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Turn my Pick up 2 seater to a family 4 seater??

stallion85

stallion85

1/2 ton status
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Jul 11, 2003
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Cedar City, UT
Hey guys, I am at a crossroad right now. As it sits i have a well built 1-ton on 42's. It is a great wheelin machine, but I am realizing that not being able to take the family along with me kind of sucks:(

Right now I have my truck up for trade on pirate. I am looking for a built 4 runner, but with the kind of cash those guys want I am sure I will never get the kind of rig I am looking for.

So I am thinking of some alternatives. First I would like to keep the truck I have now and do some sort of body swap.....crew cab maybe??? What kind of mess will I be getting myself into??

Instead of swapping a cab over what would my options be for just removing the cab and putting some sort of tube chassis around the frame kind of like Watsons or Fox's?

Can anyone give me an honest price on what something like that would cost?? I would be interested in haveing a shop do it if the price were right. If I could do most of the prep work and they could just build a nice tube cage around the frame to accomodate 4 seats it would be awesome.

I don't need a 4 link or anything like that, just keep the leafs and maybe shorten up the wheel base a little.

I don't have the facilities to do a cab swap nor have I tackled such a project. If you guys tell me it's easy enough I could procure some space to do it, but might need some encouragement.

First thing is first, I am going to complete the doubler project and hydro assist on the beast then tackle this project after my Hammers trip in April.


Share your thoughts and opinions please.......oh ya and no comments on how I already had a K5 with 4 seats and went to a truck you idiot kind of statements:p:
 
I went through the same dilema. Hendrixmotorsports builds a couple chassis, a formula chassis, and an x-chassis. If you are wanting to stay leaf sprung I would say a formula four chassis would be the best bet. His cost is cheap you couldnt buy the metal and tools for price he sells them for.

Here is link to his website his prices are listed I think I paid around 1300 for mine. www.hendrixmotorsports.com

Here is a pic of a formula toy.

DSC_8764.jpg


Here is a pic of mine setting on top of my 76 k10 chassis.

100_1450.jpg
 
Question, for all you guys that has put a tube frame on your chassis did you just weld the tube to the chassis or did you mount it with body supports?
 
Mine is welded straight to the chassis.

Stallion, forget about the tube thing. For the sake of your sanity, just don't even think about it.
 
lol, I like the Hendrix Chassis. I think I will just keep building the M1008 and take the perfect 4 runner if and when one is offered for a trade. Can I still be a Ck5 member with a Toyota? I guess if Frizzle Fry can do it....so can I :)
 
Why not just swap a crew cab on it, cut your bed down, and have an even more badass m1008? It just seems like its more of a family vehicle "as family as a large m1008 can be hah" So i'd say go for that, its done, but not overdone, and looks very good if done right. my 2 cents..
 
Yes, you are right. If done nicely it could be really awesome. The problem is I live on a military base and don't even have a garage right now. They kind of frown on the kind of work I do to my rig. I can just imagine what the Col would say if I was swapping bodies over in base housing....lol.
 
I say go for the CC swap, you'll be able to keep all the work you've put into your rig, still have a bed (you won't really appreciate it until it's gone), and more room than a 'Yota. Just my .02.

If your base isn't gonna let you swap cabs, they sure aren't gonna let you build a tube thing.
 
"A tube thing" I like the sound of that. If I were to got tube cab I have a friend who could store my rig in his garage. Just not enough room for a cab swap........
 
stallion85 said:
"A tube thing" I like the sound of that.
Click to expand...

That's what I call mine since there are really no other applicable names. :crazy: Tell your guys that they're going for a little PT, jog to the house, lift the cab off, jog back. Installation is the reverse of removal. :D
 
Jeff, what you really want is not a 4Runner, but an 80-series Cruiser or an LX450... you've seen how well these work...
 
The guy who bought my cousins old truck cut the back of the cab out, and put in one of those "sleepers". Then he cut the front of the bed to match and used some sort of weather boot to cover the edge. He made a new bulkhead below the rear window on the sleeper and basicaly turned it into an extended cab. I saw it at a show once and it turned out nice.

