Cab roof questions

[HerpDerp1919]

So, I bought a new cab because the rockers and and floor pan on mine are shot. The new cab has a few dents and dings, most noticeable on the roof.



If you can see in the pictures, the whole thing is pretty much bent in. How challenging would it be to cut out all that stuff, and cut out the same parts form my other cab? Or would it be easier to cut rockers and stuff off this cab and weld in to my old cab?
I was debating on cutting along this body line. Drilling out spot welds and such. But then im still left with a bent window frame. What would you guys do?

[1967KaiserM715]

OK, without having both cabs in front of me, I would think about using the good floor and rockers on the old cab.

1. That hole in the corner of the roof will come back and haunt you.

2. It is going to be difficult to straighten the creases and dents along the back window.

Now, I would literally replace the whole floor, drill out all the spot welds, along the firewall, rear of cab, along the bottom of the rockers(the inner rocker is part of the floor). For the rockers and cab corner, get fancy, try to take the minimum from the old cab, and definitely try to measure alot, cut the "new" metal larger, then trim the old cab till they fit together.

That would be my approach if I felt fixing the roof would be too difficult to fix effectively.

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[roundhouse]

I'd find another cab
A lot easier .::..


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[1967KaiserM715]

I'd find another cab
A lot easier .::..


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not all of us have the money or option to do that, and hence sometimes need a little guidance in repair

1,800 will buy me a rust free/dent free bed, or a for 2,000 I could get a whole truck that needs some cab repair....

[SomeTexan]

I'd find another cab
A lot easier .::..


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not all of us have the money or option to do that, and hence sometimes need a little guidance in repair

1,800 will buy me a rust free/dent free bed, or a for 2,000 I could get a whole truck that needs some cab repair....

Where do you live? Here in Texas, you can find nice beds for a couple hundred bucks, cabs with titles for less than a grand. I've seen clean, running and driving long beds sell for less than $1500.

I do think the "new" cab is nothing more than a donor for another cab. All that damage is 100 times worse than some floor rust. And rocker panels should almost be considered wear items, they all rust out.

[1967KaiserM715]

New England rust belt, good rust free cabs stay around $1,000, less doors, but for whatever reason beds demand a premium. Not saying you couldn't find cheaper, but that seems to be the average.


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[SomeTexan]

Man, are there a lot of people ready to buy? You are making me want to load up a trailer with beds and haul them up there...

[Burkhalter]

I would have to agree that it would be easier to replace the floor pan and rocker panels, than to try and straiten out and patch up that roof. Plus it will be in a less visible location making it a little more forgiving as far as cosmetics are concerned.
Then again the whole concept of needing to patch multiple cabs together to make one good one is a foreign concept here on the west coast primarily because we don't salt our roads. Here if you have rust issues it's because it sat in afield for a good 15 years or better. In which case you will have bigger problems than a pitted surface to paint. Disclaimer. My body work only goes as far as a stick welder, a hammer and a 2x4.

[HerpDerp1919]

Yeah, im in MN, we salt our roads a ton. A nice cab will run $1,000+ easy. Im debating on how far I want to go with this. Im not real enthused on trying to take two cabs and make one nice one. Im thinking cut my losses, save and find a good bodied roller or something. My bed also needs quite a bit of work

[fitz]

Man, are there a lot of people ready to buy? You are making me want to load up a trailer with beds and haul them up there...

$1800 is on the high side, but here in Mass I can get $1000 easy for a solid bed.  They are tough to find, but every once in a while I find a parts truck with some clean sheet metal.

[SomeTexan]

Yeah, im in MN, we salt our roads a ton. A nice cab will run $1,000+ easy. Im debating on how far I want to go with this. Im not real enthused on trying to take two cabs and make one nice one. Im thinking cut my losses, save and find a good bodied roller or something. My bed also needs quite a bit of work

Man, the next time I sell a truck I need to sell it in your area. When I sold my 81 swb that was 100% rust free and didn't have a dent in it, I kept getting nothing but lowball offers. It was primed top to bottom, inside and out, with all new body mounts and suspension bushings, new tie rod ends and everything, even a really decent interior and people kept trying to buy it for under a grand. I ended up giving it to a friend so he could build it with his son.

[SomeTexan]

Man, are there a lot of people ready to buy? You are making me want to load up a trailer with beds and haul them up there...

$1800 is on the high side, but here in Mass I can get $1000 easy for a solid bed.  They are tough to find, but every once in a while I find a parts truck with some clean sheet metal.

I just helped a friend find a short bed for his 79. Clean, no rust or dents, even matched his two tone blue and white for $260. A few months ago another friend got a short fleet side for his 72 for 400.

[fitz]

  People from the rust free climates would be amazed at the prices that clean GM body parts bring.
  Back in 2003 I needed a motor for my 69 camaro.  It was springtime and the machine shop that I wanted to build my motor was booked solid.  The owner of the shop told me it would be about 2 months before he could get to my motor. I appreciated his honest answer, but I didn't want to waite.
  I went with plan B.  I bought a clean 85 K10 with a freshly built 350 and parted the truck out.
  It was a great motor (its still in the car today). 350 4 bolt/1 piece rear main seal, brand new gm vortec heads, mild speed pro roller cam, GM aluminum vortex intake. A nice solid motor that cost of he owner $3200 to build.
  After the owner got the motor back in the truck he started getting prices from body shops to paint the truck. That's when he threw in the towel.
  I paid $3500 for a clean truck in need of a paint job.  I parted the truck out (kinda a shame) to get my hands on the motor.
  The sheet metal brought big $$ .
  6' fleetside bed $1000
  Cab (completely gutted) $1000
  Doors $400
  Nose $750
  After selling the frame, winch & winch bumper, lift kit, tires rims, axles, interior, and roll bar, I was up a few grand after keeping the motor.
  I've often thought about heading down south and bringing back a trailer loaded up with rust free parts trucks.  It would take some planning, but there is money to be made.

[RAD77C10]

Last week there was a 1977 C10 fenders, cab & bed, on the frame, $100.00! I was looking for a hood, the seller said he would throw the hood in, if I took the hole body!

[roundhouse]

Be a lot cheaper to head south or west with a trailer and buy parts.   Or a whole truck

We bought a rust free drive able k-10 Stepside with title in AZ for $1500



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