Full convertible conversion

[Dillyp]

Looking for opinions here. I bought a 73 k5 Jimmy the other day. Its pretty rusty, quarters, fenders, rockers, front floors ect. It does run and drive though. Im considering using it to convert my 82 to full convertible. Whats the general consensus on this? While the 73 is rough, its complete and running. 350/350/203, 12 bolt/d44/3.73. Came with 2 tops, an extra rust-free power window tailgate, extra folding rear seat, a set of rallyes, and the original steelies with the uncommon early GMC hubcaps. Clear NC title. Should I part it out, and covert my 82, or offer it up for someone to restore? I like the thought of having the full convertible, but don't want to kill the value of my 82. Im not worried about the labor in the conversion, I'm a competent fabricator, and my neighbor does body work, and is a hotrodder himself. I have a 73-78 rollbar to help with cab flex, and would add some support where the 73 would have rocker boxes. What would you do?

 

[Joel Wilson]

Looking for opinions here. I bought a 73 k5 Jimmy the other day. Its pretty rusty, quarters, fenders, rockers, front floors ect. It does run and drive though. Im considering using it to convert my 82 to full convertible. Whats the general consensus on this? While the 73 is rough, its complete and running. 350/350/203, 12 bolt/d44/3.73. Came with 2 tops, an extra rust-free power window tailgate, extra folding rear seat, a set of rallyes, and the original steelies with the uncommon early GMC hubcaps. Clear NC title. Should I part it out, and covert my 82, or offer it up for someone to restore? I like the thought of having the full convertible, but don't want to kill the value of my 82. Im not worried about the labor in the conversion, I'm a competent fabricator, and my neighbor does body work, and is a hotrodder himself. I have a 73-78 rollbar to help with cab flex, and would add some support where the 73 would have rocker boxes. What would you do?

I would take what you want out of the extras, sell the rest, and use that money to get the 73 up to snuff. Keep the 82 as a daily driver. A 73 with a Softop looks pretty slick too.

 

[nvrenuf]

I cut my '91 but I'm not worried about value as I'm not a flipper and keep a truck until it's dead. I hate rust, I am not a body man and and don't trust my own repairs to not haunt me in 5 years so I decided to cut my straight, rust free '91 instead of paying too much for a rusty builder project. That said, my '91 is a wheeler so while it was really nice when I got it by this point I had stripped it of everything that might have made it valuable. You have an advantage since you have a complete donor / builder, you just have to decide if you want to put all that work into it.

I consider the full top mod to be one that can make or break a project depending on how well the conversion goes, once done it's amazing though.

I will caution you to really think through what you'll do to brace up the tub post cut. You mentioned a roll bar but if it's factory it doesn't tie to the firewall / windshield frame and this area does get flimsy without the roof to support it, I could grab my windshield frame and rock it front to back almost an inch. You'll definitely need to either tie the roll bar to the firewall / windshield frame or go underneath and build some bracing under the rockers going forward. I added a full cage to mine and tied it to the windshield frame but I still want to add some bracing lower from the A pillar bars to the firewall (under or behind the dash).

 

[Dillyp]

I cut my '91 but I'm not worried about value as I'm not a flipper and keep a truck until it's dead. I hate rust, I am not a body man and and don't trust my own repairs to not haunt me in 5 years so I decided to cut my straight, rust free '91 instead of paying too much for a rusty builder project. That said, my '91 is a wheeler so while it was really nice when I got it by this point I had stripped it of everything that might have made it valuable. You have an advantage since you have a complete donor / builder, you just have to decide if you want to put all that work into it.

I consider the full top mod to be one that can make or break a project depending on how well the conversion goes, once done it's amazing though.

I will caution you to really think through what you'll do to brace up the tub post cut. You mentioned a roll bar but if it's factory it doesn't tie to the firewall / windshield frame and this area does get flimsy without the roof to support it, I could grab my windshield frame and rock it front to back almost an inch. You'll definitely need to either tie the roll bar to the firewall / windshield frame or go underneath and build some bracing under the rockers going forward. I added a full cage to mine and tied it to the windshield frame but I still want to add some bracing lower from the A pillar bars to the firewall (under or behind the dash).

On your roll bar, did you bring the front down the a pillars into the firewall, or did you have a hoop that tied in at the top of the windshield frame?

 

[nvrenuf]

On your roll bar, did you bring the front down the a pillars into the firewall, or did you have a hoop that tied in at the top of the windshield frame?

Currently, mine is only tied to the top of the windshield frame with tabs coming off the halo going to where the hard top brackets bolt on. Using these points wasn't an issue for me as I don't have a top and at most only plan for a bikini top someday. The A pillar bars run down through the dash to the floor in the area just below where the high beam foot switch would be. At some point I plan to either run a horizontal tube between the A pillar leg and the firewall (using small sandwich plates) to tie to the firewall -or- I may run from the cage leg to a 7/16-ish bolt that secures each end of the dash to the hinge pillar of the cab.

 

[Bigb55]

The 73 is fixable If you want to tackle it. Once fixed and if you do it somewhat correctly. It will be worth far more then what you spent to fix it up. And much more then a converted 82.

If you choose to fix the 73 do it with a hard top on so it stays aligned.