Not all projects we begin start off with perfectly rust-free and dent-free metal. This was definitely the case when we really starting digging into our 1953 Chevy pickup truck build. Once we got the cab all stripped down to bare metal we discovered a number of problem areas that would need to be cut out and replaced with fresh new metal. And for this we called upon Brothers Truck Parts, one of the leaders in replacement parts for Chevy trucks.
For this installment we focus on the replacement of the lower rear cab corners, which are a very typical area for cancerous rust holes. They always manage to be a catchall for any type of debris over the years and just rot away the metal. We also address the truck cab’s floorboards with toeboard pieces that were mangled up from years of abuse and holes from where a different chassis had been mounted underneath. Luckily Brothers Truck Parts came to our rescue and were able to supply all of the necessary replacement pieces to return our cab foundation to its original factory glory.
1. As we begin our floor and cab corner replacement for our Bomb Truck project, here is a very common problem area on these older Chevy and GMC trucks. The lower rear corners of the cab gather debris and rust from the inside out.
2. We started out by masking off our initial straight cut lines and used the electric grinder and cutoff wheel to start removing the problem areas.
3. The new cab corner patch panels from Brothers Truck Parts fit perfectly over the contours of our cab.
4. With the bulk of the old corner sheetmetal out of the way, we can now see the condition of the inner rocker panels, too. We discovered the driver side inner piece needed to be replaced due to rust holes.
5. On the passenger side the inner rocker piece was still in good condition so we decided to retain it. In order to remove the outer sheetmetal piece at the spot welds we actually used a hard grinding wheel on the electric grinder to thin the outer piece until it was paper thin. This method we’ve learned works much better and quicker than trying to drill out all of the spot welds.
6. Brothers Truck Parts came to our rust rescue by supplying a new Inner Cab Corner patch panel. The perfect fitment made installation a snap.
7. The new lower cab corner was trimmed to fit with perfect gaps then butt-welded in place for a seamless finished product. We made sure to keep tack welding a little at a time to reduce warpage. Once the seam was fully welded up, we proceeded to smooth it all out.
8. Our next part of metal panel replacement was the floor of our truck cab, which also showed definite signs of wear from over the years, so we decided to call on Brothers Truck Parts for all new panels too. The new floorpan with toeboard pieces from Brothers are formed to factory specs and will make our floors just like new.
9. After mapping out the cut lines, Greg used our Miller Electric Manufacturing Company plasma cutter to get rid of the old floor and toeboards.
10. With the old floor pieces out of the way, we now have a clean slate to start the reconstruction process.
11. Both of the floorpans with toeboard pieces from Brothers dropped right into place, flawlessly.
12. Now that the new floorboards are welded in they’re good as new, if not even better, thanks to the amazing replacement pieces available through Brothers Truck Parts!
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