Bought my first cab today!

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Starting up a shopping list trying to keep it as cheap as possible because I'm not working with a lot of cash so far I've got this I need to get:
Front axle, spindles, drum brakes, split bones, vega box, cen pen traditional air kit not sure how I'm gonna do the shocks yet, some late model dually rear end with drums, rear bags and shocks, wheels/tires to get it up to a steering roller over the winter
 
should run your air ride controls like this. Lot cheaper and looks badass
 

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I am going to run manual air on mine and we were talking about doing the ball valve setup but then I found (Little Larrys Fourplay) it is an awesome manual manifold style air setup.
 
Dude, that's a beautiful cab you got there.:cool:

Like the others have said, money spent on good metal to start with is money well spent.:)

The little truck in my avitar is a great example... I paid $800 for it off a used car lot 6 years ago and promptly removed and scrapped almost everything that bolts on, then bought better replacements. The money I have in that little s**tbox (that hasn't moved in 6 years) I could have bought a solid southern truck and been driving it long ago.:( Penny wise, pound foolish.:(

Like that you're not going to chop yours. I agree, the proportions are right on.

Looking forward to seeing how this turns out.:cool:

Regards,
Shea:)
 
Dude, that's a beautiful cab you got there.:cool:

Like the others have said, money spent on good metal to start with is money well spent.:)

The little truck in my avitar is a great example... I paid $800 for it off a used car lot 6 years ago and promptly removed and scrapped almost everything that bolts on, then bought better replacements. The money I have in that little s**tbox (that hasn't moved in 6 years) I could have bought a solid southern truck and been driving it long ago.:( Penny wise, pound foolish.:(

Like that you're not going to chop yours. I agree, the proportions are right on.

Looking forward to seeing how this turns out.:cool:

Regards,
Shea:)
Thank you!

So I am really on the fence, tack weld my own frame and save a ton of money, or have someone build the perimeter for me... Like I said my welding/fab is currently limited skill level and safety is the first thing I keep in mind on each part of my build.

Couple of other things I am trying to figure out, am I better off getting a new axle say from speedway or lucky 7 and running the 28-48 spindles with a 5 on 4 1/2 bc or trying to find something older? I pretty much nixed the dually idea and am going to take a little different route.

I decided I wanna run a standard spring front rather than air to help costs and simplicity, bag the rear and just have a neat rake while road going. I also decided no chopping or channeling, so a heavy z for the rear and some on the front, I'd like to lay frame when the bags air out.

I want to run pretty much bare metal, is there a way to remove what paint is left on it without removing any patina thats there?? It has some really neat character but I hate the white. I think once I get the cab home I am going to lay out with 2x4 wood how I want it to set out, I am thinking a 6' bed with the wheels centered, suicide axle out front, I want it to be a little long but not way stretched out since I need clearance to get in and out of my driveway and to drive decently down the road.

For what cash I do have to start with where is my best place to put my money to get my start??

-Bud
 
It's not the look for everybody, but I went with a 56 F100 front axle,I see them cheap on craigslist sometimes where someone is going MII frontend..
I have less that $200 in my entire front axle/suspension including disc brakes..I know a lot would rather have a more traditional hot rod looking front end and I probably would too..but this fit the budget..pics are in my build thread in my siggy if you want to check it out..
 
is it really a 38-39? it looks like it at the fire wall but has later doors on it. so the body lines wont match. could be an optical illusion with the paint, they just look like 40-46 doors
 
is it really a 38-39? it looks like it at the fire wall but has later doors on it. so the body lines wont match. could be an optical illusion with the paint, they just look like 40-46 doors

I'll know better once I get it back, its possible he put doors on it but everything latches and works as it should... I'll get a ton of pics when I go pick it up
 
It's not the look for everybody, but I went with a 56 F100 front axle,I see them cheap on craigslist sometimes where someone is going MII frontend..
I have less that $200 in my entire front axle/suspension including disc brakes..I know a lot would rather have a more traditional hot rod looking front end and I probably would too..but this fit the budget..pics are in my build thread in my siggy if you want to check it out..

Your front end setup isn't bad. I'm not dead set on having a 100% correct tradition rod, I'm not planning white walls, nor a lot of the traditional stuff anyways, so it may be a good option for me I'll look into it for sure!
 
Your front end setup isn't bad. I'm not dead set on having a 100% correct tradition rod, I'm not planning white walls, nor a lot of the traditional stuff anyways, so it may be a good option for me I'll look into it for sure!

Mine is a CITY rat it's not traditional by no means, but you know what it turns heads. click on my build thread down below there go look
 
Mine is a CITY rat it's not traditional by no means, but you know what it turns heads. click on my build thread down below there go look

I LOVE your setup, you have the tires I was looking at only a little less wide than the ones I was looking at. I really dig the tube axle with the spring behind it... hmmmm now you got me thinking...

Heres actually the truck that made me want to get into this type of a project to begin with, it was at a show last year in ocean city and its pretty much the reason I got it stuck in my head that I want to build and drive one of my own..

329055_10150481814839062_1273408741_o.jpg

317614_10150487723809062_1963543161_n.jpg
 
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You guys are giving great feed back and it's really helping me move my idea toward a plan. I'm really thinking air rear and the standard spring front now, I'll have to decide on whether or not to cut the body up or not... Anyone have any ideas how I can strip some of the paint off and leave the patina??
 
You guys are giving great feed back and it's really helping me move my idea toward a plan. I'm really thinking air rear and the standard spring front now, I'll have to decide on whether or not to cut the body up or not... Anyone have any ideas how I can strip some of the paint off and leave the patina??

Strip the paint where it is, you shouldn't have to strip where the "patina" is...

Why not go with traditional suspension front and rear? Smaller kickup necessary out back, less space needed for air tank, compressor and switches.

I know it's a small cab, but it's not a mini truck.;)

They didn't have air suspension on hot rods back in the forties when people started building bobber style trucks. Nothing "traditional" about it.;)

No criticism intended, just giving you a different viewpoint. If you go with traditional style suspension, it would likely be a little more cost effective and easier to build, too.:)

Regards,
Shea:)
 
Strip the paint where it is, you shouldn't have to strip where the "patina" is...

Why not go with traditional suspension front and rear? Smaller kickup necessary out back, less space needed for air tank, compressor and switches.

I know it's a small cab, but it's not a mini truck.;)

They didn't have air suspension on hot rods back in the forties when people started building bobber style trucks. Nothing "traditional" about it.;)

No criticism intended, just giving you a different viewpoint. If you go with traditional style suspension, it would likely be a little more cost effective and easier to build, too.:)

Regards,
Shea:)

Well my biggest problem is 1. Getting in and out of my driveway and 2. The road conditions out here are so bad, that running that low all of the time is going to make it a little tougher, one of the main goals of the build is to build something I want to drive, a lot, hence not chopping/channeling with a manual transmission. But I'm not opposed to running a full on traditional setup if I can get it to look right for me and not be a bear to drive. I'm looking at it from a drivability standpoint not so much a statement standpoint. Channeling might be possible or a chop I'm short, 5'6" but I don't want it to be so bad no one wants a ride. Just trying to find a balance.

So you guys got me thinking and I'm gonna take a couple measurements of where my s10 sits ride height, honestly with my old cobra and my s10 I think they barely clear 4-6" under the body and I can get away with that, if that's the case I don't see why I couldn't run old school front and rear for now and if I don't like it change it as I get the cash, I figure I'll do the same with the chop if I don't like the full cab I can always chop it later
 
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