: Could you give a brief description on how you did it?

: I was planning on 3/4 plywood for the ribs and the cap rail. I want to find a
: door and windows off a wrecked shell. First step is to trace the cab
: outline and figure how to follow the back profile.

In contrast to the main top, the window piece wasn’t as much a structural strength challenge. Here I mostly wanted something that would hold the window from flying off. Still, the window piece proved to be almost as much a challenge as the whole of the main top.

I started with the two side frame pieces. They rest on the exposed tails of the rail toppers, and function to provide the main surface for attaching to the main top as well as to tie the sill together with the header to make a window frame. The sill, also a form for the strips, was laid across the remaining exposed tails of the rail toppers, butted up to the side frames, then shaped at both ends and the rear to match the curves of the truck bed and tailgate.

Because of the very tight curves of the header piece, I couldn’t figure a way to do it with strips and still be strong. So, in some desperation, I laminated a beam (one 2” x 6” and two 1” x 6” pieces of cedar) and, basically, carved that block into what I had in mind. This header sits on top of the two side pieces, with small blocks of maple at the joints to reinforce them and to make a form-like shape for the strips connecting the ends of the header to the sill below.

The side strips and the header were made to overlap the cedar board facing of the rear form of the main top, with a seal of foam rubber (mounted on the main top) in between for weatherproofing. The bottom strips connect both sides, with a cutout for the tailgate. The rear window is clear plastic, ‘clamped’ to the inside surface with narrow strips, then siliconed on the exterior. This was a little tricky as well, as you have to allow for upwards of .625” of thermal expansion, according to the plastic maker.

For some reason which escapes me now, I glassed only the exterior of the window piece, the interiors of the side strips, and the front-side surface of the two side frames. I did coat all the remaining interior surfaces with epoxy, though.

After all that, I never did come up with a (for me) workable design for hinging the window piece on to the main top, despite some good suggestions from Paul Jacobson on this website. Instead, I still use four .375” bolts mounted in the side frames, which he may also have suggested, which pass through matching holes in the rear bulkhead/form of the main top, and they’re held in place with wingnuts. In any event, the lack of hinges hasn’t been a problem: I can open the tailgate with the window piece in place, or I remove it altogether for the periodic trips hauling big and long stuff. To remove it, I just open the tail and reach around for the 2 bottom nuts, and up for the upper 2, which were placed to be reachable.

That's about it. Good luck.

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