Outer Limits 4x4 Board

OK... after a full strip out, it is painfully obvious that my GQ cab is so badly rusted, that the options are to replace the cab, or put the engine and drivetrain into another car with a blown motor....

Positive spin is that we get a chance to pick a good cab and the colour we wanted - gun metal grey. Time is not really a problem yet, but money, as always, is. So I need to do as much as I can on my own - or friends paid off with beer and BBQ's.

I'm after advise from those who have done it about the hidden costs associated with the change over. I've estimates for a bare cab of $550 from a wrecker, with others looking out for me (cheers Giantracing). A full body I can get for $3300 from same wrecker....

I cant do anything special i.e. dual cab chop, etc. I just need it back on the road in good nick, so I can make it last another coupla years.

there was no extra cost involved when i changed cabs only if you want to change the rubber mounts etc

i just got a few mates over to lift old cab off and new cab on all good

although if your replacing a lwb i recommend a pully system and some one winching it up roll chassis out move body put new body on pully pull up roll chassis back in or get a sh1t load of people over

well I've had a look over the 550 cab from wrecker - it was bought as flood damaged from Townsville - so 6 moths been sitting around. It is spot less. no rust around windscreen, none in floor - not even the firewall/floor connection, a tiny bit of surface rust in the rear drvrs window, and thats all I could see. It is cleaner than any GQ I have ever seen.

The questions..... so many questions.... any little tricks, not shortcuts, but things to watch. What order should the bucket of rust be stripped so I can change over?

its not a fun job. i did it on an mq swb swapped 2 cabs around and thinking of mabey doing it to my gq lwb too. id prob start by removing as much interiour as you can all seats carpets and trims you want to swap remove all your doors and panels bonnets guards etc to make the cab as light as possible. id prob then dissconnect all the wiring from the motor and chassis and try to take the loom with the cab and swap that after as you will most likley need to take the dash out to swap all that unless your new cab comes with one.theres alot of brake lines and fuel lines you will need to remove from the body and id prob take the master cyl right out as you dont want to kink or bend any brake lines on the way out. probably be easier too if you removed the radiator as well and you will also need to undo your steering colum. i guess theres no real order as whatever needs to be removed will be just dont forget were all the nuts bolts and screws came from i guess.
matt.

matty b wrote:its not a fun job

cool.....

matty b wrote:id prob start by removing as much interiour as you can all seats carpets and trims you want to swap

This is done, its how I knew the floor was so rusted out that it couldnt be fixed. Took ages to clean off the sound deadening stuff. Then I hosed and scrubbed it out.

matty b wrote:you will most likley need to take the dash out to swap all that unless your new cab comes with one.

This needs to be confirmed.

matty b wrote:theres alot of brake lines and fuel lines you will need to remove from the body and id prob take the master cyl right out as you dont want to kink or bend any brake lines on the way out.

new master, so yes will definately be taking that out.

matty b wrote:dont forget were all the nuts bolts and screws came from i guess.

thats going to be the fun bit..... [/quote]

Any other hints from anyone.....

ice cream containers, butter tubs etc all with lids.... even zip lock bags!
















if your unsure of where stuff will go back chuck your bolts in em and label!

Simon

A good idea when undertaking such a big job like this it to get hold of a digital camera and go to town taking pics of everything before and during the strip down process. So when its all going back together and you cant remember exactly what went were you have a reference.

OK... cool ideas, and yeah was thinkin the digi would be good. The little boxes for all the bolts for different items is a good idea too - that will help not to loose things.

Can probably come down and help if need be Heath just let me know what date you doing it.

BIG GQ wrote:Can probably come down and help if need be Heath just let me know what date you doing it.

Awesome - Thanks. Will be a bit of a long process though. We will be spraying it before it goes on the chassis. As its a bare cab, I have to take of doors, gaurds and bonnett from mine which is white. The new cab is champagne... the whole lot will be gun metal grey.

We're not in a big hurry. Want to do it right cause it needs to last a couple of years. And we have a wedding in Sept... which is taking precedent at the moment. But we are both hanging for a drive.

BIG GQ wrote:Can probably come down and help if need be Heath just let me know what date you doing it.

can also help if more help is needed

Nice Bartso.... Outer's rulez. hee hee

ill do the whole job for 25000 dollars ,and throw in a buff as well

mavzilla wrote:ill do the whole job for 25000 dollars ,and throw in a buff as well

why dont I go and buy a GU for that???? typo I take it

HeathGQ wrote:Nice Bartso.... Outer's rulez. hee hee

lots of hands make easy work me and 3 other mates did mine a SWB body is bloody heavy

Bartso wrote:

HeathGQ wrote:Nice Bartso.... Outer's rulez. hee hee

lots of hands make easy work me and 3 other mates did mine a SWB body is bloody heavy

I would likely have access to two hoists for that bit.... the plan is to have the old cab ready to remove, and the new one ready to put on - load em on to trailers and do the swap one morning at a workshop.

Step 1) Pick up cab. Saturday Morn
Step 2) Start removing bits I need off old one.
Step 3) Prepare for painting.
Step 4) Paint cab and all bits.
Step 5) Swap cabs
Step 6) Re-wire and re-connect everything
Step 7) Put painted bits back on car.
Step 8) GO WHEELIN!!!!!

planning to have car back on road by late October. I think thats a fair timeframe to play with. If all goes well, and I could get car back by wedding in Mid Sept, then great.

hey heathGQ, mate doing the same swap. He bought a 1995 cab and his lwb was a 1990, the wiring loom was all different and he spent a 2weeks stuffing around.

Have fun
Cheers Julian

P.S what colour????

mate best thing to do is keep the old loom in one piece easy to do
and use that loom

Yep mine was done in a day from wagon to ute using original loom and no hoist.

Started today took delivery of very clean wagon body from Gold Coast 4wd wreckers. We started by pulling everything out of it, as we got a few extras thrown in - just little things like carpet, door trims, a few other odds and ends. The body is a EFI model - as mine is diesel, I have to work out what is not needed, and then what is needed.... should be fun!!!!

I'll get pics tomorrow...

UPDATE: I have some piccies, but I need to get them hosted.

Old cab is now ready to come off. Full wiring loom came out without any hassles.

The wiring loom from new cab was removed in similar fashion. I now have a full EFI wiring loom if anyone is looking for one.

The next step is to remove cab from chassis, give that a clean up, and slide it under teh nw cab - bolt down, tidy up and get it ready for painting.

Everything is coming along nice and smoothly - very happy with it so far....



I need someone to paint it now - want to do as much as I can myself, so we'll get it ready for final prep and top coat.... fully taped up. After the paint, we'll put it back together!!!!

The old... this was not the worst of it


This is the new - same section as above