I have searched and couldn't find any direction in this so I will ask here to see what you guys suggest. Material on hand.....I have approximately 1 and 1/2 1940's Chevy cabs and a 1940 4 door Chevy Master Deluxe roof and 4 rusty extra doors to make a crew cab out of. The 1939 to 1946 Chevy cab has a slight pie shape (narrower at the cowl fatter in the a$$ end), my plan is to narrow the rear of the front door section, flip the other cab around and skin it, narrow its rear (now the front of the rear doors (for suicide doors)) and widen the originally cowl area to match the original rear panel, all this to make a straight line from cowl to rear...sounds good? The door lower panels have a significant crown to them, whereas the tops of the doors are relatively straight would you all suggest running a slight curve from the front door edge to the rear door edge or reducing the crown in the front door a little and adding a little crown to the rear door? Thanks in advance for any suggestions...
Isn't there one other 4 door build going on here right now? I REALLY like your plan... widening the soon to be backwards cowl area, suicide doors, very cool. Will you make the rear COE doors square at the bottom rather than leaving the bottom that's shaped like the fender? I wrestled with the question of 4 door cab versus adding a sleeper but settled on the sleeper...
Hey guys, Yeah Seymour is awesome, but that year Ford doesn't have as much crown as the Chevy's do, but a great build and information/inspiration! The rear doors will be square and the rake taken out of the now rear hinge pillar. Yes lots of crewcab builds, lots of pictures, but I have only one build thread (they guy who used a Suburban body). The best one is a red one that was in a magazine and the build took over 10 years not much build info other than 3 cabs were used. The crown is my enemy and the 40 Chevy's had the most. Thanks Guyz!
I would have a good illustrator draw a picture of my ideas, then I would follow that "blu-print" as to what I expected final results to be. Al Packard, in Washington State, did that with "great success" when his Chevy four-door was produced, ONE of the very first to be built with four-doors. Found a good picture. Pickup back doors, back end of a 5 window pickup. Had many good drawings before work even began.
Personally, I wouldn't narrow the back of your existing cab. Use the curves of the rear doors to make your shape as you widen the rear of the second cab. Proportions are very important, everything needs to flow together. Drawings/photoshop is a good idea......saves a lot of work and ruined panels.
RMRRRRRC is more perceptive than I am...! I didn't pick up on that detail, but I agree completely. Why bother to narrow the back of the forward cab? I'd leave it the stock width and it would match the former rear of the second cab which is turned 180 degrees and now is the front that attaches to the rear of cab #1. Maybe you're thinking "continue the pie shape" from front to back over the entire 4 door cab. Since you are widening cab #2 at the cowl which would now be the rearmost wall of the 4 door cab, you could get the same effect, if desired, just adding more width there. Although, I'm not convinced it's needed.
Rick did this:[img cl***="display" src="http://m5.i.pbase.com/u18/orangecones/upload/20393665.Mvc015s.jpg" Rick used another cab widen back one and turned 180 degrees,
Gentry , go over to cornfield customs work from my shop page over to last two pages and look how he fixing the sides of that roof . Combine your two cabs , make the side pieces front to back and weld in your roof panel to match . Or better yet , pick up that bumper and come to Texas with it and the two cabs and will roll out a new panel on the wheel . LOL Blue
^^^^^^^^^ that is how I would do it. Same idea I used to make my extended cab, only on a smaller scale. Nice work!
This is why God on the eight day created bench racing! RMR&C I almost went extended cab due to your build, but need the leg room for my boys...they grow fast! I put the photoshop gurus to work and they created 2 versions for me. Check my build thread. Verde thanks again for your comments Blue you temp me with your kind offer, I take off work and you hop a plane to the wet northwest...what gives? Just Kidding!!!!!!! I gave my Bridgeport away and have to move my lathe from storage this month, so I have to get this at least tacked up as I will have very little room to even breath. I am taking off next week to do it! RMR&C/Pleaseantlefarm/Wetskier I think I am obsessing too much, I will take your advice. I won't be pie shaping it (Thank You Pleasantlefarm for your pictures) just keep it the same width from the rear of the front doors all the way back. KeepItSimpleStupid always seems best and definitely a quicker route.I have to run suicide doors as that is what they did on the GMCs they sent (mostly from the surviving pictures it seems) to Greenland and the pre and postwar Crown (I think) Coachwork firetrucks In addition to the photoshop gurus, I did some of my own caveman photoshop Those are 26 and 24 inch doors, going to go with 26 as visually looks good and is bigger. So much to comment, been trying for 2 days to write a coherent post..Last thing, Blue, the original roof of the COE was done from rust from irrigation sprinklers and the foreman standing on top of it every day in the field, thus the center was gone, will have to fab or use the 4door roof to make the missing sides. Might have to break down and buy the Harbor Freight English wheel frame and learn without a mentor...Kidding. I hope this is understandable and not all jumbled, Thank You for your guidance!
The 4 door sedan roof would really simplify things if it is the right shape. Use as much of it as you can, you don't want to be welding a bunch of pieces together for the roof. Trust me on that...
Been too busy to browse lately, so I need to read this thread thru to catch up with the convo, but a few mid 50s Ford trucks come to mind since that's what my radar is calibrated for. That truck/trailer Verde posted was the one that catalyzed my COE interest many years ago. I've always preferred the Ford bodies, but, as I think has already been mentioned, proportions are everything in a custom, and that truck's proportions are spot on. JML
Vintage, Did you ever see an article about that Chevy COE? There is so much attention to detail, it is really unbelievable. Pickups, doors, and a 1 ton PANEL Delivery gave up soooo much to make that truck what it is. Rear fenders, 1/4 panels, rear door flips down, for storing spare tire, etc. Its got it ALL, and such a driver !!! Actual working truck. bb
Verde-Bob, Yes, a magazine article on that truck, decades ago, when I was a kid blew my mind clear out of the billet-wheel-waters! Now as far as a detailed, in depth article, no. I'd love to see anything and everything it. Do send me links if you know of some! JML
PleasantLea, I have considered the same process you show in those two pics, but with my mid-50s Ford truck cabs. Do you have any pics of, or can you explain how, you reworked the slant of the rear door window frame to be symmetrical? JML
Sorry any drawings or facts about it drifted away with new owner, 'cept for memories. I can tell you many pieces of metal had to die so this masterpiece could live.. for instance, the tops of back doors are made from 4 doors, and 4 interior window frames. Sadly, GENE JORDAN, my friend who executed the project died much to young, before the Cab - Over craze really kicked in... Most talented man I have ever known, (well, maybe one of several..)
Got two of the same year pick up doors. Cut the back off the opposite side and fit where front slant was on door. You can see cut line in above photo.
Bob, you and Gene were catalysts toward a movement with that truck. It has been the benchmark of my goals ever since I first saw it. Perfect PleasantLea! Just how my plan was envisioned. And roof support bows? And door jambs? I can't see enough pics of these things getting fabbed...
I feel the MOST important part of ANY project is to conceive, believe, and then work towards achieve. If you start with illustrations of what final results are desired..it will move along. Even if you "end up" with multiple talents working on project, you have a "blu-print" to follow. I have watched many projects get off-tract from to many ideas that strayed from original concept. seems everyone has a different idea, spell that $$$$$$$. If you stay with original concept you can "pull away" from a bad situation, and move along, UNLESS you can do it all. bb
Roof bows are made out of 1/2" sq tubing. Door jambs were fabricated to match existing jamb profile. If one had another cab you could cut out opposite side rear jamb and do the same as was done with the doors. All the pictures of that stage of fab are real photos so hopefully you can see the detail you want
The Jalopy Journal
