Hi everone, i have a 54 1 ton that i am currently fixing up and the cab is rusted beyond repair in the front where the fenders attach. My neighbor has a 52 half ton that he would sell me quite cheap as the engine and trans is gone. The cab is in a lot better shape, but will the cab and front fenders and grill all fit on my 54 1 ton frame. Any help is appreciated.
Im thinking so, as far as im aware its only the bed and running boards that differ between the weights someone on here will soon let us know if im wrong lol Any pics of the rusted out one are you sure it would cost more to repair than to part out another ? ASH
Thanks for your response a5llx, but i am a pretty good welder and am not new to body work and i think i would be time and money ahead by switching cabs if it would work, i think i will look at the other cab a little closer and hope it works.
No probs mate , i fixed mine up , but to be honest it was mainly as i had time but not lots of folding ! a new cab and yes i wouldve been months ahead too , the doors are different between years but only the hardware not the actual sheetmetal , i have 52 doors on my 50 as they were solid but i wanted single piece windows so jus made them accept the older glass , then removed the exterior handles as im using solenoids . Cheers ASH
If you compare say a '52 cab with a '52 cab, they are all the same till you get to the 1 1/2 ton. The doors, fenders, hood and grille are the same. When you get to the 1 1/2 I am not sure about the cab but I know the fenders and grille are bigger. I am not sure if the cab from a 1/2 ton 52 will fit a 1 ton 54 frame but if I was betting I would say it can be done without much trouble, especially if you are a good welder. You may have to fabricate some but I am guessing very little. I would be interested in how it turns out. One other thing you might consider is saving both trucks. There can't be too many. Gater
Even though the other cab may look better, they all tend to have the same rust issues, some more advanced than others. You will eventually need to replace the metal on either. All panels are readily available, and are not bad to put in.
I know they sell patch panels, but the cab i have is long past patch panels and is starting to sag, it sits kinda goofy, but the mounts are still pretty decent.
The 50 I built was in the same boat. When we cut out the metal floor....cut out of the side of a caterpillar, no less.....the front of the cab sagged down. Floor pans, one side cab mount, toe boards, kick panels, inner to outer panels, and outer cowl panels got it back into shape.