I have an 82 longbed that I couldn't find a shell for so I picked up a short bed snugtop fiberglass shell and planned to bob the bed to match.......the more I thought about it the more I realized I needed the extra room over a great departure angle....so I picked up a aluminum utility shell that was also shorter than the bed, it has a swing out or up door that I like and most of all I could mod it cheaper than the fiberglass shell which also needed a side window and a front window fabbed in.

My uses for this are probably gonna be camping every great once and a while and to keep my fishing poles and tackle boxes out of the sun. I would like to do some back woods exploring that said I will be doing enough off roading to not want to drag a camper trailer around but not so much that I need a rock crawler to get me back there...almost the perfet expedtion rig.....hmmmm just if it was four door...


You can give me your ideas but I usually have my mind set when I start a project.

 

Here is what I started with a shell that is to short and to tall...


I then stripped the windows and skin off of it.


Then I cut up the rear to fit my tailgate opening I had to take 2" off the hight and 1" total off the width.


Then had to decide to add to the front or rear or both ends to match my bed...I decided to add to the front so I extended the bottom rail and added guides to the bottom while I was at it.


I added twelve and 3/8s of an inch to the front section of the frame and also ajusted the angle of the front portion of the frame to fit the angle of the back of the cab.


I then braced the top and the bottom with more aluminum angle 1"x1" and pop rivets I chose to use them over welding the aluminum because it is so thin.




I am done with the extension of the frame and this is how it sits on the truck at the moment.






I still have to finish the rear section(cut the doors down).
I plan to reskin it with stock car aluminum its about twice as thick as the skin that was on it and it will be smooth to help with air flow I think I am gonna leave it bare, well it all depends on cost of metal. If I cant get the white cheaper I will go that way but bare would look sweet and themore scratches it gets the cooler it would look.

 

For the inside I plan to insulate it with 1" foam board and use spray foam in the tubes that way I wll some what get rid of my thermal bridge with the tube, I may even lay a t pc. of foam tape over the frame work before I install the skin to combat the thermal bridge but I really see no need b/c the bed of the truck is not insulated...LOL...I will then skin the inside with stock car rubber sheets or maybe 1/4 plywood I just want to keep it as light as possible I do not want it to wiegh as much as the fiberglass shell!

 

That's a cool project, it's looking good!

 

X2 cool project. Early canopies are difficult to find..

 

they are hard to find and thanks rusted and drop.

I priced some .040 aluminum sheet yesterday 48"x120" was 75 bucks bare I thought that was pretty good. I also picked up some bracing for the top hoops I need them to support a little wieght!

 

got the back lift up door cut down

my crappy splice



the door done



door installed (it fits)



and works.

 

That aluminum is going to look cool bare! Are you going to use rivits to attach the aluminum sheets? Also how are you planning to seal the seams, just going to use silicone, or some caulking? Look forward to seeing how it turns out!

 

Cool project!

 

to seal the seams I plan to use
http://mobilehomepartsstore.com/Merc...FaZgTAoddypxxA

and for the rivets I plan to use a solid bottom so water dont leak in them something like these

http://www.bayrivet.com/closed_end_pop_rivet.htm

 

I put the bracing on hoping to help with the side to side wobble it has and my idea did no good. I made a big X on top of the hoops hoping it would stop the unwanted movement but it did no good I riveted the flat stock to the top of every hoop it touched and where the two crossed I riveted them together with to rivets that way I didnt make a pivot point. here is a picture




any one have a better ideas?

I also think Im gonna put a few of these abovet the back door and wire them into the tail and brake lights...
http://www.truck-lite.com/webapp/wcs...2152&langId=-1

 

great work, keep it up!

 

maybe a just a short brace on each side of the front (near the cab end) that runs diagonal from the top of the frame to the side of the frame ill try to post a really crude pic of what im trying to say lol

 

[IMG][/IMG]

 

Please don't laugh at my crude image ... Ok go ahead and laugh I'm laughin my self hahaha

 

Hello Brandon, you got it coming along great.

It the thought that counts EFI85, atleast you know how to get something like that on his thread, I am still behind times on that know how.lol.

 

Thanks guys I will have to try that I could do that up front and put a shelf for a radio and or CB for the shell!!!!! maybe some controls for lights and stuff back there too.... and EFI I rolled in the floor at your ""CRUDE"" drawing...LOL

Hey Terry I couldn't figure out who knew my name! You changed your picture....LOL


The metal I am gonna skin it with is .040" aluminum I will use closed rivets that way I can keep it bare. I think I might try to polish it...I polished my crotch rocket frame and wheels it only took about 36-48hrs of sanding and buffing....

The guy at the fab shop said the 4ftx 10ft sheet weighs in at 26lbs!!!! so that means my shell with out interior will weigh about 50-60 lbs... so I am looking at 100-110 lbs finished.....I think the fiberglass one would have been lighter but not near as cool!!

 

Oh yeah I got some more done I cut the storm door frame and door down to fit...it drags a little so I will have to raise the bottom hinge some to compensate..I also think I am gonna use some of that flat stock to make a little larger place for weather strip on the storm door, cant have my bed covered in dust!!!

 

here ya go sorry bout that..
................

my rear slider window sits a little higher after cutting 2" off the frame...glad it had a slider and I didn't have to buy a new glass

 

looks awesome