It may be some work, but will probably be cheaper than some other options.

Or, ... you could put a camper sheel on yours and remove the rear window with a boot in the same fashion. Bolt in a seat and belts. The kiddos would have to get in from the back though.
 
I don't see the issue of the cab swap over the tube, either or your going to have to remove everything, why not pull your cab and all the stuff you need in your buddies garage, junk or sell your cab, and pickup your crew cab and then do the swap. unless the trucks your dd, if you have somewhere to store it then your all set.
 
I would do the CC swap with a custom Flatbed. You could do tube doors if you wanted, or even Exo the thing. I remember seeing some posts on doing the CC swap onto a LB chassis, with pics, etc. It appears to be a relatively simple swap if you go to a Blazer or Sub fuel tank. The saddles are the main problem- they interfere with the rear of the body. You could shorten your bed, but I think a flatbed with boxes, etc., is the way to go and would improve your clearance/ take a beating.

You already have the CUCV working the way you want it, I don't see any reason to go to smaller lighter stuff.

Does your base have a hobby or auto shop?

Not sure how fast you wrench, but I think that with a couple of buddies you could get the cab on and make it drivable over a long weekend, assuming you have access to all of the tools you need.

My ideal fullsize trail rig would be a CC on a regular cab longbed frame with tube doors, a short tapered tube bed, and a tapered tube front end, with removable glass fenders that I could pull off when I was going to wheel.

That, or a similarly built Burb with a removable blazer top in the back.
 
bowtiepower00 said:
I would do the CC swap with a custom Flatbed. You could do tube doors if you wanted, or even Exo the thing. I remember seeing some posts on doing the CC swap onto a LB chassis, with pics, etc. It appears to be a relatively simple swap if you go to a Blazer or Sub fuel tank. The saddles are the main problem- they interfere with the rear of the body. You could shorten your bed, but I think a flatbed with boxes, etc., is the way to go and would improve your clearance/ take a beating.

You already have the CUCV working the way you want it, I don't see any reason to go to smaller lighter stuff.

Does your base have a hobby or auto shop?

Not sure how fast you wrench, but I think that with a couple of buddies you could get the cab on and make it drivable over a long weekend, assuming you have access to all of the tools you need.

My ideal fullsize trail rig would be a CC on a regular cab longbed frame with tube doors, a short tapered tube bed, and a tapered tube front end, with removable glass fenders that I could pull off when I was going to wheel.

That, or a similarly built Burb with a removable blazer top in the back.
Click to expand...

That is an excellent idea! I also had envisioned something like this. I already have a Fuel Cell so that wouldn't be a problem. The base hobby shop is unfortunately packed. I do have a trailer with storage on the base. I think the first step will be to locate a Crew Cab with a crapped out drivetrain. I think with tube doors and a narrowed front end this could turn out really sharp. I do agree with the flat bed idea. I just don't like the look of the shortened bed.

Hmm the wheels are turning.........
 
I love the look of the crew cab short bed thing. Although the idea of getting some type of camper shell and cutting out the bulkhead has merit too. Only problem with that is you have a huge truck with alot of stuff to hit out on the trail.
 
MTMike i beleive did the CC swap onto his single cab short bed. He said himself it would have turned out alot easier if it was a longbed. You will have more "bed" room, along with more room for the cab between the axles. I beleived the most work will be mounts for the rear of the cab, which shouldnt be that hard at all! Contact MTMike and im sure he can let you know about any questions you got on the swap.

I see no reason to give up something you already got the way you like it. Just modify it for your needs more!

BTW: Everytime i see pics of your CUCV, i think of how damn close i was to owning it before you decided to keep it. lol
 
Another neat options would include narrowing the whole cab and/ or going to a rear radiator. You could also integrate a winch into your flatbed. Narrowing the CC would take some time, though.

Crew Cabs are pretty easy to find (in good shape) in the SW, I've seen some here on CK5, too.
 
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