Cab Extension Pictures

I should have taken a few before I did some tack welding to the main cab, but what can I say. Funny story how I got the cab from the back yard to the garage, maybe I should have gotten a picture of that because you wouldn't believe a word of it if I said a riding mower, hand truck, tie down straps and a lot of patients!

 I also meet a guy when I was coming out of the auto parts store who was driving a very nice 56 Chevy SWB Step Side. We of course spoke and was excited to show and tell about his truck. I told him what I was doing and he gave me a card for his tiling business and I gave him one of my newly printed cards I plan to use for job hunting. Anyway, he had a friend paint his truck and it looked better than what I seen the other day at a shop in town. However, I will be picky when it comes down to the finish detailing and painting.

 Oh, found a great place to shop for metal for the truck just down the road from me. I have been meaning to go in but always had something else going on. Now that I really needed something, I stopped in. I meet a Guy named Jimmy at Mayo Custom Metal Fabrications yesterday and told him what I was doing and he said he could help with the metal but wasn't really set up for automotive custom work. I rough measured some of the peaces I knew I would need after getting the cab tacked, took the two sizes of metal samples I needed and was just going to have him gage them and put the order in and maybe get it next week. He took me back to the shop where he had one of his employees start chopping the sizes I gave him. He even looked for peaces that were extra and not from a whole sheet to lower the cost. Man I am glad I went there and what a price. Although, I would like to be locked up in there for a weekend with the truck, I would get a lot done.

 This will be the outside top and will finish all the interiors metal work later. I also thought of sliding the foam insulation in between the cab roof and inside metal liner to help with noise reduction, heat and cold on the old bald head....... Any thoughts? I will also cover the side of the cab where I am going to put the window, but cut it out once I have the size of the set that will be going in.

 I think there is enough room below the old window to cut a hole and make an access panel cover, and then mount the electric motor and mechanical arm to make the rear original window go up and down like my Tundra had. Challenging but the two doors will get them as well. Oh, did I mention the gas tank not going back in the same place to make room? Not really decided where it will end up yet. Also priced a Long Block today at Oreillys Auto parts, did you know that a 327 is about $500 more than a 350? Hummmmm

Also got the 20 gage metal for the floor board, its heavier than what is being used on the roof and other parts and I think I can still bend and shape it as needed without to much of an issue. No I dont have all the tools I need, so it will be a lot of shaping using my imagination and the tools I do have. Wish me luck!

The cab

Worked on the back half of the cab today and tack welded the cut outs from the bed to make the bottom half of the extended cab. And again no pictures again, maybe tomorrow or another day this week. I have a friend that has access to several Mig welders and hopefully they have Argon gas. If so, the bed and cab are going to get some major finish welding done on it. Not sure what I will do after this opportunity to use the Mig welders, it will be a long wait to have another opportunity to use them again.
Went to Uhaul today to order the Class III tow hitch for the Wife's (Lisa) Nissan Xterra and it will be capable to start towing these parts around after Christmas. I will need a trailer next and it looks like a full 16 footer this time because I will have to load the frame on it at some time to get the under coating done, as well as the cab, hood, fenders, and bed for finish work. I will also be needing parts from other trucks/cars for finish work in the cab such as leather seats (Driver electric and both heated) center console, and some sort of drop down seats for the back depending on how much room I have left.

I was talking to my wife tonight at dinner about taking the rear window out due to replacing it with some sort of old stile slider. That is when I thought of the Tundra Crew Max I just traded in that had an electric drop down sliding rear window. How hard could it be? I will be Researching these a lot to find the best and most inexpensive way to get it in on this truck (It doesn't have AC, and I really do not plan to have it..... yet) So the more windows the better I would say!

Still finishing school and making minor maintenance adjustments to the Audi..... This is not a cheap car to buy things for. So more will follow and I hope someone is getting a good read or laugh out of this blog.... promise.... pic this weekend or sooner!

Its been a minute or two

However, there has been progress and I'll post the pics later this week due to having priorities higher than Jack the Truck! I did manage to tape the line I wanted to cut on the back of the cab and after 4 to 5 cut off wheels and 3 metal saw zaw blades later, off came the back of the cab.

The things I would do different: I'm not sure yet, I will let you know when I start having to fabricate the pieces of metal to fit in the extension... ha ha

I did manage to crack the windshield when I was taking it out. I didn't see where someone had put silicone, wood glue, super glue, and whatever else when I was breaking the seal on the inside and the next thing I seen was..... well you know the rest of the story. Now that sucks and will cost more money going back, but I need it because I do not like eating bugs going down the road, unless I'm really hungry!

So the back half of the cab is in the garage, I pounded the extension pieces from the bed so that it has the same contour of the cab and brought them in as well. I will not go into the story about trying to get the cab off the frame and into the back of my Toyota Tundra for over 1 1/2 hours. My best friend Matt was given the utility trailer after coming back from Germany so he could get things moved around. It’s not like I can go over to his house in New York to use it. So my Wife’s Nissan Xterra is going to get a hitch and I will find something to use to move this stuff around.

Well it is finals week, Holidays are upon us, and I promise myself to write of list of priorities and ensure the updated pics show up before Christmas.