cab sitting on it while you patch it. Don't take the doors off either...until you get structural rigidity again. Leave 'em on so you can keep an eye on warpage and stress. I've read horror stories from guys on this board that their doors no longer fit after welding everything up. I'd also serioulsly consider welding temporary braces between the door frames to keep things from moving whilst cutting and welding. I would keep as much original metal as possible especially where the footwell meets the firewall and kick panels. Consider buying flat sheet stock and making a few small patches rather than huge Chinese-stamped panels that aren't just right anyway. That way, you know your original geometry is maintained. Then, when everything is solid again, take the cab off and blast it. You won't have to worry whether or not it's gonna fit when you get all that pretty paint back on it...you'll KNOW.
Jim

The answers to the various questions. It is in the beginning stage since I only got the truck maybe a month or two ago. For a time investment, it is open ended at this point, I'm looking to at least have some direction on the project before winter gets here. It will end up being a complete frame off fix up, but I want an idea of the parts I need so I can start saving for/getting them over the winter. As for the finished product, it'll be more driver than pristine resto or hot rod. It'll still only really get driven on the on and off in the summer. It doesn't need to be perfect, but I still want it to look nice.

First priority will be getting it running. It turns over, but won't start. Then other important stuff like brakes, tires, and the frame. The cab will end up being done next summer more than likely. The only reason the cab isn't completely off the frame at this point was a lack of manpower and a wheeled base to put it on.

I'm looking to do the majority of the work myself with assistance from my father who has been a truck mechanic with the local power company for the last 30+ years. So at this point, he is the brains and I'm just the piggy bank, but hopefully I learn some stuff along the way.

I HATE rust! Especially after you've done all that work and spent all that money for a paint job, to have rust pop thru the surface 3 months later. So I'd suggest keeping an eye on the swap meet, and finding a cab that has minimal rust. A cab will fit in the back a pickup, and maybe on a long weekend you could find a cab out of your area thats in better shape plus extra parts and haul it home. I have two 54 cabs and a floor left over from doner trucks.

I say clean to see what you really have. If you have a sandblaster that would be better. The rocker panels are a must replace from looking at the photos so you don't have to clean them. Once it is clean mount it back to the frame and replace a piece at a time, for all the reasons mentioned above. There seems to me to be a lot of good metal left under the seat pan. You can make some of the replacement parts out of sheet metal. I made some of the inner panels on the cowl and cab corners. http://rides.webshots.com/album/563027192ItmeAM?start=72 You could probably make the floor behind the seat patch. I like the idea of saving one that is on the ragged edge of to far gone. Mine was every bit as bad but it is looking better all the time.

if the floor is really bad, get a new cab without the big rust holes. They are out there.

I will be replacing a section of the floor in mine, however I also need to clear a TH400, so I am going new sheet metal from scratch.

Man, that floor is pretty bad. Looks like the 58 I imported from Wisconsin. Do you all put 100% salt on the roads or what? My advice is to find something with less rust. I found it difficult enough just to replace minor rust spots on my 55.2 cab. I couldn't imagine you fixing that on the frame. It looks like you need an entire floor plus some. Sorry if I am being negative here, but you are in for a lot of work.

Mine was in pretty rough shape and I installed all the available patch panels. I don't know it I could manage a one piece floor installation but someone with better skills probably could. I am under the impression that the floor comes without the seat base. That base is a major brace for the floor.

Your cab looks like the major rust is in the lower foot or so of the cab. If the area around the belt line, where the top mounts to the bottom half of the cab, is OK and the frame around the glass isn't to bad I would cut out the parts that need replacing and go for it. I doesn't matter how rusted the parts you cut out and replace were. If you can get back to good metal with patches what is the difference. It isn't any harder to replace a really rusted out floor pan than it is to replace one that is borderline. I still would opt for replacing pieces instead of the entire bottom at once.

Mine wasn't quite that bad but it was close. I replaced most of the floor and fire wall a section at the time. Also did front bodymounts, rocker panels, full cowls(inner, outer and in between)as well as the inner and outer cab corners. The truck was from Maine were they do salt the roads very well.

It can be done off the frame but you must be very careful. Measure everything and document measurements and take pictures. Bracing is the next very important thing. Then take your time and do it in sections. I never removed enough at one time to lose the integrity of the shape.

Measure, measure, measure and brace as solid as you can

I have seen guys do whole floors and I just think it is very risky.

I have pictures on my webshot link below.

Good luck
Rich

I am very happy with the way my cab looks today.

album is at the bottom titled "Cab Repair"
There is also a pictorial of my Cowl repair