69 swept line long box to short box conversion

[dodgeboykim]

I spent several months in Canada at my last job installing machinery for a process I'd invented and developed. Really appreciated how clean public areas were. The factory had great people working hard to make things happen. Management and the Ontario Hydro bureaucracy not so much. What I really didn't appreciate was the border control cops at the airport wondering if they should prevent my entry because I might be taking somebody's job, when in fact what I'd done was making gobs of jobs for Canadians. I'd been told to lie to them, but I just wanted to see how all that worked. Took about a half hour to get through.

US Customs is no different when going south. I crossed into Washington State to pick up a 68 Swept D100. Kid that bought it and I met owner in Bellingham. US Customs actually phoned me at home regarding my helping the kid out picking up his new truck to make sure no jobs were being lost.

[Wildergarten]

US Customs is no different when going south. I crossed into Washington State to pick up a 68 Swept D100. Kid that bought it and I met owner in Bellingham. US Customs actually phoned me at home regarding my helping the kid out picking up his new truck to make sure no jobs were being lost.

Apparently there are a few jobs on both sides of that border that could be reallocated, much to the benefit of those who are paying for them.

[Red383]

Very nice metal work.

I have a spare tailgate that is in sorry shape that I plan on trying to bring back to life after my truck is on the road. Good tip about the 1.25 conduit!

[brikar]

I have a spare tailgate that is in sorry shape that I plan on trying to bring back to life after my truck is on the road. Good tip about the 1.25 conduit!

Sorry I made a size mistake the conduit size it's actually 1-1/2" EMT not 1-1/4". you will have to cut it length wise and from what I remember I took out about an 1/2" and then opened it up to the shape of a U. take a close look at the first picture you will see the piece I cut out on the left.

[brikar]

started cutting apart the drivers inner wall

full length minus the rear stake pocket.

first 2 cuts, thankfully a lot of the rust damage from the tanks has been cut out.

front tacked back together.

rear cut to remove the 5 inches needed.next will be to tack on the inner stake pocket repaired earlier.

[brikar]

More progress on the driver side

front inner driver side splice complete

rear tacked

rear finished

IMG_5783.jpg (95.28 KiB) Viewed 853 times

finished up on welding the little curve on this piece to make it look original.

almost ready to assemble the driver side.a lot more work than I expected but worth it.

[Hobcobble]

Nice work!

John

[sledgehammer]

Very nice indeed!

[brikar]

Thanks guys,
I hope everything I'm posting will help anybody else wanting to do this.There seems to be quite a few Sweptline owners out there that have asked about shorting a box but there's been no real details about how to do it.I,ve read a lot of different posts from guys saying its a big job that can be done to others saying it can't because the body line won't line up. Now I can't say if the body line will line up for the earlier single wall beds but is does on the 65 to 71.
Anyway I will continue posting my progress.

[Ckometz]

I’m in Calgary, and just started disassembling my 61 long box to shorten. Thanks for posting! I have read some places that you need to cut 14” out of the front and 6” from the rear, but you did 15” and 5”?

[PwrWgnDrvr]

The 61 box is totally different than 69, including dimensions.

[brikar]

[/I’m in Calgary, and just started disassembling my 61 long box to shorten. Thanks for posting! I have read some places that you need to cut 14” out of the front and 6” from the rear, but you did 15” and 5”?]

looking back at my posts I did say my first cut was at 15' but I forgot to mention that I cut the very front of that piece off to weld back on the box. this was just under 1''allowing for the material lost from the zip cuts so it was actually only shortened 14" and PwrWgnDrvr is right a single wall 61 bed is totally different.

[brikar]

Picked this up yesterday! been looking for these rims for a long time.

[soopernaut]

IMG_5875.JPG
Picked this up yesterday! been looking for these rims for a long time.

Forget the rims, what about the rear bumper?

[brikar]

IMG_5875.JPG
Picked this up yesterday! been looking for these rims for a long time.

Forget the rims, what about the rear bumper?

did I say rims I meant rear bumper

[slick]

Well done sir! Great work, thanks for posting

[cudaboy]

WOW ! I just found this thread. awesome work, and thanks for posting pics .You should do a youtube video.

[Natasha]

I have to admit, seeing this picture REALLY makes me want to chop the back end up on the D200. The bottom of the bed is already completely rotted out, and I think if I were to find a replacement anyways, I'd want a short bed. So I don't think I'd be hurting anything

Great job btw! This looks fantastic

[brikar]

Thanks
I,m still here just haven't had any time to work on it since early April but hopefully I can start on it again soon and get more progress pictures posted.plans are to have the box back on and frame shortened so I can drive it next summer then work on the cab come next winter.

[brikar]

Well I finally started work on the box again.First I went through all my welds with a LED light to find any pin holes that I might have missed and closed them up.Then applied the POR15 to the bare metal I won't be able to get at when everything's put back together.

spot welded the rear pocket assembly and the rear box cross over supports together.

fitting everything up to make sure before welding it all up.

drivers inner box all welded up with 3" widened tubs.