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37-38 Chevy extended cab pickup?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by rnx69, Aug 14, 2012.

  1. rnx69
    Joined: Feb 28, 2009
    Posts: 36

    rnx69
    Member
    from Estonia

    Found only one or two from Google, so I ask, maybe anybody have more pics.

    My idea - to modify that '37 4 door, I got few months ago, to extended cab pickup, using front doors and rear quarter window parts of sedan. The lower parts of rear doors and almost anything below and rearward that are shot, so no point to restore.

    At the moment I am searching ideas, so any pics of similar trucks are welcome :)
     
  2. 24riverview
    Joined: Jan 13, 2008
    Posts: 1,052

    24riverview
    Member

    Local truck with stretched regular pickup cab.
    [​IMG]
     
    Speedwrench likes this.
  3. Magnum Wheel Man
    Joined: May 11, 2011
    Posts: 424

    Magnum Wheel Man
    Member

    I've got a 1938 Motor News magazine that has some pics of early crew cabs, available in 1938 ( I believe they are Fords ??? )
     
  4. Rogueman
    Joined: Jan 18, 2011
    Posts: 301

    Rogueman
    Member

    I'd change my mind if I were you, after seeing that pic. The truck looks to long. look at those running boards.
     

  5. Kinky6
    Joined: May 11, 2003
    Posts: 1,765

    Kinky6
    Member


    Too long for what? Sometimes function needs to trump style. ;)

    Here's 47 Hudson for comparison.

    Later, Kinky6 :cool:
     

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    tb33anda3rd likes this.
  6. Rogueman
    Joined: Jan 18, 2011
    Posts: 301

    Rogueman
    Member

    What ever you guys like! It just doen't work for me.

    Different tastes is what makes the world go around.
     
  7. I think it will be cool if you keep the proportion and lines right.
    Of course it will look long and possibly odd to others as they haven't seen such before.
    That don't mean its not cool, means its different.

    Its got to look like it was built that way & its tough to do.
     
  8. 29moonshine
    Joined: Dec 30, 2006
    Posts: 1,341

    29moonshine
    Member

    not a 37-8 but my 35 chevy
     

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  9. Magnum Wheel Man
    Joined: May 11, 2011
    Posts: 424

    Magnum Wheel Man
    Member

    personally I'd keep the crew doors... if everyone dug up the pics, maybe you could rebuild the bottom of the doors & keep it as original... the pics in my magazine look pretty cool actually... I'd love to have one
     
  10. carlisle1926
    Joined: May 19, 2010
    Posts: 536

    carlisle1926
    Member

    Here is another 1937 extended cab- kind of. These trucks are just to small for me to fit into. I cut the cowl off of another truck and extended the cowl of this truck 3" between the hood and windshield. That gives me three inches more legroom. That is a huge difference. I could have/should have stretched it another 1" or so. This a before after picture. I'm still welding it together today. I chopped the top 3"
    [​IMG]


    [​IMG]
     
  11. junkyardjeff
    Joined: Jul 23, 2005
    Posts: 8,588

    junkyardjeff
    Member

    If I ever build another 37 or 38 I will get a extra cab and set of doors and stretch the cab about 6 inches,that way it would still look stock but have more room on the inside.
     
  12. MRTS33
    Joined: Aug 17, 2011
    Posts: 207

    MRTS33
    Member

    I have seen a model A that a tree fell on the trunk. The guy cut the trunk off and made it a extra cad pickup.
     
  13. streetrodmuscle
    Joined: May 2, 2010
    Posts: 3

    streetrodmuscle
    Member

    I have a 38 Willys pickup in good standing, BUT I cannot find a comfortable driving position. My right leg is in 45 degrees and my kneecap is almost in my chin. And I am not a big guy!
    I need to drive some distances and this just does not work. I have two options, sell the pickup or extend the cab. I think I will not go for a crew cab type with an extra window. That will be too difficult to make it look right, but perhaps a 5-8 inch extension right behind the door. Adding some thin chairs and getting the optimum height may also help.
    What about cutting out the firewall around the pedals and adding a couple of inches?
    What do you think?
     
  14. I've never seen an extended cab pickup done on a 33-48 or so truck that looked quite right, that little quarter window in a square shape always looks funny. A few newer, and a few older, have gotten the proportions right, but not many. The older ones it's a tad easier because they tended to have squared windows on the coupes and sedans anyways. I'm not sure the car body pieces will mix well with the truck cab without a ton of tin work, cutting and reshaping.

    I tried out a '31 A cab and when I decided it was too small for me to be comfortable in, I sold it. If I get back into an early hot rod build, I have a '32 Stude 4-door sedan body shell to cut down into a pickup. Room should be no issue.
     
  15. raymay
    Joined: Mar 2, 2008
    Posts: 2,532

    raymay
    Member

    I designed my 37 Kingcab Pickup back in 92. I started by cutting and pasting pictures, doing drawings and building a diecast model to get my ideas together.
    My build is mounted on an S-10 Chassis which makes it a nice handling truck on the road. The cab is long enough to accomidate rear jump seats. I have a trunk in the bed for my spare and other stuff. The cab extention was actually part of another set of truck doors. Part of the roof was from another cab. The box was custom built and is mounted slightly higher than an original which gives the truck a bit of a lowered look. The front floor was modified for better leg room and dash modified to accommidate the AC. I liked the Suicide doors I did on my chopped 37 Chevy Sedan so I did it again on this truck.
    Spent to much time having fun driving this truck to ever put a real paint job on it. My barn is now getting full since I bought another project in Michigan last week and I do not drive the truck as much anymore. I think it may be time to consider selling it.
    Good luck on your build and don't be afraid to be creative. There is only one person you really need to please and that is yourself.
     

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  16. rnx69
    Joined: Feb 28, 2009
    Posts: 36

    rnx69
    Member
    from Estonia

    Wow, that's a nice pickup, ramray :)

    I'm pretty sure that I'll have pretty much "fun" cutting and welding and leading, but that's OK. I think I will learn a lot building it and don't afraid to screw up a little bit here and there too - I got the car for almost none.

    The extended cab idea came few months ago after driving 90's GMC extended cab and finding out how practical it was. I just loved the extra room back there, so decided to give a try.
     
  17. raymay
    Joined: Mar 2, 2008
    Posts: 2,532

    raymay
    Member

    Since you have a car body and want to turn it into a truck, there is something you should be aware of. The 37 and 38 cars may look a lot like the trucks but they are definitely different. Cowls, grilles, and hoods are wider on the trucks. The body lines and the fenders are also very different so there is not much room for mixing the car and truck parts without some major modification. GM used a similar truck cab design in a tall and short cab in 1934 and 1935 which were a little more square and then from 1936 to 1938 they had the same body lines but a more rounded cab design.
    The 1937 and 1938 cars had the new Harley Earl designed "Speed Line Styling" and were the first of the all steel body construction. Both years of these cars looked the same except for the hood, cowl, and grille.
    Here are a couple of car pictures of my 37 and a 38 and my 37 truck. Hope this information is helpful.

    IMG_1716.JPG 38 1.jpg 48.JPG
     
    Last edited: Sep 19, 2015
  18. rnx69
    Joined: Feb 28, 2009
    Posts: 36

    rnx69
    Member
    from Estonia

    Actually, I didn't mean mixing car and truck body parts - I know they are way too different.

    As I planned, I'll cut the body shell behind front doors, then bring rear quarter window and roof to front until the quarter window meets the door. And the cabin rear wall and rear quarter panels will be custom made. I think I should chop the roof few inches too to get the proportions right.

    I even played with kind of "el camino" idea, resembling kind of Australian utes, but thought that separate box will look better.

    My greatest concern at the moment is modifying the S10 chassis to fit under that kind of cab.
     
  19. rnx69
    Joined: Feb 28, 2009
    Posts: 36

    rnx69
    Member
    from Estonia

    Haven't posted for a long time, but it's time to. Last weekend I chopped my chassis donor - 1996 RWD Blazer, so now I got some rolling chassis for my idea. Eventually, I got my shop ground cleaned up for the project too, so this weekend would be the day when I can roll the '37 inside and the work could begin.

    Few weeks ago, I played for a hour or so with pencil and paper and made small sketch about the idea:

    [​IMG]

    Not too traditional, I know, but after long hours of talking to local authorities, I found that the only way that I could make the car running on the streets again would be registering it as homebuilt vehicle. So that dictates the modern street rod styling - covered wheels, turn signals, rear fog lights, emission compatible engine etc. The earliest time that I could resemble stylistically would be late 70's, early 80's I guess.

    I managed to find '36 fenders, hood and grill in pretty decent shape (fenders are not so good actually), so I have to modify these so these could fit to '37 body. I think that I would make new hood from scratch, so actually I'd have pretty decent '36 hood with sides and locks left. Sure, it has some surface rust, but nothing is rotten and the sheetmetal is true and in pretty good shape. So if someone is interested (in Europe area preferably :) ), let me know.

    Btw, sorry for that crappy shot of the sketch - I hadn't scanner at the moment around :)
     
  20. Btw, sorry for that crappy shot of the sketch - I hadn't scanner at the moment around .

    Looks like a ute. I like it
     
  21. rnx69
    Joined: Feb 28, 2009
    Posts: 36

    rnx69
    Member
    from Estonia

    Well, my friend gave me an brilliant idea - to connect the box with cabin, but make it slightly narrower. Some kind of different Ute - if you like to name it so. To me, classic Aussie Ute has been always kind of weird vehicle, some are cool, some are built so off. I think the separate box (or visually separated one) make the car seem more complete.
     
  22. CGkidd
    Joined: Mar 2, 2002
    Posts: 2,909

    CGkidd
    Member

    Hey Carlisle Any more pics of the front end on that I am kind of digging it. I have a 38 with a 3in chop.

     
  23. Truckedup
    Joined: Jul 25, 2006
    Posts: 4,661

    Truckedup
    Member

    I like the extended cowl shown above. It's subtle and retains stock proportions while adding a few inches of needed leg room.But you have to resize the truck forward of the cowl?
    On the other hand,in my opinion,extended from the door back old PU's look like plastic body street rods.
     
  24. http://www.flickriver.com/photos/jacksnell707/3012314253/



    I don't think Chevy had 5 window ute in 37,38 only bulbous top 3 window .
    But ford did have both a 3 & 5 window. That car linked above is on the hamb I believe.


    I think your drawing looks down right good
     
  25. thor1970
    Joined: Jun 11, 2013
    Posts: 2

    thor1970
    Member

    this is one that I built
     
  26. ...I'd never do this for myself, but if I were to do it, I'd add some in the cowl, some thru the doors and some behind the door, but very little, like an inch or inch & a half each, the truck would look almost factory but chopped due to the added length. A friend did a 40 Ford p.u. cab this way and looked very nice and proportional. Lots of work for a few inches....
     
  27. raymay
    Joined: Mar 2, 2008
    Posts: 2,532

    raymay
    Member

    You can easily stretch the body by using a 2dr Sedan door which is 10" longer than the 4dr. Using a Sedan for your Truck body is very much like the Australian Ute. They are cool but I never warmed up to the shape of their tops.
    I like to see a nice flow using the different body lines of a vehicle. It is great when a car looks like it is moving when it is standing still.
    When I did my 56 ElCamino conversion I looked at a lot of what others had done. In most cases the lines and angles of the top were not that appealing. Playing with drawings and building a model gave me the look I was going for. The payback is the many comments I get on how much my design looks factory.
    Get the right top design on your Extended Cab build and you got yourself a winner. 1937_chev_ute_received_001.jpg P8142091.JPG
     
    Hnstray likes this.
  28. Hnstray
    Joined: Aug 23, 2009
    Posts: 12,355

    Hnstray
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Quincy, IL

    Your "El Camino" is the best conversion I have seen. Very Nice!!

    Ray
     
  29. GearheadsQCE
    Joined: Mar 23, 2011
    Posts: 3,375

    GearheadsQCE
    Alliance Vendor

    Seeing the Ute makes me think that the ideal would be to use 2 door sedan doors for length, coupe top with the sloped 'B' pillar and quarter windows. That doesn't help you use up the 4 door. Also you need to keep the feature line in the doors.

    I would like to see a drawing or photoshop with these mods and, an attached and separate bed.
     
  30. Here is an original USA built '38 Ute.
    Was imported into NZ new by the American Air Force when they were based here.
    Just acquired this little beauty.
    Spare bits beside it.[​IMG]
     
    volvobrynk likes this.

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