Cab Rust

[Paul Hatfield]

Thought I'd post some photos of the cab rust on my newly acquired '50 B2C.

Not pretty.

I am still in evaluation stages on this project.

I am happy with the bed, front fenders and hood.  Front mask is fixable, but will take work to straighten and remove a bunch of bondo.

Mechanicals seem to be serviceable, and I will do all the work myself.

Then there is this cab.....

Prepare yourself for the attached photos.  May not be suitable for the squeamish.

 

[Paul Hatfield]

And some more.....

 

This includes a shot of the bottom of the passenger door.

 

Cab dash was also cut out for a horizontal radio installation.

 

Thoughts, strategies, tactics, comments welcomed.

 

Thanks,

Paul

[Plymouthy Adams]

typical body rust and deterioration over time...looks like straightforward metal replacement with full perimeter welding to ensure a lasting fix..car is built in layers (overlaps etc) repair it in the same manner...rust usually does not scare except for the deck lid of the last car I bought...looking now for a replacement..

Edited July 18, 2014 by Plymouthy Adams

[B1B Keven]

There are too many cabs and doors around to mess with that Paul.

 

Does it run yet?

[Paul Hatfield]

"There are too many cabs and doors around to mess with that Paul."

That's my thinking so far.  Hoping for a miracle cab to show up here in Washington!    

I will not be focused on the rust for now, but that will allow me to search carefully for the right replacement.

I am focused on the mechanical first, and I have already got the engine turning over.

I am headed out for a busy week of business travel, and a full week of follow up work, so it will be a while before the more progress.

By the way, thanks for the info on interiors.  Which brings me to another point.  My cab is without a bench seat too!    

Paul

[B1B Keven]

By the way, thanks for the info on interiors.  Which brings me to another point.  My cab is without a bench seat too!    

Paul

 You're welcome. We'll find a seat for ya.

[Brent B3B]

Dang Paul, i didn't know "Mickey" was so religious  (sorry, i know that was cheesy)

 

i'll power wash the 53 and see what is left, if nothing better shows up.

i know i don't have the floor pans......

 

i like the "hide a key" location    

Edited July 18, 2014 by Brent B3B

[Paul Hatfield]

Brent-

Thanks so much!

And, thanks for adding the humor!

Paul

[Dave72dt]

I didn't see anything that couldn't be repaired. It's in about the same condition I got mine in and common for where I live, regardless of brand. It may be more than you would be comfortable paying for if needing to pay someone to do them, certainly doable if you have sheet metal welding skills of your own. Regardless of the cab you end up using, this one or another, start with a new set of cab mounts and a level, straight frame. Welding and fitting cab panels on a bent or twisted frame and then straightening the frame will mean panels and doors will no longer fit.

The back panel might be a good place to use an adhesive instead of trying to weld the patch in. The bottom of the door can be repaired by fabbing several simple pieces instead of trying to fab it out of one piece. There's an inner support brace at the bottom inside of the door that needs to be repaired before doing the outer piece. Make sure your doors fit before and after any welding on the door or the cab. Don't assume both doors will fit correctly just because one does, especially if one door comes from a different truck. All the door bolts need to be tight when checking door fit. Not just snug--tight! I made that mistake once. Your radio slot would need patch panel butt welded in and bodyworked to get rid of that horizontal slot but don't get in a big hurry to do that if you don't have a vertical radio to install. You may end up using that slot for a more modern unit.

When you look for the removable floor pieces, pay attention to the year of manufacture. They're very close to being the same but are not. There are some small differences.

That's a start for you. As you get into the project, you'll find you may need more detailed information on a "how to" or "where to". Ask away and don't be afraid to use the search button or join in the chat sessions. Lots of info in both places

.

Edited July 19, 2014 by Dave72dt

[MWPauly09]

Regarding the reply about too many cabs and doors around. This may be true in some parts of the country but in Pennsylvania they are scarce. I Have been looking for doors and a grill housing for 5 years with little to no luck. In regards to the floor pans I had to replace the entire floor from the seat forward due to severe rust.The rest of my truck was straight and complete. Regards Mike P.

[JBNeal]

Build Threads are nice...the fuel tank can be Renu'd

[B1B Keven]

Regarding the reply about too many cabs and doors around. This may be true in some parts of the country but in Pennsylvania they are scarce. I Have been looking for doors and a grill housing for 5 years with little to no luck. In regards to the floor pans I had to replace the entire floor from the seat forward due to severe rust.The rest of my truck was straight and complete. Regards Mike P.

 

Grill housing? What year truck?

[Jeff Balazs]

Paul;

It will take you a while to fully assess what you have and what all you need to do. Bringing something like this back to life can be quite involved. And you are the only one who can determine how far you want to take all this. If your inclination is to build a reliable and fairly original example and you have adequate work space then I would suggest you remove all the body components to fully expose the rolling chassis. This will give much better access to the mechanical workings while you continue to assess or hunt down replacements.

 

For the most part all the body parts can be had but this is not like doing a chevy that you would be able to get anything as a repop. Finding a replacement cab could be a good solution but once you get the truck stripped down you would be much better equipped to make that decision. As some have already said almost anything can be fixed. The only thing I can add is that you are the one who has to determine how much work and money you want to put into this. Having it all apart and easily examined will make these decisions much simpler.

 

Jeff

Edited July 20, 2014 by Jeff Balazs

[MWPauly09]

Grill housing? What year truck?

My truck is a 1953 b4b.

[Brent B3B]

ok you rebuild / restore minded folks, in cleaning up a cab to see if it was good enough for Paul. I noticed some thick black looking "tar" like product in the rear corners.

is this an actual product or did someone spill in the exact same spot on both sides?

 

second, is the "A" cab mount bolt welded to the floor?

on my 51 the "A" mount bolt is also welded but the "B" side is free. here on the 53 both bolts are welded or rusted to the floor.

Edited July 20, 2014 by Brent B3B

[Paul Hatfield]

Brent-  I just replied to your private message.

Jeff- Yes, I believe I will be removing everything to make the best evaluation and the best repairs.

Dave-  Great advice.  Thanks!

 

I've owned the truck all of 8 days, so in the very earliest stages of evaluation.  Right now, I think I want to service the engine completely and see if I can start it up.  Might as well start off the project with a smile.

 

Removed the distributor yesterday.  Attached is photo of the nameplate.  I believe my engine is a 230 out of a Power Wagen.  Haven't started to look for parts for the distributor yet.

 

Paul

[48Dodger]

ok you rebuild / restore minded folks, in cleaning up a cab to see if it was good enough for Paul. I noticed some thick black looking "tar" like product in the rear corners.....

 

second, is the "A" cab mount bolt welded to the floor?

on my 51 the "A" mount bolt is also welded but the "B" side is free

 

1• It's factory.....think seam sealer.

 

2• The cabs aren't welded by the factory......must be rust or a farm repair.

 

48D

[Jeff Balazs]

Paul;

I found remnants of seam sealer like that in my cab. Evidence of floor repairs too. I think this is fairly common......once the seals and window gaskets fail water enters and gets under the floor mat and we all know what happens then. This is not all that easy to prevent so when you get to that stage pay close attention to getting this properly dealt with. I have been working on this aspect of my truck for quite a while and am down to one small leak on the drivers door seal. I won't stop trying stuff until I get the cab completely water tight.

 

Vintage Power Wagons is going to be a very good source for you with that engine and distributor. They are very knowledgeable and quite helpful too. I have a later 230 in my 3/4 ton and it has plenty of grunt.

 

Have fun.....Jeff