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Five Window 1953 Power Wagon Mod
Some of the steps required to make a '53 B3PW Power Wagon into a Five Window Extended Cab using the corner windows from a 1951 Pilot House cab.
August, 20091 - 31 of 31 Images6526 visitsAlbum by chris casePhotos by chris case
Enlarge photo 1 Nearly complete externally, needs windows installed
Enlarge photo 2 Pic #1, proof of concept. Note the dents, the donor was a wreck.
Enlarge photo 3 This is the layout of the Pilot House pickups, 49-53 years.
Enlarge photo 4 This is the layout I will use, it makes the cab 8" longer. My goal is to get an extra bit of leg room for my 6'3" body.
Enlarge photo 5 First trial fit, parts clamped together, our model posed on a chunk of fire wood. Seat needs padding, otherwise feels right.
Enlarge photo 6 Sawn down just behind door pillar and straight across floor.
Enlarge photo 7 Inside view, red lettering in roof area is the canopy, a recycled vinyl bill board.
Enlarge photo 8 All major components tacked together, including the door skin used as a patch panel. One door made both sides, and had the creases to line up with those in the body.
Enlarge photo 9 Inside of the roof. You can see the layout of the cut, keeping the patches at the high/wide part, seams crimped into the edges of the patches, the 110% weld penetration, the wire bows in place to hold the 'hung ceiling', square tube shoulder harness 'hoop' from door jamb to door jamb. That hoop will also be a convenient place to glue the edge of the fabric 'hung ceiling'.
Enlarge photo 10 Seat back tips forward. Donor was a Sonoma/S-10.
Enlarge photo 11 It's hinge mounted for maximum access to the underseat storage.
Enlarge photo 12 Blue/Gray carpet, and the 12 ga divider/ floor gusset / seat support.
Enlarge photo 13 Bondo, all hand file boarded or cheese grater to this point, plus a brushed-on coat of Poly-fill, brush on Bondo. Darn, no pics of the lirttle tuck I took in the top of the window frame, or the fact that the cab was tortured to fit the frame corner below the window. It was NOT a bolt-in modification.

Later, a coat of Poly-fill was sprayed.

Enlarge photo 14 My second attempt at a fabric headliner. I'm learnin, I'm learnin...

Oh yeah, it needed a light mount frame, plasma'd out of 16 ga.

Enlarge photo 15 Use up the left over primer in the gun. Final was a coat of the red, "Rust Destroyer", oil based primer.
Enlarge photo 16 Spare tire mount. Four holes are to the same old holes, the front of the bracet was cut off and rebent, welded back on, now is bolted to the head board bolt holes, plus a couple more.

I used stainless bolts through out the bed, looks like I need some stainless rod for the through rod.

Enlarge photo 17 Spare tire bracket again. Yellow tape is left as a flag. It worked ont heis project, I never did stab myself in the back with the stud.
Enlarge photo 18 Interior, complete, one corner window shoehorned in. Walls are lined with vinyl on waterproof backer board.
Enlarge photo 19 Completed truck, left rear
Enlarge photo 20 Right front, "after" pic.
Enlarge photo 21 Completed project. Spare retained in original location.
Enlarge photo 22 Remember that tattered gray seat from pic #11?  Here it is after Chris upholstered it in  a two-tone, "basket weave leather" vinyl. Plus I added some soft foam over the OE foam, to disguise the semi-bucket look of the Sonoma seat. Given time, I think it will all smooth in. Vinyl shrinks, foam compresses...  But boy it sure rides nicer than those old coil springs !
Enlarge photo 23 Seat installed. I was afraid the darker seat wouldn't go with the lightewr beige used for the cab lining. Silly me.
Enlarge photo 24 Early morning pic, taken before the San Diego sun burned through the overcast.
Enlarge photo 25 Finished pic, taken before the sun burned through the overcast.

See the "DODGE" on the tailgate?

 That's the end!

Enlarge photo 26 Detail of roof seam trim.
Enlarge photo 27 Enlarge photo 28 Enlarge photo 29 Enlarge photo 30
Enlarge photo 31