i was wondering if anyone has ever seen a 31 extended cab? i think i am going to extend it 12 inches and use a 32 style header to slant the windshield back. i also want to flush fit the doors. i was thinking about a shorter bed, maybe 40 inches or so. i drew a picture and it looked pretty cool. any imput would be great. i will try to post the picture tonight. i was thinking about running a late model 4 cylinder from a mustang. (just a thought, not set in stone) thanks steve
Been done several times. I'm not a huge fan myself just because of proportions, but it could make a huge difference in comfort. If I was looking to do this with the lated back windshield deal, I would start with a '31 Slant windshield fordor cowl to keep the "Model A ness" in the deal.
Are you planning on extending it just for extra leg room, or do you want to use that extra space for passengers? At only 12" I am thinking the former. I Have a '31 Coupe body with wrecked quarters that I have thought about doing something similar with that. I have a sedan lower rear section I could use to cap the back off after the quarters are gone. I sketched this up channeled over the frame and dropped another 3 inches or so from there with a stock length bed and it looked pretty awesome. I then sketched a stretched bed (maybe 6") to keep it in proportion with the extra cab length and it looked even better. I will try to post up some scans later tonight.
When I was in High School, Mid 50's, the guy down the street from me cut the rear doors out of his A sedan. Moved the back section up and also shortened the wheel base the same amount. Probably about 70" wheelbase. Pulled wheelies at the drop of the clutch.
I think speedway actually sells a extended cab fiberglass pickup body (may be 32 vs.31 can't remember) Riding in the old mans model a anouther 4-6 inches would really be nice, I wonder if a guy could increase the cab sizes proportionally like add a couple of inches to the door a couple to the cowl, and maby an inch to the back panel, then anti-section the body a couple of inches and maby widen the body 3 inches so you basically make a overall larger cab. with correct perportions. would be a lot of work but would make it a ton more practicle to drive. I'd like to see your sketch.
I have a friend in the Briggs, Texas area who is doing an extended 31 pick up by lengthen the doors by five inches and chopping the top three inches, it looks very good proportionally. He built the frame to use the stock length pick up bed and be full fendered. When it was mocked up I thought it looked very good. It is apart to finish the rolling chassis. The cab is almost finished with all of the metal work done and the bed is all new.
I know a guy that did this with a coupe. Tree fell on it. He cut the back off rounded off the back like a pickup put a bed on it and called it a day. Looked like it was ment to be.
here is the drawing i made. to answer a question, i want to extend it for more comfort. i also don't like to have the same stuff as everyone else.
I extended the cab of my 32 Ford pickup 12 inches.I used a pair of extra doors so I could use the window opening as a port hole window that opened like the door window. I was so glad I did,it gave me a lot of leg room with the seat set back. I welded a lower back half of a 29 sedan for a tub like box simular to a ute pu. If you want to see it check out my web sight - HAVE TOP WILL CHOP. COM
I've only ever seen one that had the proportions right, and it was made by shortening and chopping a sedan. When I had my A pickup and took the photos and tried to stretch it it never looked right.
As promised, here are the scans of one I had drew up. The first one is the short wheelbase model (I think it was stock "A" bed lenght-ish), and the second one is extended a few inches with old military style tires in the back. Forgive the misalignment, it is hard to get those to line up in the scanner with no tape. If I can say so myself I think I nailed the proportions for something that is totally comfortable (for an A), and still functional as a truck.
I believe there is a 32 pickup being extended with 1/4 windows over in Longmont CO. I have also seen a model A tudor from Canada a few years back with a rear opening suicide door on one side. Pretty trick setup. Apparently it helped satisfy family issues when travelling. Unfortunately I dont have any pic's of either to date.
The other way to get that look is to cut the back off a coupe and you are almost home. Better still find a coupe with screwed rear 1/4 panels and you are on... Just need an economy pickup box and a modified frame, possibly even 32 rails could work nicely!!!
I've sat in a couple of the glass Speedway bodied trucks. The insides are just monsterous compared to stock and the full fendered version has proportions that are easy on the eyes. I prefer the truck body with the flat back, so I'm a little biased. Something like the Speedway stretch in steel, if you have the talent, would be great. Gary
Speedway and a shop in NC (?) sell fiberglass versions and IIRC there is a steel repop made in Austraila (sp?). I have been looking for a stalled project version for years, no luck yet.
Fiftyv8, if you look at my first post you will see that's what I was talking about. Im still trying to decide if my rear quarters are savable.
My friend you are right on the money with that idea as is this guys car below. Turning damaged stuff into something nice looking. Probably cheaper and less effort than actually making a extended section for a pickup. Roof lines would be the problem if not using a coupe body.
Check out Retribution's build. Awesome.... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=433245 10" stretch, 6" in the door and 4" in the cab.
Here is a picture of the Independent Technologies 30 31 extended cab body. I bought this body because it was the only one that I had seen that looked like Henry might have made it. The doors are flush and the top has about a 2" chop. They added 3" to the door and 5" behind the door for a total extension of 8". I have lengthened the frame 8" so that the bed fender surround will be centered on the rear wheels. I.T. also sells extended fiberglass running boards and aprons to make it all work. There gallery seems to show them with 32 radiator shells however I will use a 30 radiator shell. The first picture is from Innovative Technologies gallery and the second picture is the one I have ready to install on the frame as soon as I have it finished. The last 3 pictures I borrowed from I.T. I'm sure that they won't mind. I am going to finish mine a little more off of the ground with a full hood, wire wheels and in dark green with black fenders. I want it to look as original as possible. http://www.hotrodit.com/ Dick .
I stretched mine 7" in the doors chopped 3". With stock bed length and built my own frame. Sitting on 135" wheel base
The Jalopy Journal
