Topic: Need some help and ideas with a custom cab and body work

[Aaronm]

Really like my custom cab except the hump and the weatherstrip behind the cab. I am getting ready to paint/raptor line it and hoping someone knows something that can I can use in place of the weatherstrip that connects the metal cab to the fiberglass custom cab. Also looking for ideas on camouflaging the hump. I have been thinking about building a roof rack like a Nissan extera. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Here is what the truck looks like.

[Snowtoy]

Are you looking to get rid of the seam altogether, or just the weather stripping?  If just the stripping, you could likely use body panel adhesive or windshield sealant, smooth it out before it hardens, then paint it.

An Xterra style rack would help with the lines, so would an exo-cage, if a cage is in your long term plans.

I believe this was done by Marlin's shop 10-15yrs ago.

[redneckcustoms13]

Mine doesn't have that weather stripping. It has a caulk like substance. Maybe body seam sealer?

[Aaronm [OP]]

Mine doesn't have that weather stripping. It has a caulk like substance. Maybe body seam sealer?

Have any pics of the seam?

[Aaronm [OP]]

Are you looking to get rid of the seam altogether, or just the weather stripping?  If just the stripping, you could likely use body panel adhesive or windshield sealant, smooth it out before it hardens, then paint it.

An Xterra style rack would help with the lines, so would an exo-cage, if a cage is in your long term plans.

I believe this was done by Marlin's shop 10-15yrs ago.

I actually thought about copying this truck and chopping off my bed. I ended up cutting 14 inches out of the bed instead. The gas tank and modifying the frame was the items that helped me decide to do the bob instead. Anyway will body panel adhesive hold up to the flex between the the fiberglass and metal? Would I need to bondo the seam after joining with the adhesive or use something else? Exo is in the plan but it is going to have to be after paint.

Thanks for the ideas

[Snowtoy]

Anyway will body panel adhesive hold up to the flex between the the fiberglass and metal? Would I need to bondo the seam after joining with the adhesive or use something else? Exo is in the plan but it is going to have to be after paint.

Thanks for the ideas

I have never owned or worked on one of these, and was under the impression that the weather striping covers up the rivets used to hold the fiberglass cab to the original cab.  If that is how it is, the body seam adhesive will stay pliable enough once cured that it wont crack if there is any movement between the two.

If you are wanting to make it a seamless transition, that could be quite a lot of work.  Going off the pics, I would think you would want to pull the two sections apart, use body adhesive to bond the two together, rivet(if that is what was done originally), then sand the edge of the fiberglass before working the seam and old weather strip section with body filler.  Before trying it though, I would swing by a body shop(preferably a custom one) and see what they think can or should be done, the work it is going to require could be useless if you can't make a bond that wont suffer from vibrations, flex, or difference in how steel and fiberglass expand/contract w/heat and cold.

Don't use "Bondo" from the auto parts store, it shrinks a lot, you want to use the better stuff from Summit Racing or a local paint store that supplies body shops, it doesn't cost that much more, wont shrink that much, and it sands down a lot easier as well.

[RATCATCHER38]

What about a factory dual cab? Then you gain rear doors as well!

This one belongs to a buddy of mine:

[Cheesemaker]

Ratcatcher, we didn't get the 2nd gen crewcabs.  We only got these aftermarket custom cabs, made by Winnebago, and the extra cabs.  All the other nations got the cool kids stuff, like you!!  We want the Diesels, straight axles, and crew cabs!!  But we are not cool enough!!

[kneedownnate]

Want