[solowookie]

ok guys I need a tow vehicle that I can seat 4 people, and I'd like it to be a truck so I can use gooseneck trailers...

well I got another 3/4 ton 48 chevy (5 window) that I can get for $350 - doesn't have a bed. I have a 1953 3 window cab I can get for free, and a caddy 472 that I can get for $200 that runs.

I'm kinda thinkin of combining the two cabs, leaving the bed pretty short, and only extending the frame if necessary to accomodate the gooseneck, and seeing what I can come up with.

is this idea insane?

[57Chevyman]

Not totaly insane but insane just the same. I can see the truck in my minds eye and it looks prety cool. Please keep in mind making the back doors is going to be a big deal. Maybe instead of making her a four door cab maybe you could build an extended cab. I know the job can be done because I saw where someone else built a tilt back or slant back truck using the same era chevy cab and making it a four door.

Good Luck

[solowookie]

just kinda brain storming, but I need a tow rig... other then my time invested I think I could do the project for pretty cheap (and a few tools like a plasma cutter).

[57Chevyman]

Of course anything to increase the tool collection

[Paco]

saw a truck kinda like this, but it was a factory version..originally a four door fire truck. All they did was take two trucks and make a four door out of it. They used the the driver's side door for the passenger side rear door, and vice-versa for the other rear door. They were suicide rear doors. It appears they took one cab and turned it backwards and welded the two halves together basically. If I can locate that magazine, I'll get more info for you. It was a pretty smooth ride and was done using two trucks.

[solowookie]

another thought I've had is to get two doors, and do similair to what you stated... cut the doors in half, and join the back half of the drivers side to the back have of the passengers side and vs. turning the cab backwards would make the roof joings easy and smooth, but you'd have to cut it again and fabricate the back of one of the cabs back on after it was sectioned etc. to fit in.

stuff to think on... this summer I'm going to assemble the parts, and then sit on it until I got my 50 truck done. if I still feel I can do this montrous undertaking after I finish that then I'll dig into it.

[Phat]

Measure the cab. You have a pix of the white one i beleive.The AD cab doesnt like this deal very much.Its a hard one to pull off as the cab is a wedge.If this is your first Mig/plazma project i would do a rethink.the big guys have a real hard time with this one. I have only seen one that came close to looking OK and it was not all that great.Think i would look into a burb or panel(you could use a rusty one as the roof is the big deal,plus you will get a long frame) I bet a rusty panel truck would be a good start.But like i said get your welding and cutting skills in good working order before you try to pull this one off.Its a complete body build not just a little nip and tuck.Now that i think about it the panel with a donor rear panel really would be the way to go.You need to get a 3/4 or 1 ton frame anyway for the gooseneck.

[solowookie]

ya know I never even thought of a burb... this is a project I was planning on doing without extending anything, just the caddy and a flatbed on a 48 3/4 frame with stock cab. as I got to thinkin I'm going to need to have 4 seats so I can take my family though.

I'm still going to assemble the parts, and then sit on it. worst case scenario is that I don't chop a cab up, and I still put a flatbed on the 48 3/4 ton frame with the caddy engine and have a 2 seater tow vehicle. I could either sell it, or maybe even trade it for a c series dullie or something? I don't know time will tell.

let just say that this isn't something I would even attempt to try and pull off right now.

[jalopy45]

The fire trucks refered to were made mainly for the military in the late 40's and early 50's. They did reverse the back doors and mount them suicide style. They were usually on a 2 or 5 ton chassis.

[Jim Weeks]

I saw a mint green truck like the one you described on an episode of the Trucks TV program that someone had built and boy was it cool. You might try going to truckstv.com and look thru the past episodes to see if you can find information on this.

[solowookie]

thanks I'll have to check it out!

[bigrick1969]

I have a 51 suburban & a delevery I will sell 1 of them or traid 4 frount end parts (sheet meatle)both bodys are missing fenders &hood im thinking about puting a door in pass side using back side of door frame on and cuting 2 doors and makeing them the size of the middle windo on pass side well just a tought

[solowookie]

hmm... you got any pictures?

[F-1Rodder]

Solo: I have seen this done in "Classic Trucks" magazine a year ago. It was a 50's chev truck, the model with the rear corner windows. The builder used 3 donor vehicles. The builder cut the cab behind the doors and grafted a second cab on behind that, including the door opening. He used the rear half of the second door and took a third door and cut it in half from top to bottom using the left side door on the right and vice versa to make the two rear doors generally square when welded to the first. He used the rear half of the door opening from the third cab as a door frame and grafted that on behind the first cab and front of the second from top to bottom to accomodate the newly fabricated rear doors. If you can pull this one off, you have my respect.

[solowookie]

don't worry if I can pull this one off I have my respect as well... LOL - this is one I would really like to pull off, but I think I'm going to get my current projects off my plate before I really contemplate this one again.