Flatbed creation via sawsall

 

Ha ha, there's a couple trucks running around these parts like that. A country boy can survive...

 

Nice. I have a set of your wheels too.

The other Dodge sawz-all bed I've seen around here kept the inner bedsides.

 

Nice. I did the same thing to a utility bed on my gasser dually when the tool boxes rotted out.

 

Actually, this is where I have temporarily stopped in dismantling the truck. A flatbed would be cool and put a plow on it for when I head north out of Commiefornia. There's not a good panel on the truck. Getrag locked up on the previous owner and he lost control went through a barbed wire fence spun it around and dumped it on it's side. The hood is salvageable and I'm cutting out small useful pieces like the filler door, wheel arches and tailgate posts that I need. The corrugated bed metal may wind up in my Scout project, maybe. If I ditch the Scout project then maybe find a pre '76 cab and front clip for it and build that plow/work truck. Unfortunately I didn't transfer title and non-op it, it was bought as a parts donor.

 

I have a set of those wheels too, 16.5" on an old '76 crew cab heap I drove till the front bench seat dropped down onto the frame...
Why a pre '76 cab vs a '77 or up to say '79?

 

Same question... I get the attachment to the older style dash. What grille folks like is very subjective.

IMHO with my 75, 77, 84, 88, 89, 90, 93 models.... the best condition cabs nowadays are the 80's. Once production went to mexico (90-91) the rust amps up again.

 

Pre '76 has to do with Commiefornia smog laws. No smog check for '75 and older. No smog for diesels '98 and older, I think. Anything newer than '75 would require going to a "referee" for the engine change. The '90 frame could be an issue, maybe. It's all very confusing in this messed up state. Problem with the old trucks is that the people selling them think they're gold. We'll see. It's a whole lot easier putting new sheetmetal and flatbed on the parts truck than building that Scout! My son thinks I should do the truck, shorten the wheelbase, cage it and put 40s on it!

 

Ahhh... so a pre-76 door and registration