Any pics/ideas/advice on converting a Model A 5w coupe into a pickup

Before you guys kill me, the ass end of the car is crap. Basically, the whole car is crap, but I do have a 31 five window. I'm a tall guy and the extra room would be great over a traditional truck cab. I have been thinking of making it into a truck for a while, and saw a few highboy trucks in Richmond this past weekend and I am sold. With the work the rear end would need now to get it back to passable, I'm sure the truck conversion wouldn't be any worse. The bed is the easy part, all straight bends, but I'm getting my thoughts together for the back of the cab (where I cut the trunk off).

Has anybody here tackled such a task? I'm trying to end up with a traditional highboy, not a shiny trailer queen. Black primer, red chassis and wheels, wide whites, beer keg in the bed for a gas tank, white tuck and roll interior, and a "different" motor (I haven't decided on that one yet).

 

Don't.....

 

Sell the 5w to someone who appreciates it for what it is - truck cabs aren't all that hard to come by. Hell, someone on the HAMB might be willing to trade - check the classifieds before you butcher it. And may I suggest putting "red wheels" in the search function, you might be surprised by how many threads pop up.

 

lets see this piece of crap

post some pics

 

seen a few. they range from horrid to fantastic. I say go for it. as a tall guy myself ive thought about it. but i think you'd be better off findin some new quarters and such.

 

Wanna send that coupe body my way??? I've got a PU cab for ya......

 

Coupes are too cool. No matter how bad it is, it is fixable. Model A coupes are getting more and more desiarble by the day. Once you turn it into a supercab truck, theres one more orriginal car gone. Liek mentioned before, sell it and get something you want. I bet you could find a guy with a pretty nice tudor that would trade. They can have plenty of room and sedans are bitchin. "crewcab" trucks were never made, so in my eyes, just look wierd when done. I'm not ripping on anyone, just my .02

 

I think part of the OPs intention is to have a cab that is stretched to be comfortable for him to ride in, hence the secondary idea about cutting the body down to fit as a pickup.

Now that being said, I do agree that I don't typically like the way they look when completed. Just something isn't right.

I do have the contact info - somewhere - of a guy in Colorado (I think) who makes extended panels for some pickups. I intend to do a 6-12" stretch on my '29 Dubble AA cab to give myself the extra room I need to be comfortable. If all goes as planned, I plan to turn the extra area between the door and the back of the cab into a windwing type window, or rather a pop-out style window. It should look rather decent, at least IMO, when I'm finished, and I'll be able to drive it for long periods as well.

 

I forgot to wear my flame proof underwear when I posted this. I'm not sure if I'm going to do this or not. I knew I'd get some friction on this, but one of the things about hot rodding is doing it your way. I'll get some pics this weekend and post them if possible. I had some on my old computer, but it bit the dust.

I was just wondering if anyone here had attempted such a feat.

 

There was someone on her awhile back who was doing it, and his build look great. Problem is that the name and builder escape me now.

 

In the long run it may be esier to stretch a pickup body than try to "make" a rear cab section. The rear half of my coupe was shot too, but I found a complete 99% rust free rear clip for $400. I agree the coupes will probably comand more than a truc body would. But in the end it is yours and you can do with it as you please. Just keep in mind you do have options before it goes under the knife.

 

Do it El...I believe the Howell company in Texas may make the lower section of the pickup cab. You could graft it into the remains of you coupe.

 

Sure seems like it would be a whole lot easier to create an extended cab pick up out of a Tudor or Fordor body. They already have a nearly straight up & down rear panel plus some side windows that could become the quarter windows in a cab.

 

Ha ha, never thought I'd read that HERE of all places! Sorry, that just struck me funny. I appreciate preserving the little we have left and I agree with what's been said, use a pickup cab to build a pickup.

I agree that a sedan would be a much easier conversion than a coupe!

 

Thats it!!! Get a 4 door sedan and chop the back door out of it. Then you don't have to worry about a back pannle. You can still find really nice 4 door bodys around every street corner!!!
I do realize that your trying to work with what you have and make it something you want. Thats great, that is exactly what hotrodding is, and if thats what you really want, then by all means get the buzz saw out and let's go. BUT, I have seen a lot of guys do something like that to a car, loose interest or find another body, and then the cut up on either gets sold for the cheap, or cut up for another project or whatever. A sad end to what a lot of guys would call there "dream car"

 

I got some advice. Don't do it, find a sedan.

 

what!!!!!! NO!

 

Unless you stretch the wheelbase as well, extended cabs always look wrong. The back of the cab ends up too close to the rear wheel arch and just throws the proportions all out. Hence, the need to stretch the wheelbase to compensate.

A sedan would be a way better victim by far, as said.

 

Save the coupe body, swap it for a pickup cab. Find the link & YouTube of the body that was hit by a train and left in the weeds untill a talented guy found it and built it.

 

U no cutta tha coupe. Understand.

 

Here's one I'm building. Front half of a 2 dr sedan already had been cut when I got it. I had a pair of '29 sedan quarters that had been given to me, used these to make the extension, and a PU rear panel I picked up. Set it on an AA frame so the back fenders would look right and also will support all the bed and allow me to put a back bumper on it. Will run it full fendered. Don't look at the engine. Joe.

 

I' ve never seen an extended cab pickup body done from a coupe or sedan I really liked, although the above one doesn't look bad.

If I was going to do one, I'd get a 4-door sedan body, stretch the front doors 10-12 inches, and cap the back the same way they did in the '40s with the back piece to the body. We had a '31 Plymouth tudor someone made into a pickup, the doors were a lot longer, and even though it had sectioned itself with the rust over the years there was still plenty of room for me to be comfortable in it - which I wasn't in my complete stock AA on the stock seat.

 

After taking a close look at the car yesterday, you win, coupe stays a coupe. I have already bought about all of the panels to repair the body anyway. It just looks like a major pain to make the back of the cab look right without finding another car to destroy. I've had the car about 2 years, but finances (kid in college) have made it impossible to do much. Since my wife has gone back to work now, I feel a little more flexibility in the budget. I'll get some pics and post soon. It ain't much, but it's steel. Well, some steel and a lot of rust.

 

nice man

Ill keep my eye out for pieces that will work

get some pics when you can....theres some pieces down here...

 

not the best shot....

it was a 29 coupe, the back was cut off ( the 1/4 s went to a good home)
the 1/4 window was shortened, and a new back was fabricated.

 

I would do it just cause everyone says not to do it.

 

Do it!!!!!!!!! (and send the rear part my way)

 

Save the coupe. Mine was wasted too, just took a lot of patience.

 

A fordor is a lot easier to do than a coupe. This is our TR but an A would be no different.

 

Here is my take on a 5 window pickup, it is from a pile of parts aquired from some of my hamb buddies. A 31 model a cowl, 4 29 briggs body doors, some crappy coupe quarter windows, a 51 ford sedan roof for the back half and a 67 mustang gt hood for the roof. I have been schemeing with Plowboy on a wild bed!! I have more pics in my album, i might just start a post with the step by steps, hope ya enjoy,