Sleeper Cabs B Model How Many?

[61sleepercab]

I have been working on a B-61T 1961 Sleeper Cab that I saved from the junk man. I know that the sleepercabs are rare, but how many are still out there and not turned into beer cans or manhole covers? The body was so bad I was afraid to show it to my friend the bodyman because I figured he would say she was a hopeless case. We have decided to mark an X on the truck and build a truck from that spot. I have two 4x8 sheets of body metal so that is a start.

I have brakes and changed the oil with no sludge or coffee grounds on the oil screen or pan. I have yard drove the"Ugly Mack" ( the name given the truck by an owner's family) so there is hope.

I have talked to Fuzzy Buzzard who has a sleepercab but I notice not a lot of info or pictures on the sleeper cabs. Any info or suggestions would be helpful. I saw this truck on the road still working and have talked to two former drivers of the truck and two owners or their families. The old girl started out as a Surface Bananna tractor, hauled groceries and produce for a local Foodland stores and ended her working career pulling a lowboy for a dozer and loader company.

[twostickmutt]

congrats. on your find. stay with it...you'll get it.

[rigfire]

I looked at a 56 sleeper yesterday. Was in decent shape and last driven in 1994. The worst noticible rust was above the windshield on the inside and outside was top left and right cornes of the windshield/cab.

The owner has 4 B models all parked and none running. Only one was a sleeper. His old farm tractors were amazing. I saw equipment I never knew existed.

Where and how bad is the rust you are repairing? Does the rust I describe indicate much larger problems else where?

Donny

[61sleepercab]

I looked at a 56 sleeper yesterday. Was in decent shape and last driven in 1994. The worst noticible rust was above the windshield on the inside and outside was top left and right cornes of the windshield/cab.

The owner has 4 B models all parked and none running. Only one was a sleeper. His old farm tractors were amazing. I saw equipment I never knew existed.

Where and how bad is the rust you are repairing? Does the rust I describe indicate much larger problems else where?

Donny

My truck has several rust sites. Worst is around the top of the cab door top and the front door post.Rust through on both sides of the cab above the drip rails above the doors and the drip rail in the sleeper. You can figure out where rain goes in and then where it runs down. Rust at the tops of the windshield posts lets water in which rots the door posts and then runs down the panel between the door and the front fender edge.Water runs down the sleeper wall and rots out the edge of the door frame towards the rear.

I would check for rot at the top and bottom of the window corners and the cowl below the window posts. I would check where the cab roof curves and meets the sides of the sleeper and the top of the door frames. The only bright spot is that the drip rails are installed by screws and can be removed so we can put new metal where the roof meets the door frame. Also the body metal is thick enough to mig weld without much trouble. Hope this info helps . Mark

[rigfire]

My truck has several rust sites. Worst is around the top of the cab door top and the front door post.Rust through on both sides of the cab above the drip rails above the doors and the drip rail in the sleeper. You can figure out where rain goes in and then where it runs down. Rust at the tops of the windshield posts lets water in which rots the door posts and then runs down the panel between the door and the front fender edge.Water runs down the sleeper wall and rots out the edge of the door frame towards the rear.

I would check for rot at the top and bottom of the window corners and the cowl below the window posts. I would check where the cab roof curves and meets the sides of the sleeper and the top of the door frames. The only bright spot is that the drip rails are installed by screws and can be removed so we can put new metal where the roof meets the door frame. Also the body metal is thick enough to mig weld without much trouble. Hope this info helps . Mark

Mark,

Thanks for the info. I posted pics in my album to hopelully show the rust areas.

As compared to other B Models, why is the sleeper so prone to rust?

For replacement sheet metal, could another B Model be used as donor sheet metal especially at windshield tops? I know where 3 empty cabs are junked and abandoned.

Donny

[61sleepercab]

Mark,

Thanks for the info. I posted pics in my album to hopelully show the rust areas.

As compared to other B Models, why is the sleeper so prone to rust?

For replacement sheet metal, could another B Model be used as donor sheet metal especially at windshield tops? I know where 3 empty cabs are junked and abandoned.

Donny

Do not know why sleeper cabs rot out whether they didn't drain they sweated or they are made of thinner metal than the regular cab. Everyone I have talked to the sleepers are prone to rot.

I would weigh the places were you are fixxing and the condition of donor metal from a regular cab from forming the part from new metal and welding to good metal around the hole. I would watch welding 50 year old rusty metal when you could cut out the rust and weld new metal to the area. Look on the underside of the area to see if their is a weld because some where on the window frame the sleeper roof was welded to. If you look in the floor you will see where the origional cab floor was added to widen the cab Mark