Cab repair - 1988 Chevy

[Warthog]

Anyone with bodywork experience know if this cab is repairable? 1988 Chevy 1ton new body style

Electrical I'm good at, bodywork not so much

The truck is an early CUCV2 SeeBee truck. 5/4ton, 4x4, diesel. Yes it needs help but always looking to save a piece of history.

 

[ODdave]

OUCH, Is there something special about the cab that replacing it is not the best option?
I would thing the A piller must have some damage to it as well.

 

[Warthog]

The truck is an early CUCV2. Thought about replacing the cab but the VIN would change. Notice the 24v power inverter on the back wall?

 

[ODdave]

didnt even look at the second pic . Probably get beat down for this, but is it easier to change the dash than the cab wall.............Good luck on it!

 

[GM-M1008]

i would replace the cab just incase you were to get in a wreck and roll it the support would be there and not have to worry about the b posts collapsing due to the cab being crushed that way.

only vin on the cabs i know about is the plate on the dash which you can drill the rivets and put the vin plate you want on there

 

[ODdave]

LOL, wasn't gonna say it, the spys may be watching!

 

[cjtroutt]

That is an easy fix Wart hog I done lots of them in the past in bump and paint shop.
Put on the Easy liner post 4 frame machine and make it happen.

 

[466Navastar]

with a stout backer plate & a controlled means of pulling - the back of the cab could be functionally fixed - but aesthetically Im not so sure .....would take substantial Bondo and some skills to make it look right...any body shop would drill out the spot welds- remove the damaged panels and replace with new.....though it would be more economical to just replace the cab.

 

[AMX]

Pull/push the damage out (in a controlled manner, not a sledge hammer). Check door fit to ensure the A pillar is in proper position, ck for roof damage. Replace rear cab panel, repair the rest. I have repaired thousands of vehicles, have multitudes of certifications and owned my own collision center for many years. i promise this is only a matter of time and money.

 

[zout]

^^^^^^my vote is what he said ^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[466Navastar]

if this was a irreplaceable classic one might go to the ends of the earth to save it - but its just an old truck - find a nice cab ....maybe one with a/c and move on with something better thsn it was new

unless youre an experienced body man -- with lots of time...that truck cab will NEVER be right

 

[466Navastar]

well CJ....we WERE talkin about a 1988 chevy truck cab - but I guess now that you've
hi jacked the thread - Ill just say ..NICE JOB ! and leave it alone

 

[SouthernSteel]

Ha ha yall are to funny Warthog im with the guys that said replace the cab there are plenty of those trucks around im sure u could find a nice donor.Sad thing about those trucks are if they arent straight the doors leak those trucks werent made as good as the old body style Like our original CUCVs i had a 95 silverado the ext cab side was like tin foil a cart from walmart would put a dent in it lol. IM sure nothing else will ever be built like the original Cucv steel aint the same as it use to be we send the good stuff over and we get the crap back

 

[Warthog]

.....though it would be more economical to just replace the cab.

Ha, that funny. Since when is anything we do with MVs economical.....

Bought the truck for parts for a very low price. It only has 7000 original miles on the odometer. I'm always thinking ahead of possible projects.

For now it will sit in a SS's boneyard (err...storage area) in the hot Texas sun. Thanks everyone your input.

 

[Barrman]

Hey, I resemble that remark.

Actually, it is not a bone yard. Just a storage area. The CUCVII is sitting comfortably next to a M715 W/W, besides a drop side M35 bed with a M715 frame next to that.

I will get those pictures later today. Heading out to pass the Scout swim test right now.

 

[mkcoen]

Very repairable but probably best to have a regular body shop doing the pulls. If you were going to try it yourself I'd advise pulling the rear window before doing it or keep a dustpan ready.

I was one of those hated claims adjusters that everybody complains about. If I had a LKQ (like/kind/quality - otherwise known as "used") cab available and it was cost effective to change it out then that's what I'd write for. It's perfectly fine for a licensed body shop to change the VIN in a situation like that. I had to replace the frame on a 1998 Chevy pickup that was less than 2 months old when a shop tried to use a 2 part hydraulic lift on the truck with a load of cottage stones in the bed (made the frame kind of V-shaped). Shops replace individual frame rail sides all the time including the VIN side.

Bottom line, do what is most cost effective for you. Changing a cab out includes a lot of R&I (remove/install) time for parts you want to keep but then if the shop wants to do the pulls for the body on a frame rack you're talking about a lot of money just for a couple hours for that plus the body work involved after the pulls.