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Door Frame Steel Needed - Above & Below Striker

ZombieK5

ZombieK5

1/2 ton status
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While waiting for my new ORD Springs and Rear Disk conversion I went to town with a screwdriver poking holes where rust was present. I found that the driver side door frame ABOVE but mostly BELOW the door striker are cancer-toast. I have searched LMC, Raybuck and similar sites but none have these panels/parts. I searched the forums but there were no clear posts that identify a retailer that sells body panels for this part of the 1977 K5.

Can anyone direct me to a seller that has these parts???
 
I don't have any suggestions besides finding good used sections if you can find someone to cut some out, pack and ship.

:popcorn:
 
A tub swap might be the move... those show signs of deeper problems.

If you’re going to chase it, try and find someone parting a k5 out and cut what you think you’ll need.
 
Gibby56 said:
A tub swap might be the move... those show signs of deeper problems.

If you’re going to chase it, try and find someone parting a k5 out and cut what you think you’ll need.
Click to expand...

I agree, my primary issue at this point is that I have a roll cage that has been integrated into the cab. This roll cage goes through the floor and is welded to the frame. I suppose I could cut the roll cage and remove the cab but I'm sure that would be a major major project.
 
Gibby56 said:
A tub swap might be the move... those show signs of deeper problems.

If you’re going to chase it, try and find someone parting a k5 out and cut what you think you’ll need.
Click to expand...

Now that I think about it, I don't ever plan to be seriously off road. This isn't going to be a rock crawler. Do I need a roll cage? Kinda makes sense to just swap out the cab... Hell, whole body. Maybe start to look for a donor 1980-90 body.
 
If the cage is welded to the frame that is preferred for safety. However if you’re not going to wheel it and its more for looks, it opens some doors for possibilities!!

Three options I see here:

1 - Find someone parting one out, buy the tub, and cut the pieces off you need and weld them onto your tub. Not sure how experienced you are with a welder/cutoff wheel/shaping bondo but it would be a good way to learn.

2 - tub swap. Cut the cage off at the frame as close to the frame as possible. Remove the cage, swap bodies, and try and re-weld the cage to the frame. If you decide to go this route I learned some tricks after swapping in a cage in my current K5

3- Still a tub swap. Cut the cage off at the frame, swap tubs, then instead of welding to the frame, cut the legs of the cage down to fit inside the new cab. The idea here would be to weld the shortened legs of the cage to some plates and bolt the plates to the body. It’s not as safe as going to the frame but its better than nothing. Plus you have the cage already.

I guess the question would be, is the cage you currently have built well enough for your needs? Is it worth the effort to you to make it work and fix the rust?
 
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Gibby56 said:
A tub swap might be the move... those show signs of deeper problems.

If you’re going to chase it, try and find someone parting a k5 out and cut what you think you’ll need.
Click to expand...

Now that I think about it, I don't ever plan to be seriously off road. This isn't going to be a rock crawler. Do I need a roll cage? Kinda makes sense to just swap out the cab... Hell, whole body. Maybe start to look for a donor 1980-9

Gibby56 said:
If the cage is welded to the frame that is preferred for safety. However, if you’re not going to wheel it and its more for looks it opens some doors for possibilities!!

Three options I see here:

1 - Find someone parting one out, buy the tub, and cut the pieces off you need and weld them onto your tub. Not sure how experienced you are with a welder/cutoff wheel/shaping bondo but it would be a good way to learn.

2 - tub swap. Cut the cage off at the frame as close to the frame as possible. Remove the cage, swap bodies, and try and re-weld the cage to the frame. If you decide to go this route I learned some tricks after swapping in a cage in my current K5

3- Still a tub swap. Cut the cage off at the frame, swap tubs, then instead of welding to the frame, cut the legs of the cage down to fit inside the new cab. The idea here would be to weld the shortened legs of the cage to some plates and bolt the plates to the body. It’s not as safe as going to the frame but its better than nothing. Plus you have the cage already.

I guess the question would be, is the cage you currently have built well enough for your needs? Is it worth the effort to you to make it work and fix the rust?
Click to expand...


The cage is extremely well-built. Not only is it welded to the frame, it extends down the A pillars inside of the current cab. The cage goes through the dashboard, exits under the dashboard where the emergency brake pedal is located and then goes through the floor board and then to the frame. I have never seen it done like this. Whoever installed it must have removed the front windshield during the process. I would love to keep the cage and I don't have an issue cutting it and then rewelding it into a new body. I have never done a body swap. It is something I believe I am capable of completing however, I've just never done one before. I am pretty decent with a welder, cutter and the related equipment. I am limited on garage space. I am also OCD. If I got the new body off the donor vehicle I would feel compelled to go over it inch by inch and replace rusted panels. I just found a possible donor 1985 K5 for $3,000 in the Philadelphia area. If I did this I am sure it would test my fiance's patience with having car parts around the house in the yard. this would not be a weekend project. This would be an extended project. I would also feel compelled to restore the frame of the 1977 once I have the existing body off of it. That would most likely involve removal of the engine and Driveline, sanding the rust off of the frame and having it powder-coated. I have the budget to complete the process I just wonder whether cutting pieces from a donor vehicle would be the better route versus 100% replacement of the cab. it might be inevitable that I have to remove the cab because the rear tailgate support/ tailpan is horribly rotted. I have the replacement for that ready to go but I'm wondering if it would be easier to just remove the body and take care of it.
 
