Flat topping a truck convertibalizing help

[King cody]

Hey All,

Looking to chop the cab from a small pickup, reinforce the frame, and create a boat tail section to the tailgate and cover the bed and maybe a bottom treatment and rear skirts. The result should be a kind of flat top vehicle with very low frontal area and slippery after wake. Any big problems to chop it down as far as making sure it has a sufficient beam welded along the frame bottom to replace the structural rigidity carried by the cab?

I live in LA so who needs all that top. It never rains here. I want a rolling flat top hockey puck that glides along on fumes.

Your input would be appreciated.

Thanks

KC

[Frank Lee]

The cabs on most trucks are mounted to the frame via rubber donuts. The frame should have sufficient structural integrity all by itself with no help from the cab. If anything needs reinforcement after all that cutting it would just be for the tin on the cab itself so that things like the doors keep working properly.

[oldtamiyaphile]

Taking the roof off a mini truck used to be all the rage in the 90's.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by King cody

Hey All,

Looking to chop the cab from a small pickup, reinforce the frame, and create a boat tail section to the tailgate and cover the bed and maybe a bottom treatment and rear skirts. The result should be a kind of flat top vehicle with very low frontal area and slippery after wake. Any big problems to chop it down as far as making sure it has a sufficient beam welded along the frame bottom to replace the structural rigidity carried by the cab?

I live in LA so who needs all that top. It never rains here. I want a rolling flat top hockey puck that glides along on fumes.

Your input would be appreciated.

Thanks

KC

In past articles,American Sunroof Corporation reported that some unibody cars that they converted to convertibles required a bulkhead section added between the B-pillars to provide torsional resistance to chassis twist,like with pothole impacts.
It may not be an issue with a body-on-frame chassis,as already mentioned.
I've cut the roof off my Karmann Ghia and it will require some reinforcement,as it's pan doesn't have really deep side rails.
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*Are you going to have any wind shield at all?
*Or just wear DOT rated goggles?
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I would recommend a turtledeck,head fairing as you see in many early open-cockpit aircraft,and racing spider cars.Porsche and Ferrari come to mind.