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73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => Body, Glass & Paint => Topic started by: bones7778 on April 04, 2008, 12:49:35 am

Title: cab question
Post by: bones7778 on April 04, 2008, 12:49:35 am
i have a 1977 chevy pickup that i am building the cab had an unbelievable amout of bondo filling rust holes till the rust got so bad it showed its face well because of that the cab is beyond repair, i found a donor cab which is a 1985 chevy silverado 1/2 ton 2wd my question is everywhere i look for cab bushings tell me there is a difference between the 73-80 and 81-87 cab bushings, thru jegs there is a $25.00 difference in price, i didnt know if it was because the 73-80 cab was heavier than the 81-87 so the 73-80 bushing would be more heavy duty or what nobody at these places have a clue, i am very new to any kind of body work so any kind of advice would be helpful
Title: Re: cab question
Post by: frogman68 on April 04, 2008, 12:51:21 am
Use the mounts for the year frame you are using
Title: Re: cab question
Post by: 80stepsideguy on April 04, 2008, 03:06:25 am
Bones, 1st of welcome to the madness.OK now here is something you may like to know.Are you planning on making your truck again a 77 or planning on making it a 85?The reason i ask is because i am  building a 1980 and the cab i got is a 1985 cab.I have so far done quite a bit of modifying to make it a 1980 again.The corner pockets you see are for the hinges and if your gonna go to a 77 your gonna have to cut them sections out and cut the sections out of your 77 cab and weld them in.Also on the 77 compared to the 85 the windshield washer jets.The 85 cab has the notches as the 77 doesn't, you`ll need to fix them areas as well.I know its a bit off topic then your question but i thought i throw  in some things bout the different cabs.And yes frog is right go with the year of the frame.I got a 77 frame as well and i am using the 73-80 bushings.

thanks
pat

p.s. you could go into more detail on the changeover as well.The metal dash is also different, the 73-80 dash pad will fit but i think in 81 n up they went to the dash speakers in the corners as the older dashes didn't.Plus the windshield washer switch.If you look i think on your dash you only got the headlight switch and the older cabs that didn't have cruise control and didn't have the wiper controls on the directional switch had the wiper switch on the dash.I know i am typing the wrong info but i will say its a lot of work if  your gonna switch your truck to a 77 using a later  cab but it`ll be well worth it once your done.
Title: Re: cab question
Post by: Blazin on April 04, 2008, 06:26:12 am
Welcome from New Hampshire!
  As far as the dash the 85 cab will be fine as long as you keep it all 85 inside. You won't be able to swap your 77 dash panel from around you gages etc. as 80 mentioned. as long as you keep all the 85 features you won't have any problems.
 You don't have to cut out the pockets, the 77 nose will fit with them left there. If you plan on keeping your 77 nose you will need to swap the 77 winshield wiper transmission into the 85 cab. If you don't the first time you close your hood you will clean the wiper arms right off. The 85 stubs stick up allot farther in order to be above the cowl panel. One of the three mounting holes lines up. the other two are close but do need to be redrilled.
 As frogman stated use the 77 style mounts. The frame side is different, the cab side is the same.
Title: Re: cab question
Post by: Captkaos on April 04, 2008, 09:39:04 am
In reference to the dash, they are the same.  All of them had the option of the center 4x10 speaker, or the 2 outer 3.5" speakers.  In general the AM only radios had the center speaker....
Title: Re: cab question
Post by: 80stepsideguy on April 04, 2008, 06:41:36 pm
But they did change the dash some as to the windshield wiper switch correct?
thanks
pat
Title: Re: cab question
Post by: Blazin on April 04, 2008, 07:07:42 pm
Yes the head light switch position was moved up a little bit, right about where the wiper switch used to be & the wiper switch was moved to the column.
Title: Re: cab question
Post by: bones7778 on April 05, 2008, 12:24:17 am
Well i am new to body work as it is, to explain a little i bought this pickup a few years back at what i thought was an unbeatable price 700.00 to be exact it has been chopped they cut the frame down,the bed is cut down length and width the tailgate was cut down everything but they did not protect anything underneath nor paint it so there is plenty of rust, well i have been workin on a camaro for a while so i put the truck off knowing i had some rust but there was more than i thought,i have been lookin for a cab so i could practice on chopping because mine is too far gone i was told , well i gave this truck to my son he is 12 and he loves this truck so when i noticed how bad the rust was i got started. i want to do it all myself but welding on sheetmetal is hard compared to what ive done in the past so i figured i would get some practice, well i found this 85 chevy silverado and my son love it as well he wants the cab fenders grill ect.. but he wants it on the frame of the 77 because he wants to keep the bed, the 85 is a longbed and the 77 is a weird bed so i geuss it will be a 85 to make things a little eaiser on me he wants a certain look i am just knowing where to begin i could just chop the frame on the longbed 85 and put the bed on there but ive never done that either i dont know about cutting a frame i seen some pics of how to do it but it cant be as easy as it looks, i do not have a enclosed shop so everything is twice as hard, so this is what i have goin on any advice would be helpfull to get a closer look at what i got goin look here
   
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bones7778/

u will see my drama , thanks for the help so far
Title: Re: cab question
Post by: 80stepsideguy on April 05, 2008, 03:38:07 am
You are not kidding on that cab being shot.My old 80 cab was not as bad but it did have issues.Whoever put the windshield in plugged up the drain holes with silicone and it rotted the channel under the windshieldthe rockers were replaced once before and i had to replace them again before i recently tore it down and  realized it was worse than i thought so i took a sawzaw and cut the cab up n junked it .How were the fenders ?id say keep it a 77 and replace the cab only and pull the bed off, wire wheel thr frame down and give it a coating of chassis black and that way you can do under the bed while its off..
thanks
pat
Title: Re: cab question
Post by: Bitzer! on April 05, 2008, 03:38:49 am
I'm with you on the rust. I'm goining through the same senario! The more you look the more you find. Unfortunately there's not many spare cabs floating about over here!
Title: Re: cab question
Post by: Blazin on April 05, 2008, 10:57:17 am
Its bad, but I have fixed them that bad. Why is the center hump cut out?
Why not just forget the top chop ides and pop the 85 cab on. Leave the shortened dually bed on it.
Title: Re: cab question
Post by: bones7778 on April 05, 2008, 11:07:11 pm
well i was suppose to take this to a body shop and i had them on the phone and they ticked me off tellin me they were gonna hurry through it, so i started to strip the center hump with a crud thug from snap on and the wires were popping holes in the hump so i got mad and took the rest of it out then i started researching it on what all had to be there there are some things that are completly rotted away, so i am getting the cab in a few weeks when my buddy gets off of vacation,actually the whole truck, i wanted to leave it a 77 but as i said earlier it is my sons and he thinks it would look cool with the cab fenders and grill of the 85 and the bed of the 77,i have talked to him about it but he is pretty much stuck on it so i think for now that is the plan i love the look of this truck chopped it is sweet, i prob would want a few more inches out though if it were me but that will come,im trying to make this everything he wants so i am thankfull for all the advice im getting and will need lots more,so as i go along i will be asking lots of questions,oh yea here is one what do you all think of rust bullet i have been reading up on it and it sounds really good for my base coat on the frame and the under side of the bed and cab , let me know what u think, thanks for all the help so far