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Making a semi-cab into a canopy-cab


joemac

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Based on some recent daydreaming, I found myself searching out old derelict fire apparatus. What I've found was an overwhelming majority of open cabs. Since I strongly prefer closed cabs, the idea of enclosing one began to swirl around in my head.

Would such an accomplishment be considered in bad form?

Heresy? Sacrilege? Mildly frowned upon?

If I were to do such a thing, it would be my intent to make it look as though it had been an enclosed cab from the beginning.

Just wondering what the consensus is.

Has anyone done this?

Edited by joemac
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Don't do it, the open cab trucks are disappearing quick.

"Any Society that would give up a little LIBERTY to gain a little SECURITY will Deserve Neither and LOSE BOTH" -Benjamin Franklin

"If your gonna be STUPID, you gotta be TOUGH"

"You cant always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you get what you need"

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Don't know if it is an option or not, but could you find a closed cab on a semi tractor that needs restoration and swap cabs, offering up the open-cab body to someone who wants it for their own restoration project? I have't looked at too many old fire trucks to see if their cabs are part of the body or a separate unit. Hell, an open-cab semi tractor would be pretty neat in the summer...'specially since I don't have AC. Anyway, if it can be done, swapping out that way would probably give you the look you want without depleting the world of another increasingly rare cab type...

When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way!
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There are plenty of closed cab rigs out there if you keep looking. Adding a roof to a semi-open cab is perfectly feasible, but why go to the expense and frustration? If the truck is so rare a closed cab version cannot be found it would be heresy to close it up IMO. Just be patient and you will find what you want.

And BTW buy the rig in the very best condition you can afford, not a side of the road derelict. You will be way ahead money wise.

Money, sex, and fire; everybody thinks everyone else is getting more than they are!

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Thanks, that's what I was looking for; different perspective.

I like the idea of possibly switching cabs, especially if they're bolted to the frame.

I got an offer from a guy at the other end of the state last night.

He has a parts truck that still has a usable enclosed cab that he would allow me to remove what I needed. I'm more inclined to restore something back to original, rather than modifying.

As to the restoration itself; I spent nearly thirty years in business restoring cars for a living.

Fabricating and modifying sheet metal is old hat to me. I enjoy a challenge and I would much rather get something that no one else would consider restoring, and bring it back to a showpiece.

You wouldn't believe some of the rusted hulks that I've dealt with.

I started writing a book on restoration, then the Interwebz came about and changed everything.

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If that is the case start looking for a rare older rig that will benefit from your skills. There are some pretty unique rigs out there that should be saved, but are so far gone most of us wouldn't touch them.

Here is a picture of a friend's ALF that he found in such tough shape he actually had to weld the hood shut to lift it off. Another friend said he wouldn't buy it as a parts truck. He is currently doing a very unique 37 GMC cab over four door fire truck that came out of a junk yard.

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Money, sex, and fire; everybody thinks everyone else is getting more than they are!

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If that is the case start looking for a rare older rig that will benefit from your skills. There are some pretty unique rigs out there that should be saved, but are so far gone most of us wouldn't touch them.

Here is a picture of a friend's ALF that he found in such tough shape he actually had to weld the hood shut to lift it off. Another friend said he wouldn't buy it as a parts truck. He is currently doing a very unique 37 GMC cab over four door fire truck that came out of a junk yard.

some nice work...bob

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Back in the '80s several former Long Island Mack "B" and "C" model fire trucks were

sold to volunteer fire departments in New Hampshire. One was a 1965 "C" model

ladder truck that was sold to Hopkinton, NH. It was a straight truck with a semi-cab.

HFD later found an old "C" model pumper, cut the roof off, and added it to their ladder truck.

I'm not sure if they also used the windshield from the pumper; I saw the pumper later at

Dick Kemp's in Hillsborough and the roof and windshield were missing.

A "C" model semi-cab can be made into a canopy (crew) cab because it already has the

jump seats. An semi-cab "L" or "B" model can only be made into a coupe cab because it

would not have rear seats. I have never seen a semi, crew cab, "E", "B", or "L" model.

bulldogboy

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joemac; contact cf685f on this site. He has totally rebuilt a 700 series.

I remember watching Continental Fire Apparatus in Hopkinton, MA put a roof on one of the very few CF open cabs for Newton, MA. They used a roof off of an F model tractor.

Money, sex, and fire; everybody thinks everyone else is getting more than they are!

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