The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Has anybody Added 8" to the length of the cab?

I am real bummed today. I own a 48 5 window 3100, shortbox. Today I bought a 70 Elky split bench seat. I am 6'4" about 300lbs. I'm a big boy.

I placed the seat in the cab of the truck. I got in the cab, oh no my knees hit the dash.
I have had this truck for 5 years. I don't really wanted to sell it. The truck is real nice.

Here is what my fab guy and I are thinking. We are going to 6-8" to the center of the cab. That means the openning of the doors and the doors will be 6-8" larger. Has anybody seen or done it? If you have please email me pictures. I hate to give up on this project.

Thanks or the help.

Tom

Sounds good to me, it also sounds complicated, expensive, time consuming, and frustrating.
But in your situation I would give it a try. You may want a second cab and doors so you can borrow the 6 or 8" and save some fabficating time.

I found a real nice rust free 5 window cab. I hate to use that for a donor. But that seems to be an easy solution. Is 6-8" enough. Need to see pictures

I did a search on this site.I found this link.

http://www.streetrodstuff.com/Studio/Trucks/View_Ride.php?id=752

This sounds like some of them spam emails I get

yes Tomy, like the linked pic, you want to add the extra behind the doors, not in the middle where you hafta make whole new doors 8" wider - make it an extra cab

Bill

My fabricator has added to the truck and doors. he showed me picture of his stude. Looks cool.
He figures about 1000. to change it.
Tom

I think it will look funny either way you do it, but probably less funny looking if you stretch the doors too.

Personally I don't like the look of the one in the link above, or even a full 4 door conversion. It just looks wrong, because they never made them like that. But if the doors were stretched too it may look OK?

In what way do think it looks funny?

I don't think anyone would even notice 8 inches added through the center of the door. I think it would actually make it look better and more proportioned. They seem a little too tall and narrow in stock form. Do what you gotta do to enjoy your truck, it's better than selling it and not being one of the fellow Bolters,
Scott

The extended cab looks funny to me because it is not normal looking therefore "funny" not that I laugh about it, just that it is unusual. I think if you stretched the doors to match it would probably look OK.

Basically I think that your eye should not be drawn to one particular part of a truck on first sight. All details or modifications should be subtle so you can take in the whole truck in the first glance and then start to notice the neat or well done things about it as you examine more carefully. I don't like to be shocked when I first see something, I like for it to grow on me.
That's just my opinion,
Grigg

I have seen a few other trucks fabricated into a extended cabs,none have looked as good as mongos.I can tell that there was a lot of time and thought put into his truck.I like it,it's different.You will have to extend the frame or use a 3/4ton frame and cut it down.Your drive line will have to be longer also.Seems like a neat project to me,go for it.

Hello Tomy2tone01 Could it be possible that the seat is too thick or the wrong configuration? Maybe it is too low which would raise your knees, and too thick or possibly the wrong seat back angle that would move the seat forward.

What is a 70 Elky anyway? Is that a truck or car seat? I am unfamiliar with the term Elky.

Could the problem be solved by having a custom seat built for you, and possibly shortening or repositioning the steering column? How about building out the floor pan and shortening the pedals?

I am not trying to complicate things, just trying to think of other alternatives. Splitting the cab and lengthening the doors just sounds extreme. Would those doors need special glass, window tracks, crank assemblies, etc? And what about the short box, would that have to be made shorter? I'm no expert, but $1000 seems awful cheap to address all of these issues.

John

I agree $1000 seems very a very cheap price make sure you hire a guy who knows what there doing hate to have the project not to turn out. Do what you have to to enjoy your truck. A buddy of mine did a extended cab on his 50 and it looks good. It fools alot of people that don't know a whole lot about AD trucks into thinking it was factory. Good luck with the project and send us pics when you get started.

I also think the "stretch" through the doors would look pretty good. I also agree that spending a grand to have it done correctly is dirt cheap, so be careful. Keep us posted with pics!

Tom. kind of have the same idea in mind will watch for more info on your project. the price sounds real good. mongos truck looks good. here is a pic of the look that i'm after excab good luck

one of the truck mags had an article where they used an extra set of doors cut down to lengthen the cab behind the seats. ron

You could also go this route and extend that cab behind the doors.

Hey Tomy,
One thing you could try is a bench seat from about a '90 or '91 full size Chevy pickup. That's what I put in my '49. I have a friend about your size and he fit in it pretty good. He went out and bought one and put in his '51. It gave a lot more leg and head room. Just another thought to kick around. In this business there doesn't seem to be any end to the possibilities!

This is a restorers nightmare. it seems you get a good project, then oh oh I never thought that would be a big deal to overcome.

On Monday I am going to speak with my fab guy. I really don't want to cut a caqb up and extend it. I am not sure that is the look I am looking for. I am going to address seating with him.
We will see what tommorrow brings us.

It could be the end of project 5 window.

Tom

Here's another example. This one is good!

http://community.webshots.com/photo/159153487/1159169548053774336XdrFtN#

That's really hot!!!!

I just HAD to say something here: Ray (OehmJr's 46) and I (My Truck) just had this conversation about how to go about extending a 46 pickup. I wish I could have explained it as well as Grigg did here, but now that Ray reads this, he got it. THANKS GRIGG!

Donna

You are welcome.

Can't locate a pic, but there is a local who extended the cab on an AD simialr to the one highwayman posted. Doesn't look too bad.