A cage is not needed for street driving but if its tied into the frame it does help strengthen the frame which helps. But that’s just over analyzing things.

Just throwing this out there, if you’re seeing yourself going that far it might make sense to buy another K5 with less rot and build that one. Drive this one and enjoy the summer without the top and when you’re ready you can harvest the parts off it that you want to keep. Try and piece together what’s left into at least a roller and sell off the carcass
 
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I am also in California and it is easy (and cheap) to find rust free tubs so my patience for rust repair is pretty low.

Smog laws have made 76 & newer trucks hard to keep on the road so the ones that don’t pass are usually pretty affordable parts trucks.
 
Gibby56 said:
A cage is not needed for street driving but if its tied into the frame it does help strengthen the frame which helps. But that’s just over analyzing things.

Just throwing this out there, if you’re seeing yourself going that far it might make sense to buy another K5 with less rot and build that one. Drive this one and enjoy the summer without the top and when you’re ready you can harvest the parts off it that you want to keep. Try and piece together what’s left into at least a roller and sell off the carcass
Click to expand...

I was hoping to keep the 77 because the emissions laws are much more lax. I was planning to get the 1977 ready to go and have it registered as a collectible car. In Pennsylvania that means you only have to pass safety inspection and that emission requirements are not required. I suppose it might be easier just to transfer the axles for the 1977 to a newer K5 but any K5 I find in the area will have some type of cancer. Maybe I should start looking in South Carolina or Georgia for a body.

I just received my 14 bolt disc brake conversion and my new ORD Springs should be here next week. I guess I'm at a Crossroads to determine what to do.
 
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Install everything you ordered, take off the top, and drive! You have time. Don’t tear it apart until you get to enjoy it a little bit :waytogo:
 
I would suggest to drive it some as well. You will want to decide how long to have the truck down versus getting it the way you want it.

And when the time comes, what about cutting the cage with the direction of welding plates to the bottom of the legs and putting tubes to the frame which connect with plates to the underside of the body? And then use slugs wherever you have to cut the front hoop to get the legs through the dash. :dunno:
 
6872xtc said:
I would suggest to drive it some as well. You will want to decide how long to have the truck down versus getting it the way you want it.

And when the time comes, what about cutting the cage with the direction of welding plates to the bottom of the legs and putting tubes to the frame which connect with plates to the underside of the body? And then use slugs wherever you have to cut the front hoop to get the legs through the dash. :dunno:
Click to expand...

That makes sense and would seem to allow me to keep the cage and make it removable at the same time. Unclear what you were talking about regarding the thru-dash issue.
 
If you have the steel cab over the front seats, I don't know how you will get the cage in without cutting something, the cage or the dash, or cut the top off of the cab. Maybe taking the dash structure out is the easiest?? But I don't know what the cage is like, if it will slid in the back to the firewall.
 
***cough cough... post a bunch of pictures in your build thread you started...cough cough***
 
Gibby56 said:
A cage is not needed for street driving but if its tied into the frame it does help strengthen the frame which helps. But that’s just over analyzing things.

Just throwing this out there, if you’re seeing yourself going that far it might make sense to buy another K5 with less rot and build that one. Drive this one and enjoy the summer without the top and when you’re ready you can harvest the parts off it that you want to keep. Try and piece together what’s left into at least a roller and sell off the carcass
Click to expand...

The people on this Forum are dangerous. I spent the afternoon looking for a "donor" vehicle. I found an 1989 about 600 miles away. It is about 90% rust free with the floorboard intact and the door jams intact. The seller wants $2750 and I will have to pay about $500 for transport back to Philly. It does not have an engine but it does have the original 1/2 ton axles, full interior, 350turbo Tranny and associated other parts. I figure I can get it up here, remove the cab and sell off the frame, transmission, glass and axles. I could probably get about $1,500 for all of that so I can recoup about 1/2 my investment. At least that is how I am justifying it.... I will put the cab in the garage, massage it, fix any rust issues, sand and primer it and send it out for paint. I will remove the cab from the 1977 and while that is off, I can sand and fix issues with that frame, Por15, Paint and get ready for new cab install. Sounds easy....right? What could go wrong?
 
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