Going to be a big project! Total body off frame rebuild???

[Willy]

Well I now have my first new Dodge 2500 extended cab. 2001 3/4 ton 4X4 5.9 HO HD-6 speed with 100K on a factory rebuild and a total of 183K on the truck. Paid $3500.00 for it but it was rolled over and messed up the cab, fenders and sides of the bed!!! No damage to the frame, engine, grill, radiator and complete drive train. Seats are perfect no cracks on the dash (it was covered from new) and all the lights and tail gate are nice! No way to fix the cab it messed up the door tops and folded the windsheild posts down some. Funny part is the back door windows and slider are OK?? Now saying all this is it even smart to think of changing the cab, hood, fenders and bed on this truck since I know how it was driven and I am the second owner. The roll over was at around 10 MPH on a dirt road in the rain!I have done a off frame restore to a 48 Dodge Power Wagon(every nut bolt and screw) and a M-37 plus set up several Bajas. I can't find anything on what I am getting into to remove the cab and unhook all the wiring and controls to put a new one on??? I have time to do this and it is in my shop with lots of room to work on it. Easy part of the cab is the 4 bolts holding it on but the AC, Hydraulic Clutch, wiring harness, brakes etc will be a pain to.This is my first post so be easy on me and I don't give up easy. I need steering in the right direction to get some answers even if I have to buy some manuals. PS The engine still runs nice! Mark:pant:

[banzaitoyota]

Congrats. Cab change will be easy, lining the sheetmetal up will suck. Clean the underside of the new cab first and hit it with lizardskin, followed by spray-on bedliner.

[Willy]

Just got back from the wrecking yard and I can get a top the same year as this one cut off at the dash and in front of the back window. My front posts are bent a little but nothing you could not push up by hand. My rear doors are OK just the front ones damaged and need replacing. Looking into welding a new front section on the top for a way to fix the cab? No rust on this truck it is a Eastern Washington one, dry country. I still looking into a doner truck for another way and keep most of the parts for repair parts later. So many way but I did order the $90.00 shop service manual for this truck and year. It has all the body stuff including measurments for all the body parts to set them up right. I even drove it out of the shop and pressure washed the under carrage clean for working on it later. Mark