[GMCNUT]

Originally Posted by fritz

Thank you for the time to respond and the consideration to offer advice and direction.
In doing the swap to a short bed as you and Ed suggested what would you suppose the cost to do so would be? Would you then have to cut and weld the frame to accommodate the new short bed? Or find a short frame to swap? I am not a body man and would have to pay someone to do the work. I seams pretty involved to me. Can you send the link to the bed sides if you have a moment?

Sure would appreciate any leads and referrals you come across on trucks that you feel would fit the bill. Automatic, big back window would be amazing.

Well, thanks for your thoughts,

Fritz

Fritz, my opinion is that if anyone is patient, whatever you want to find can be had - I have found some of the rarest equipped trucks and hardest to find parts etc in the country, and I did it using patience. I am like you, and rely on a mechanic to do stuff like engine and frame swaps because I run a small company and simply do not have the time to do it anymore. I think we can find you a short stepside somewhere we can rob the frame from (short fleetside trucks are harder to get the frames from) and get the frame for 200 to 400 bucks, and you'd be in business. LMC Truck is who actually worked to get these bedsides reproduced and as such, they ship these bedsides for FREE if you buy from them. www.lmctruck.com should be the right URL. I recommend buying the reproduction front bed panel and wheel tubs as well. Your decision whether to spring for the repop GMC logo'd tailgate or not, based on budget but you can't go wrong body-shop hourly rate-wise buying new stuff over working old. Having all this stuff ahead of time will save you a lot in the end. I do not have an opinion one way or the other on doing a conversion from long frame by cutting etc but personally I always get patient and search and watch until what I really want comes into view - we can find you a short frame