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This question was
posted on the Forward Forum and it definitely qualifies for a tech question.
Fortunately we have a member of our group, Jesse Ybarra that has been messing
with these vehicles for a long time and has traveled these rebuilding roads
before and we all benefit from his past experiences. The post below
tackles what cabs will fit on which vehicles and what can be done to make them
fit different models.
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Posted by Blaine on 10/15/2009, 2:11:43
“Rebuilding a Cab”
First off, I know the answer to my question involves a lot of work. Is
it possible to take a narrow track 150 cab and change engine
housing/cooling tunnel and the floor to 170 pieces to make a 170 cab? I
can get two trucks, one of which is a 170 with damaged and rusty cab and
the other is a good NT 150. I know it's better to locate a local 170 cab
and just sell the 150. That may be more expensive though than changing
panels. The panel swapping I can do myself.
Posted by Jesse Ybarra on 10/15/2009, 11:42:36
In reply to "Rebuilding a Cab"
Hi Blaine,
A lot of the change over easy, but you need to have both cabs off, I
take the glass out and I temporarily have used reinforcement braces, to
hold the shape of the body, while the tunnel is removed. Only some minor
cutting, the inner fender wells can stay, it is easy to patch the floors
up, depending on condition and if it is a later or early tunnel. But
most of the work is drilling the spot welds with a good Sears or Snap-on
spot-weld cutter mounts are different, along the heater box, sides of
the tunnel and the rear, and screen side mounting areas.
It is best if the FC-150 and the FC-170 are both late model, but in your
case the outer body is the same, hopefully the FC-170 tunnel is an after
60 late model with the better front air opening, if not additionally try
finding a later FC-170 tunnel to end up with the better air intake.
The assembly is the reverse, where you drilled out the holes, use bolts
and nuts in several places to temporarily reassemble the new tunnel, and
then weld in all the holes.
If it is a street rod, consider, making an M-series tunnel cut out the
whole tunnel area and make a new rectangular engine box and it will
allow a larger radiator in the box.
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Are Cabs Interchangeable?
Posted by Scott on 12/21/2009, 16:25:26
Are the 150 and 170 cabs interchangeable?
Posted by Jesse Ybarra on 10/15/2009, 11:42:36
In reply to "Are Cabs Interchangeable?"
Scott,
You did not specify what you intend to end up with, Blaine was pretty
clear about his intent, to use the outer body shell of a narrow track
and the complete inside tunnel of an FC-170, for use on an FC-170
chassis.
Basically they look alike, but they are very different,
because of the engines that make them different. Also early and late of
both FC-150s and 170s, have different cooling tunnels and heater
locations.
Additionally, the rear cab mount locations are different on FC-170s,
because of the different width transition of the frame, the rear cab
mounting location, needs to match the wider frame mounts.
Another issue is that early and late FC doors are different on both,
early FC’s that have flat front cooling tunnels, have different shape
and size doors and door jams, compared to the later body, very minor,
not much, but it is why some trucks, have a bigger gap at the bottom of
the doors, and in front of the wind wing windows, the curved area of the
door, is at a different radius, the reason is wrong doors, if you have a
later bodied 1960, it may have came originally, with left over early
doors.
In Blaine's case, he needs a dog house engine area, to
accommodate a 226, 6 cylinder flathead, so the tunnel is sized for a
longer motor, than the shorter FC-150 4 cylinder.
Reverse is that the height of the FC-150 cab is sized for the F head
134, that has a taller overhead valve cylinder head on it's motor, so it
requires a taller shorter dog house area.
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