Ryoken, why don't you make...Half cab kits...?

[jonrpick]

You know, the kind that seals up the cab behind the front seats?

Wicked87_k5 has one: http://coloradok5.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=8397&d=1127721187

Since you've got the fab skills down, maybe you could find time to make a few? I've been reading thread after thread tonight and I saw many CK5er's that were interested, yet couldn't find a source for this piece. Creative Products offered to make me one for $350 two years ago, but I didn't pursue it, and now I believe they're out of business

If not, maybe you could advise us on the best way to DIY it so that it wouldn't look ghetto-fabulous.

Thanks,

 

[4x4_76]

I made one like this:

Stock rear cab, just cut off everything between the front and rear, used stock rear glass.

Unfortunately, never finished it properly:

I used fiberglass to keep two halfs together, and duct taped the seam because I was in a hurry. And it was like that half a year, then the end came for that K5 on that form

 

[jonrpick]

I made one like this:
I used fiberglass to keep two halfs together, and duct taped the seam because I was in a hurry. And it was like that half a year, then the end came for that K5 on that form

I'm thinking if a fiberglass or composite solution can't be done, maybe something formed out of sheet metal, maybe using the back of a pickup cab as a starting point.

Still, cool to see someone that DIY'd it.

 

[4x4_76]

Yeah, I was thinking sheetmetal and pick-up cab too, but more thought I gave to it, I figured it would be easiest to do from stock cab. Took about a day to cut and fit it.

 

[ryoken]

Honestly, it isn't something I've even considered... I personally have no desire to run one on my truck, thus have not thought about whats involved... I'm having enough trouble getting my dash project going..

I'm confident a mold could be made for a removable fiberglass one, tho I'd have to think about how the inset below the bedrails could be dealt with... Either way, to do a one-off custom, would be ALOT of work imo... More than any of my projects thus far..

I wish everyone the best in their attempts at this.. And as always, if anyone thinks I can help, gimme a shout...

 

[jonrpick]

Honestly, it isn't something I've even considered... I personally have no desire to run one on my truck, thus have not thought about whats involved... I'm having enough trouble getting my dash project going..

I'm confident a mold could be made for a removable fiberglass one, tho I'd have to think about how the inset below the bedrails could be dealt with... Either way, to do a one-off custom, would be ALOT of work imo... More than any of my projects thus far..

I wish everyone the best in their attempts at this.. And as always, if anyone thinks I can help, gimme a shout...

Well I have a friend that does a little bit of fiberglass work. It's very amateurish right now, but he says he's getting better and better. I've heard that some of the fiberglass bed covers for pickups begin life as a wooden frame and have the 'glass laid over that, but I like your idea of using a mold even better

I gotta tell you though, with your fabrication skills, you could probably develope a line of cool products and make a good living selling the stuff out of the back of truck magazines and at car shows. You Sir, do some fine work.

 

[NEK5]

You Sir, do some fine work.

Indeed

As for the bed covers, yeah, thats one way to do it. I`m actually in the middle of a project now involving glassin over wood. Fun stuff!

 

[jonrpick]

Indeed

As for the bed covers, yeah, thats one way to do it. I`m actually in the middle of a project now involving glassin over wood. Fun stuff!

Well, by all means, show us the pics!

 

[4WheelCowboy]

half cab

metrodps posted about somthing as tohow to make one. Hesaid he had a report or blueprint for it from the government. I no can find the post an I can not search for it since me no t member.

 

[ryoken]

I've heard that some of the fiberglass bed covers for pickups begin life as a wooden frame and have the 'glass laid over that,

hehe, you should see boat construction!

I gotta tell you though, with your fabrication skills, you could probably develope a line of cool products and make a good living selling the stuff out of the back of truck magazines and at car shows. You Sir, do some fine work.

I'm very excited about the dash project.. I just hope work doesn't get in the way... Thanks for the props man, is nice to now people appreciate your work...

 

[jonrpick]

metrodps posted about somthing as tohow to make one. Hesaid he had a report or blueprint for it from the government. I no can find the post an I can not search for it since me no t member.

Yeah, I saw that and even downloaded the PDF to my desktop

I do like the look of the pro-built aftermarket stuff though. Between the aftermarket stuff and the home-built stuff, I came up with a new idea that I'm thinking of building, but I'll need some time to get it figured out.

I'll "settle" for a standard bolt-in half-cab conversion, but what I really want is a flat rear window that rolls down , preferably electric, using some of the guts of a power tailgate that I have sitting in strorage.

 

[NEK5]

Well, by all means, show us the pics!

They`ll be in my build thread later on

 

[4WheelCowboy]

what I was thinkn at the time was like how they did the front but grafting the back window part to it and with the metalinsert make it where the rear window track fits and use the electricl switch. I so not have fabricting skills but thought I might try to get me auto body teacher conned into letting me try next year as a school project.

 

[jonrpick]

what I was thinkn at the time was like how they did the front but grafting the back window part to it and with the metalinsert make it where the rear window track fits and use the electricl switch. I so not have fabricting skills but thought I might try to get me auto body teacher conned into letting me try next year as a school project.

Sounds very similar to what I was thinking. My plan is to go with a piece of flat glass rather than the curved glass window from the back of a K5. If I can find something with the right dimensions from a donor vehicle, I'd love to use a window with a built-in heater / defrost.

The upper piece would be modeled after the back of the existing hardtop, with a channel to receive the window as it came up. The lower piece, which would block off the cab from the bed, would be metal, and bolted into brackets that were welded in place on the inside of the bed. It would also serve as the mounting location for the window and all the hardware to get it to move up and down.

The way I picture it in my mind, it'd be totally removable, with the exception of the bracketry to mount it. That way I could switch between the half-cab/psuedo-Trazer or regular K5 top whenever I want. Although, I'm pretty sure I'd keep it half-cab 99% of the time. It'd make the heating and A/C much more effective, and it'd just be way cool