I would like to see one with the doors extended before I had the work done. I think the proportions would be good. Try going to http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/index.php and posting a straight side shot of your truck in the photoshop forum. Someone there should be able to help you out.

J Lucas, if you haven't figured it out Elky is short for El Camino.

Tommy,
You could also spend that grand on a totally custom, handmade seat that would get you every inch of available legroom from that truck. We hate to see a project stall because of such a thing. If there's a will, there's a way,
Good luck,
Scott

Tomy2tone01 and Fred T, Thanks for the translation, I thought that maybe it was an aftermarket brand, or manufacturer.

But that may explain part of the problem. An ElCamino is based on a station wagon chassis that was designed to sit in a lower and longer cab (passenger compartment). It most likely is not as upright as a normal truck seat would be. I believe car seats are somewhat reclined to address the issue of headroom, as a car has a lower roof height. A custom truck seat may solve most of the problem.

I am not trying to discourage extending the AD, but am more concerned because it sounds as though that was not part of the original plan.

Thanks again Fred, and good luck Tomy, please keep us posted.

John

Tommy, Tim,

Here\'s the door stretch view. Do what 'You' like, you are the one that will have to live with it. I think either x-cab or stretched doors both look good.

[I would like to see one with the doors extended before I had the work done.]
Good advice. Not too unlike Luke 14:28.

( Someone may want to copy this pic linked above cause I can't guarantee it will be around for the long haul. Thanks )

Howdy!

I second the suggestion to use a 88-98 full size pickup seat. They give a lot of room.

Personally, I like the stretched door idea. It will make entrance and exit easier. I thought it looked better than the extra window in the rear. The seat wouldn't be behind the door frame with the stretched door. You wouldn't have to tuck the shoulder to get in.

Have you given thought to try some bucket seats and a console. You might be able to find a seat that is more adaptable to your size.

I do understand the problem with the size of the truck. I'm 6'2" and don't like to be bent at a 90% angle, and then to lift my legs at the same time to work the clutch and brakes. I've been broken too many times I guess. I have to go to an automatic and power steering to make a daily driver.

I like the stretched doors look far better. Thanks for the pic Rance. I'll display it here. [img]http://www.myoldtruck.com/gallery/files/2/3/8/stretch.jpg[/img]

NOW that's more like what I was thinking about. How much did you stretch it? It's real nice. Is the truck done?
Could you email me you phone number so I can ask you more questions.
Thanks

Tom

I like the door stretched door and roof photo posted by Fred T, it makes the truck look chopped.

It might be easier or cheaper to move the gas tank, get a different seat and either drop and shorten the steering column or put in a different column.

I have already moved the gas tank, and I don't think the seat is a problem. I staightened the back side od the seat and it still is too short. I have real long legs. As far as columns I have a tilt and telescoping from a 66 caprice.

Does anybody know who owns the truck posted in Fred T's post?

If you do email me.

Tom

Fred that looks alot better I was gonna suggest using a three window if the cab was gonna be stretched so it would look more in preportioned. But stretching the doors seems to work even better. Whatever you do Tomy good luck too you sounds like you have your work cut out for you. (No pun intended)

Actually I have talked with my fabricator, I emailed him the picture. He said been there done that.

I took the seat out I purchased yesterday from the elky, then I took 8" away and and marked it.
After that I placed a box in there to sit on and it was perfect. More room than my 2005 Suburban. Way Cool!!!!!!

Looks like the same truck i posted the link to,looks like the same picture to be exact.

Hey Bowtie
It is. Fred did some magic to it.
Looks cool huh?

Tom

Yup that's still my truck just photoshoppped somewhere I've got ton's of drawings of them done various ways, when we decided to build that truck there weren’t very many around, now every magazine I get there's another one. My father and law and I discussed and made ton's of measurements/drawings before we decided to start cutting then it popped up in Iowa already started the guy had run out of steam and was looking to get rid of it and it was pretty much done the way we had planned. I worked on it for a while then got distracted on my 53 half ton then on the 53 2 ton at the moment it's stored up at our farm waiting for me to get back to it.
I'm a big guy too and this was my original reasoning for wanting a long cab. I think you could achieve more room with a different seat or pushing out the floorboard a little. I'd recommend checking out the seats from RodDoors (http://www.roddoors.com) they have a cab they take to swaps and shows that's all setup, I've set in it a couple times and their seat hugs the back of the cab much better and really feels good.

I love my truck the way it is but I like the looks of extending through the doors I've seen a few done that way and it looks good, a little won't be notice by 95% of people a lot will fool them into thinking it's got a chop, the first one I saw like that took me about 5 minutes of looking at it to work out what had been done. A good metal man can make anything work out think about it a lot before you let them cut, a grand sounds mighty cheap for this level of modification I'd get it on paper before they tear into it.

Either way man good luck. Stock, chopped, slammed, stretched, with a banger or a big block I'm happy to see another one getting on the road.

Mongo

Some pics I found in my archieve from back to the 50's last year.
Here's one the guy extended through the doors sorry I didn't get a better side shot of it. And I can't find my notes as to how much he added.
Extended AD

The doors coming together

But wait there's more...
Wide Load
He even widened the cab 2 inches, he said something about not wanting to sit so close to the wife..

Just wanted you to see the kind of work you had ahead of you..

Mongo