Convertible or Roof Swap

[73resto]

1973 gm shortbed, rust was so bad I cut the top off my truck. I am either going to swap or just use a portion of the donor truck's roof to enclose the windshield and build a roll cage and stretch a canvas like material over it. Any ideas would be appreciated

[73resto]

sry about the duplicate pic here are some more after i chopped it up

[mp76k10]

wow....was that thing upside down in the water?  that's a ton of rust.  Unless you are cutting the doors too, I'd go with replacing it with the donor roof.  though with the doors cut, I think it would look pretty cool.

[73resto]

No someone filled the roof with foam and then used a ton of bondo, 2 years later this is what you have.  I was thinking of cutting the donor roof right where the vent window stops and welding it in to put the windshield back in.  Maybe cut the doors depends how good I can make a roll cage and cover. (kind of like those old army trucks with the canvas back)

[choptop]

Look here, this is cool. Vile, have anything like this. http://airbagit.com/product_info.php?cPath=446_448&products_id=7305

[73resto]

Very cool indeed, never found that site before.  I will definitely call for more info. That is the general direction that I was going, also thinking of mounting the bench seat in the bed (kind of like a blazer or bronco) and making a similar "Bimini" top for the bed as well.

[Captkaos]

Airbagit.com is AIM industries, which used to be Ratical tops (along with a few other names) 

[Dragon]

Airbagit.com is AIM industries, which used to be Ratical tops (along with a few other names) 

Yeah they used to be at the Top of their Game for the Custom Truck Accessories World for quite some time... When they went through new Management, and were Bought out/Sold a few times, their Quality & Customer Service progressively went to crap with the changes:-X  They rubbed alot of their Mail Order Customer's & Shops the wrong way, and they have been changing their names ever since.....

[static22]

Have you considered choping the top and maybe laying the widshield back. I saw a red truck recently that was done that way and prostreeted (I thinks that's a word). Looked pretty cool to me.

[loudnlow87]

just chop it man, you wont regret it if you can complete the project. check out my bosses 79, lowered about a foot and chopped 9":

[ccz145a]

Man that looks so wierd to me. Don't get me wrong, I truly admire the workmanship. It just takes some getting used to.

[choptop]

I think its camera angle. Mines not chopped as much though, so maybe?

[ccz145a]

Yeah, I like your's better. But, hey, whatever. That's what is great about this hobby. You guys are doing some amazing things.

[loudnlow87]

chop top, how much is yours chopped and whys it look like it angles back?

[choptop]

I believe it's about 4 inches, maybe 5. I haven't measured it yet. As far as the cab angle, there was no motor in it when the pix were taken, and the front springs are for a bigblock, so the front sits about 3 inches higher, and the bed isn't trued up yet. I know what your are seeing. I saw the same, and had to measure it to make sure. Once the motor and tranny are in, the front fender will sit over the tire, the way the rear fender sits over the rear tire now. Actually, with the drive train in, the front is about an inch lower than the rear.