In the very near future, I am planning to purchase a C-60 to make into a personal use only "pick up". When I'm finished it will look similar to the Ford F-650s that you see with a pick-up bed on the back. My problem is: I need to seat 3 growing children (sometimes 4) 4 days a week, and the Better Half too. I want an older style Chevy, mid 80s style, so crew cabs are out.:Banghead My idea is to add an "old style" sleeper from a semi. I could add windows and a bench seat. I think it would look cool. My questions are: Would a sleeper be too much wider than the cab to be practical and safe? Has anyone seen anything kind of like this? I have found several companies on-line that make DOT sleepers for MDTs, but they cost more than I plan to have into the entire truck. Any thoughts?
there are lots of mid 80's crewcabs around, and the cab of a c-60 is the same as the cab of a c-30, you would just have to weld on more cab mounts
1987 Crew Cab C-60; http://www.american-ag.com/igsbase/...6871&StartRow=79&GnavID=9&SnavID=82&TnavID=41 As Mitch said, get a crew cab and swap cabs. Or if you really want a project, drop a suburban on the chassis from the firewall back. Alex. (attached photo from the link as it'll probably disappear sooner rather than later)
Yup them older Chevy C60's/65's/70's GMC 7000's etc are the same cab as the pickups from that era. Some of the early 90's Kodiaks/Topkicks were the cabs as the pickups from that era also. I had an old one I was going to put a Suburban body on it and run floater/super singles on it. You could find a older Blazer/Jimmy and use it, but a Suburban would have 4 doors that might make it easier for your family to enter exit at that height. There's a guy in Kentucky that makes dually pickups out of them old GM trucks I think it like BadA$$ Trux or something using the "S" instead of the "$" behind the "A".
I have seen a C60 with a Kenworth sleeper on it that looked pretty cool. You can find sleepers out there pretty cheap. I have seen for $400 before. Of course scrap prices are up and a lot of sleepers are made out of Aluminum. I would shop at "garage sales" before I would pay the price these used truck parts places want for their stuff. Personally I think a used 1984-95 60 inch Kenworth sleeper might work for you. Then you could find the windows out of a newer one and maybe a couch out of an 86 inch KW Studio to replace the bed. Alot of drivers like the size of the Studio but hate the couch in them for beds. Good Luck!
Sleeper from a older R model Mack kind of narrows down ,looks good and built tough.
Thanks for the input guys. I had thought about using a crew cab and swapping bodies. I just think I would like the looks of the sleeper better. The hard part will be finding a truck with a 6V53 in it instead of the 8.2L or "gasser". I know where there is a pretty cherry gasser, I could always swap a Detroit into it! Do you think a 4-53 would be too underpowered? I don't plan to tow very often at all and payload would be 2 ton or less.
Well if you really want something different I have an 8V53 that's been stored inside since I pulled it out of a dump truck - would move it along pretty well.
The early to mid 90s Kodiacs are pretty easy to find with the crew cab. We bought one last year for a friend that had a 9 ton crane on the back for 4500 dollars. Just a thought, might be cheaper in the long run
If you got money coming out of your ears just buy one of these trucks, it's even a 4x4. If you want to find a fixer upper put a older Dodge Cummins in it. With the correct gear ration and OD tranny they get great mileage.
Also, BNSF, UP, and Asplund (sp?) the tree trimmers, have them some with a flatbed although many as barklee indicated have some sort of tool on them or even a dump bed. Here in the NW they come up at auction fairly regularly. Many though are fairly well used and get sent to the "paint 'er yeller and sell 'er" auctions.
Wondering if you still have the 8v53 for sale. Give me a call if its still available Joe 845 247 4777
Another forum member bought my 8V53 and I shipped it to Colorado last year. He uses a few Detroits in their business so he's familiar with them. Going to put it in a pick up truck was the plan!