109 vs 88 truck cab - where's the extra space? Swap rear bulkhead?

[twodoorgaz]

Quick one folks.

Am putting an old SWB truck cab back together - just a cheap project seeing as I've sold all my restos now. Am currently repairing the tub - new floor will be ordered next week - remaking all those fiddly little angles in the wheel arch and using a combination of hammer rivets and subtle TIG-work to put it and the cappings back together - only painting areas that won't be seen (all visible areas of the panels/wings/load area will retain the old, threadbare marine-blue paint - patina I believe the Rat Rodders call it).

Obviously the rear bulkhead of a 109 is different to that of an 88 - there's more space in a 109 and it doesn't need the little filler piece under the cab - but where does this space come from? is it in the floor, the seat base or in the rear bulkhead?

I know of a 109 tub locally and if its simply a case of the front bulkhead being different I'd be happy to let it into the SWB tub.

I'm assuming that the seat boxes are the same and that the extra space is found in the little ledge behind the seats. That'd mean making a carrier beam to connect the front-edge chassis mounting tabs to the relocated 109 bullhead bottom but that's not a big issue.

Any thoughts?

[edit: If it impacts on the fuel tank location its not an issue as I'm very tempted to relocate it and its outrigger anyway - always fancied a big cylindrical tank, a beer keg or similar, against the rear load bed with a pair of Leather straps holding it down. Its actually very tempting to go V8 with LPG and dress the LPG tank to look old. Would only need a tiny petrol tank then - something like this:

[tacr2man]

What model are you talking about as the back of cab bulkhead on 109 and 88 are same in both last time i looked ?

All seatbases are same dimensions other than for engine or gearbox accomodation changes

[mickeyw]

If I recall correctly, the extra is due to the profile of the bulkhead behind the seats.

88" models go straight up then slope back, whereas 109" slopes back further then goes up, thus enabling the seats the sit a bit further back. So the longitudinal distance from rear of seat box to rearmost point of bulkhead is in fact greater on the 109", therefore does not require the filler panel used on the 88".

Hope that makes sense

[twodoorgaz]

Mickey - that makes perfect sense. Thank you very much - I'll go and buy that old 109 tub.

[Snagger]

It is the tub bulkhead. Seat bases are identical. The 90 and 110 tubs have the same bulkhead profile as the 109, with minor detail differences like the two hatches and various clips and brackets.

The bulkheads also form the front of the wheel arch spaces and support the floor, seat base (88) or spacing plinth (all others), the side wings and the wheel arch boxes. so it is not just a matter of driling a few spot welds. It can be done, though you will still have issues with the front ends of the wheel box/arch behind the seats unless you fancy a lot of cutting and fabrication, and will also run into issues witht he fuel filler assembly.

[twodoorgaz]

Thanks guys - very rude of me not to reply at the time. I gave the SWB to my mate in exchange for some kit-car bits - but loved the LWB bodywork I found (amazing original faded paint), so am onto another project (or onto my way to insanity if I don't get one of the projects finished!)