Older front clip and dash on newer truck/vice versa, details....?

[folkenheath]

I tried to find info on this and I know it can be done fairly easily, but I am having trouble locating the detailed questions.

For people that have done this swap, between the 73-80 nose and the 81-87 nose and dash.

First question is in the wiper area. From my measurements the wipers come out at the same angle, but the arm mounts are different length. What about location, can you just swap the wiper arm mounts since they are a different length, and everything looks as factory? Or did they actually change the cab in that cowl area?

What about the dash? Can you swap the 73-80 style dash in place of the 81 - 87 dash, or did the metal behind the dash change?

Just trying to plan for a different build, which I plan to post on CK5 once started. I will need this to look 100% correct when completed.

 

[Blue85]

@kennyw posted up some pictures of this recently. My guess is that the difference is in the wiper arms, since the cab and windshield are mostly the same.

https://ck5.com/forums/threads/73-80-vs-81-91-firewall.349802/post-4354624

There's some good dash information here: https://ck5.com/forums/threads/can-you-swap-a-70s-dashpad-into-an-80s-truck.333609/#post-3873154.

Having recently cut my dash out, I would say it wouldn't be too bad of a project to swap out the dash metal. On the sides it's a bolt-in, but it's part of the windshield pinch weld, so you could overlap there and pop rivet or do spot welds. Probably with the windshield out you could drill the spot welds.

 

[fastazz81]

I have a 84 dash pad on a 73 , bolted on no issues, same with front clip , the front body mounts are different, the wiper arms and linkage bolted on from the 84 to my 73 and works.

 

[folkenheath]

Thanks guys, you answered my questions already, and with details and photos in the other threads I failed at finding...thanks again!

 

[kennyw]

I tried to find info on this and I know it can be done fairly easily, but I am having trouble locating the detailed questions.

For people that have done this swap, between the 73-80 nose and the 81-87 nose and dash.

First question is in the wiper area. From my measurements the wipers come out at the same angle, but the arm mounts are different length. What about location, can you just swap the wiper arm mounts since they are a different length, and everything looks as factory? Or did they actually change the cab in that cowl area?

What about the dash? Can you swap the 73-80 style dash in place of the 81 - 87 dash, or did the metal behind the dash change?

Just trying to plan for a different build, which I plan to post on CK5 once started. I will need this to look 100% correct when completed.

1. Location and angle of the wiper transmission is the same. What changed is the bolt pattern. 73-80 is a 2-bolt pattern. 81-91 is a 3-bolt pattern. Most people are able to redrill for the new pattern without issue.

2. Metal behind the dash did not change other than mounting the VIN tag. What did change is the dash pad and dash bezel.

Other differences are the slots for the 81 and up hood hinges to recess into the cowl. Again, easy to add on the older trucks but making it look factory is another story. And here are some pics: https://ck5.com/forums/threads/73-80-vs-81-91-firewall.349802/page-2#post-4355030

 

[folkenheath]

1. Location and angle of the wiper transmission is the same. What changed is the bolt pattern. 73-80 is a 2-bolt pattern. 81-91 is a 3-bolt pattern. Most people are able to redrill for the new pattern without issue.

2. Metal behind the dash did not change other than mounting the VIN tag. What did change is the dash pad and dash bezel.

Other differences are the slots for the 81 and up hood hinges to recess into the cowl. Again, easy to add on the older trucks but making it look factory is another story. And here are some pics: https://ck5.com/forums/threads/73-80-vs-81-91-firewall.349802/page-2#post-4355030

So can you just bolt the old wiper pivots in a new cab and only use two of the bolt holes?

Sounds like putting an old frontend on a newer cab is the easier direction with the slots.

 

[kennyw]

So can you just bolt the old wiper pivots in a new cab and only use two of the bolt holes?

No, the patterns do not line up at all.

 

[shady]

Here's a pic of the older short post bolted into the newer 3 bolt location.

Not sure if it gives you any help. But it shows its doable.

 

[shady]

That's what my old Rumble Bee truck had.