72 F100 to 70 F250 cab swap

[Sharkdance]

Greetings,

I had posted this link: http://s106013847.onlinehome.us/ in this thread: http://www.fordification.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7525 a few days ago and realised that I probably posted it in the wrong folder.
Its a photo album of my progress (Or lack of progress) of my cab swap project.
Those that know me by now may remember me posting a while back about excessive rust around the drip rail of my 70 F250. Then later posting about a near meltdown due to rats nest wiring.

Well, I had purchased a 72 F100 for a donor cab to rectify both situations and am still currently in the process of doing "the simple swap".

Others that know me may remember me saying that I am often the victim of the "as long as your doing that you may as well" syndrome and now this "simple cab swap" is no exception.

I tell ya, If I didn't love my truck so much and my wife didn't love me so much, this project would have ended a long time ago.

If you care to look at the photo's, you can see me pulling the donor truck home on a U-Haul trailer and then gradually dis-assembling it down to bare cab.
Then I cut the floor pans out to replace them with the ones that the previous owner had told me that he welded into the 70.
Lesson learned: Never trust what a previous owner tells you!
At this point, Im out of cash to buy new ones and am forced to make my own from sheet steel. Its not bad. Just not what I wanted.

Oh, and another lesson learned: Don't plan on saving your old windshield gasket and re-using it if you have to swap a windshield from one cab to the other.

Im NOT complaining. Im having fun working on my old girl and still have grand plans of what she will end up looking like when Im done. But having only one vehicle while my truck is down for repairs sucks!
My wife is getting tired of driving me to work only to turn around and get my three kids off to three different schools every morning.

Oh how nice it will be to turn the key in my old truck again soon.

[71-F-250SC-72-F-250C]

Its looking good. Its hard not having the truck on the road, but once its done you feel so much better, because now you know you wont have to do that again for a long time. I also suffer from the same while Im at it syndrome. In the end though I am glad that I went the extra mile because it makes what ever project your doing so much better. Anyways keep us posted on the project.

[dcbullet]

I can now see why U-Haul doesn't want to rent their trailers for our trucks!

Looks like alot a progress has been made.

[390Nut]

You know how the song goes, "One thing leads to another"

I'm dreading this exact same thing. I've got some of the parts for my front end (core support and suspension, new battery tray; engine's pretty much done just needs a clean up and re-detailing) but it's the cab that worries me. Drip rail is rotted out in a couple places, and I REALLY don't want to replace it. SentiMENTAL maybe, but I've been driving/wrenching on this truck for 25+ years. Makes it hard to think about ripping part of it off and replacing it with something else (body wise, anyways)

maybe it's just me

[390Nut]

I can now see why U-Haul doesn't want to rent their trailers for our trucks!

LOL, no kidding! I almost rented one to get the Supercab home last month. Then I was told that the maximum wheelbase the trailer will hold is 133" (wheelbase of a standard fullsize F100).

The Supercab has a wheelbase of 155". Just a LITTLE bit long, and I don't think the ramps sticking off the back would hold the truck up

Y'know, a ten foot bed would be kinda cool....

[flyboy2610]

Yea, one thing does lead to another. That's how parts manufacturers get rich!

[rjewkes]

guys as far as u haul what they call "traffic" The guys suplying their stuff. The Tow bar is obsolete because of the nancys who want to use it on their 2005 monte carlos's to tow behind rv.

Wich ripps up the monte's bumper. So we need to tell traffic/uhaul we want and need these bad boys.

and you may have to tell em your pulling rig is the 3/4-1 ton pickup in order to get it. But it does work great.

So anytime you have a rolling chassis truck that needs hualed rent a tow bar. in town for 24 hours it is only 33.00 after you get your deposit back. And my experience is the truck behind you will follow you through turns. Just don't back up.

The fronts will go from | | to / \or \ / and lock you up tight. and 45 is fastest safe speed with tow bar.

[72hiboy4x4]

this is why I spent $850 and bought me a brand new 16' car trailer 6 years ago. I can guarantee I've saved WAY more than that in rental trailer fees, tow bills, moving truck rentals, garbage runs, ect.
And the first time U-haul told me I didn't have a big enough truck to tow my Toyota 4x4 on their trailer, (using my '72 F-250 4x4) I swore I'd NEVER use their stuff again!
I know they gave Jo Kriston a hard time about towing that Plymouth he just took to Ill. He ended up with a tow dolly instead.

[Sharkdance]

I can now see why U-Haul doesn't want to rent their trailers for our trucks!

Actually, they didn't want to rent me the trailer. The girl behind the counter kept trying to argue with me saying that My truck wouldn't pull another 67-72 truck plus the weight of the trailer.
I told her to let me worry about whether my truck could pull it or not and to rent me the trailer. Then she tried to tell me that the other truck wouldn't fit on the trailer. I asked her what the length of the trailer was and she told me 12 ft. Thats a whole 2 foot longer than I need I said, so she reluctantly rented it to me.

[Sharkdance]

More pix:

Working on the cab, getting the pans welded in.

[1968flareside]

It's looking great!

[trukcrazy]

Good job, keep that motivation coming for the rest of us.

[Sharkdance]

My helpers today:

[flyboy2610]

He's wearing safety glasses.
Smart kid!

[Sharkdance]

Just a few more pix of cab swap progress: