Once again I look to the collective wisdom of the hamb. I have a 49 f3 that the section above the windshield is completely rusted out, as in gone. If I could find another cab/roof for parts I could weld this area in and repair it but so far no luck. My question: are there any other cars or trucks that anyone can think of that would have a similar shape that I could use? Appreciate any and all suggestions.
im Thinking that unless a really nice donar showed up close and cheap I would lean towards making it. I think with a press brake and a shrinker stretcher you could be fixed up fairly easy I dont know where tree town is but maybe someone local has those tools and could help you make up the patch if you do t own them yourself Anyhow that’s what I’d try
I think Tree Town is Forest City, way up north in the middle of the state. Yes, I'd look into having a sheetmetal shop bend that profile into a few lengths of steel of the right thickness (have them do 18 ga), and buy yourself a shrinker/stretcher. Shrink a little on the inside flange, then stretch a little on the upper flange. Practice makes perfect and I bet you could even make a cheap tool work. If you mess up a piece, try again since you had them bend extras, right? Don't cut anything out of the roof til you have a replacement piece shaped perfectly.
Alchemy you are correct on the location, I suspect I know where M town is also. While I have made patch panels before, the complexity of this shape will be a challenge for me. That's not to say that I won't try to make it eventually, and I'm sure I will eventually succeed but with all the other work on this project I was hoping for at least one "easy button". I was hoping someone would come back and say "I had the same problem and a 1985 -------- has a similar shape " . I have looked at a couple of other cabs from the same era, none of which are Ford's . None of them have anything close (and I have a hard time cutting up old iron even if it is being sold as parts ). Thanks
Some additional info: it may not be clear in the pictures but the roof is also bad a few inches back from the rusted out windshield opening area. That is the part that is challenging me. How to make the transition from the roof, angle back into the cab, then a return down for the windshield retainer/seal add in the horizontal radius across the top of the windshield to the entire part. Perhaps make a buck to hammerform the roof section, make the return section with some angle and weld them together......
Be patient. Someone out there has a junk cab with a good roof. Put some want ads up on craigslist etc...
/\ This. A factory part will be much easier to fit. Get a donor roof and replace all the bad at one time.
If you feel hesitant to build the piece from scratch, I think modifying a chunk from a modern vehicle will be even tougher. As said above, waiting for a donor roof might be your easiest route. Most Iowa vehicles rust out from the bottom up, so there are more roofs out there than floors. Controlling the cuts and welds (warpage) on the roof posts when you swap roofs is probably easier than welding a patch clear across the front of your current roof. Just put the word out, there's got to be one of those F-1's out there somewhere.
We faced the same problem in the cab of a 1937 Dodge Brothers PU The area not shown well around the cowl vent opening was just as bad. I located a salvage yard in California that was early Dodge/Plymouth/ Chrysler only and was able and willing to cut the pieces needed from otherwise damaged cabs. Have you talked to Doug's Four Wheelers in Pella? Post a wanted ad here on the HAMB and the Ford Barn. I located the salvage yard through Antique Automobile Club Of America web site Dodge Trucks.
Shouldn't be that hard to find a cab with the floors/cowl rusted out. Post on FB Marketplace, Craigslist, here, Walmart, parts stores, etc. That is a pretty common truck cab to find. SPark
If you can't find a donor, make templates of what curves, etc. that you need and walk the junk yards. Even better if you can use a good cab to make them. (OT, Did you know that the top half of a '71/'72 Malibu wagon door is the perfect fit for the lower rear quarter of a '66 Malibu). Something will fit.
By the way, it doesn't have to be a pickup. 48 to 52 that part of the cab is the same up to and including F8 trucks.
A friend had the similar problem. Mice. They more than likely peed down the pillar posts as well. Find a donner cab.
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