Meet Homer

[CRees]

I'm liking it! i like that you saved the Vin numbers.

[cooperhw]

Originally Posted by CRees

I'm liking it! i like that you saved the Vin numbers.

Thanks. Those vin numbers and the GVW are the heart and soul of the body. Without them it's just another 68 C whatever pickup.
Now I am contemplating hacking out 60 inches of frame and lowering the top edge over the rear end. Not for the faint of heart.

[nlped]

Let me guess... You'll have all that done this evening?

[cooperhw]

Originally Posted by nlped

Let me guess... You'll have all that done this evening?

Nope. I have to commute about 40 minutes each way to work and then work a 9 hour shift. When I get home I have about 3.5 hours before I am heading towards the sack. Not enough time (or energy) to do much of nothing.
But every week I have a 3 day weekend (more if holiday) to rip and tear.
Hoping to have the bodywork done and welded sections painted by end of day Saturday. Love to have doors hung too, but you know, old, can't quite do as much as I could when I was younger. Wanting to cut 60 inches of length and about 8 inches of height out of that frame but I might have to wait a week or two before I tear into that.
Weather is supposed to be 80* or 81* all weekend long. Yeah

[Justin@EntropyRad]

Good bit of work there. Bet you will enjoy when it's done!

[cooperhw]

Originally Posted by Justin@EntropyRad

Good bit of work there. Bet you will enjoy when it's done!

Thanks.

Yes, I am looking forward to having it motivating under it's own power within the next month or so. That's when it will start giving back some enjoyment.

[cooperhw]

Thought I would post a few more pictures of the roof and back of cab transplant. I posted before and after pics but thought there might be someone who has a rusty roof and these might help. Not saying this is the only, best, or even a good way of doing it. Just how I did it. Trying to save the pillar with the vin tag attached and limit the amount of area where the bodywork will show. I will try to smooth up the back of the cab as best I can, but not going to kill myself as it's way down under the bed.

[flashed]

I dont know one thing about what you just did as far as the best way but I like your way .The shop that did my truck just did a 55 Nomad and they did very similar to yours .Great job on it ,Im staying tuned .I love seeing all these 1 ton trucks being saved ,mine as well.

[Justin@EntropyRad]

More guts than I would have...swapping a roof? Awesome

[cooperhw]

Well it's finally time to slice and dice. Homer needs to go on a diet or at least get 60 inches shorter. Friday I pulled the cab and front clip off to get ready. Saturday came the big slice and dice. Man oh man, it was a lot of work and did not get welded back up yet. That's going to happen today, Sunday. Make no mistake, he is now much shorter, just not "all together" at the moment.
Here is some before surgery shots.
The wildest is this crazy broken exhaust manifold on the passenger side. It's not cracked, that sucker is completely busted in two. The old man had bailing wired it back together (wired up to the heater core) as close as he could to finish his trip from Montana to California where it went on a 20 year vacation. that thing had to be loud as heck.
Everybody thought that spot was to be Homer's final resting place. But NOOOOO, then came an ad on craigslist, and a wild dreamer from AZ.
People have asked me WHY?
I answer with this; "I have wished somedays that I had never seen that ad. But now, I have a bag of lemons and I am trying to make lemonade".
Call me lots of things (and some do) but lazy or lack of vision is not some of those.
Here's some shots of long boy Homer stretched out in the driveway. Tonight I will post some pics I take today of him much shorter.

[cooperhw]

couple shots of the broken manifold.

[cooperhw]

Few more shots of the weekend progress.
1. Stripped the cab and front clip off on Friday.
2. Stripped all the junk in between the frame rails and cut out 60 inches of length on Saturday.
3. Got it all lined back up, squared up, welded up, and gusset plates on both the inside and out. Painted up the area (crappy silver paint was all I had) and pushed in the backyard at dark thirty Sunday evening. Spent the last two hours powerwashing the chassis and engine.

[flashed]

That looks more like it should ,good job.

[cooperhw]

Originally Posted by flashed

That looks more like it should ,good job.

Thanks. It was a job, but well worth it.

[nlped]

Dang man, that's a very productive weekend!!!

What us your final wheelbase measurement?

[trac209]

Such a cool build. Did you just do a straight cut or use angle or step cut? Need more pics and don't worry we've all done a can of worms build at one point or another,looks like the reward will be worth it in this case

[cooperhw]

Originally Posted by trac209

Such a cool build. Did you just do a straight cut or use angle or step cut? Need more pics and don't worry we've all done a can of worms build at one point or another,looks like the reward will be worth it in this case

Thanks nlped and track209 for the kind words.

I did a step notch cut on this frame. I would have liked the steps to be longer but didn't want to remove any crossmembers until it was back together and welded up. How it sits now I have 1/4 inch plate inside and outside the frame with 1.25 inch welds around the outside edges. I also plan to put about 4 to 6 grade 8 bolts to sandwich all three together. I feel very confident that this will be together way after I am gone.
A can of worms. Yep. I have looked at this mile long sucker for the last month or so and questioned my sanity. To say I am a little impulsive is an understatement. Ask my wife.
Now I feel I "have a bag of lemons and gonna try a make something good out of em".

[cooperhw]

few more

[cooperhw]

last pics

[cooperhw]

Originally Posted by nlped

Dang man, that's a very productive weekend!!!

What us your final wheelbase measurement?

Sorry, I forgot. Final wheelbase measurement is 115". Standard shortbed length. I am planning to split open my 73-87 step side bed and insert a 6 inch sliver. This will make the outside of the step side fenders cover the dual wheels. I will have to open up the inside of the bed too and graft on about 4" of fleetside inner fenders. Bit of work but compared to losing 60 inches for length and 5 inches of height on the frame, this stuff will be easy.

[flashed]

Looks like Lemonade to me and I do like Lemonade . I cant believe how fast you accomplish a goal ,Im impressed .

[cooperhw]

Originally Posted by flashed

Looks like Lemonade to me and I do like Lemonade . I cant believe how fast you accomplish a goal ,Im impressed .

Thanks Flashed.

I always set these lofty goals and usually don't get it all done in the weekend as I had hoped to do. No biggie, that's why they invented next weekend.

Reading in my Goodguys magazine the other night and 1 car guy was giving his buddy some grief for not getting anything done on his project. He pulled out a tape measure out to the 75 inch measurement. He told his friend, "this is about where most kick the bucket". Then he pointed to the 67 measurement and said "this is where you are at now". "As you can see from 0 to 75 you are wayyyy closer to this end of the tape. YOU GOTTA GET BUSY IF YOU ARE GOING TO GET THIS THING DONE". Especially if you want to spend any time enjoying the vehicle by driving it.

[nlped]

Wayne, great work. I'm crazy impressed. I'm a slouch

[cooperhw]

Well just a quick update on Homer's progress. Finished up all the welding on the cab splice. There is a ton of little stich welds to get all the way across the back of the cab as well as inside where I put a little strip of 1/8 X 1' flat steel so I had a little backer. Hopefully get it somewhat smoothed out with filler tomorrow so I can seal it all up and move onto the chassis.
Planning to rob the whole front crossmember and rear end out of my 79 Chassis and slide it underneath. Be real happy if that happens tomorrow or Sunday. No pics today, maybe tomorrow.

[cooperhw]

Sat the cab back on the shortened (60 inches shorter now) frame today. Wanted to have it back in place before I body worked the back of the cab. Busy tomorrow but hopefully Monday will see some more progress.
At least you (me too) can start to see what a 68 Short Bed, Step Side, 1 ton Dually is going to look like.