Anyone have any advice on doing a cab swap for an 85 single cab 720?

[alexlikespizza]

Going to be working on a 1985 Nissan 720 single cab. We got it running but the next step would theoretically be a cab swap as the current cab is beyond reasonable repair. (Rusted out A pillars, rust on top and below windshield, rust holes in floor and firewall, battery holder gone, rad support slightly pushed in and rusted etc(hence why it was free lol)). 
 

People I’ve talked to irl say a cab swap would get everything in one go and be cheaper/easier in the long run. I occasionally see a clean cab pop up at my nearby junkyards but I’m wondering what advice you guys would have if anyone has done this. What cab years are interchangeable with an 85? From what I read 84-86 should swap in easily?

 

How would the logistics be in terms of getting the cab out of the yard, time it takes to strip it, weight of it and manpower needed to move it (I’d only really be me and my dad as I don’t think any of my family/friends would really care to do this lol)? I saw a video of about 4-6 people doing this on an extended cab with the dash in struggling a bit. I know there are engine hoists you can borrow but idk if a cab would fit in between the other cars? 
 

The LKQ branch of yards charges about $500 for them, but does that include the radiator support and the parts of the structure that attaches to it and holds the fenders as well (the parts that are welded on that extends from the front of the cab?) I would hope so as they’re welded together and they’re a complete package? (Or would they change for each thing separately like rad support?) 

 

Even after all that, I was thinking id be nice to color match the interior of the engine bay as the truck now is a dif color form the would be donors. Would just a deep wash the spray of 2k paint do just fine on top of the old paint with minimum prep? 

Thanks for the help. 
 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Bl_3Y75z7e5s5PZZYqLE0b_uziBpRes3/view?usp=drivesdk

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DlN-K0yIfu5rC7IMWTRcDtoBNkdQQM_U/view?usp=drivesdk

 

[datzenmike]

An '85-'86 single cab would be an exact match, the hood was different from all other years. However the hoods were interchangeable.

 

If you have a complete cab I think any year single cab will fit the frame but the '80-'82 had smaller engines and radiators so '83 and up would be a better fit. I don't think the later Z24 radiator will easily fit the '80-'82 rad support. Fenders and doors are the same and hoods are easily swapped, or not. There were 4 different hoods for the 720.

 

There were different steering columns (power steering/tilt steering) so you may have to swap your current column into the donor.

 

Definitely remove the following to lighten it:

 

Doors.

 

Seats and gear shift. Carpet. Jack

 

Fenders and hood.

 

You can strip everything off the donor engine bay to paint it. Radiator, battery, coolant recovery bottle. (brake lines/booster/master/clutch master and lines/coils/ will likely stay on the original and new cab let down over top) This will avoid masking around lines to paint and having to bleed the brakes and clutch.

  

If '85-'86 the wiring should match. If you replace, and there are differences later, you will have to disconnect everything and pull harness into the cab to change or remove, a difficult but not impossible task.

 

I and three teens lifted my 620 king cab back up and off over the one piece steering column and box, and it was doable. You won't have to worry about the steering column. If you have access to a overhead hoist put a 2x10 plank through the open doors and hoist with it.

 

 

 

[NC85ST]

9 hours ago, alexlikespizza said:

Rusted out A pillars, rust on top and below windshield, rust holes in floor and firewall, battery holder gone, rad support slightly pushed in and rusted

If I understand your location correctly, you’re in Southern California and you have this much rust? Wow! 

 

9 hours ago, alexlikespizza said:

How would the logistics be in terms of getting the cab out of the yard

I take it that this is a do it yourself yard? If it is, then you can determine what you leave on the cab and what you don’t. If the engine is out of the truck, it will certainly be easier to load on a trailer with just 2 people, you should be able to more or less just slide it on. Make sure you take all of the nuts and bolts that you remove in the yard, then you’ll have them to replace the ones you loose taking the cab off of your truck. 

[datzenmike]

Wrecking yard is very likely to have a fork lift truck or something better. Get everything ready and they cherry pick it off. If you have a flat bed waiting they can drop it onto that. In that case leave everything on the cab and remove it at home at your leisure. A gold mine of spare parts and wiring. Even the seats and dash! 

[Duncan]

3 hours ago, datzenmike said:

Wrecking yard is very likely to have a fork lift truck or something better. Get everything ready and they cherry pick it off. If you have a flat bed waiting they can drop it onto that. In that case leave everything on the cab and remove it at home at your leisure. A gold mine of spare parts and wiring. Even the seats and dash! 

 

You do have to be a bit aware of Pick-Your-Part.  For instance, if you buy a rear axle, they charge separately for the the brakes, brake lines, etc, etc.   If you buy a seat and the seat belt receiver is built into the seat, they charge for that, too.  Pretty much anything left on the cab will be charged when you check out.  

 

I've never bought an engine there, but I am assuming they will charge you for the alternator, water pump, etc, etc. 

 

I bought a rear end there a few years back, and I ended up removing the brakes to avoid the extra charge.  It didn't used to be this way, but they bought out most of the other wrecking chains, and they have a monopoly on the bigger yards here in So Cal.

 

 

 

  

[datzenmike]

Find a smaller yard and work out some deal.

 

A local yard wanted an ungodly price for some part I wanted. I was told that's the 'going rate'. I said just because some where someone paid that, doesn't mean it's worth that here. How many have you sold this week? this year??? ever? You have a dozen out in the lot and they have been there for years and next month when the mobile crusher shows up you'll crush them and have nothing to show for them. 

[ggzilla]

And that attitude is why LKQ has bought them up. They didn't care that much about volume sales, but LKQ does care, and is making enough to buy up those yards ... I co-managed a wrecking yard for three years, and we tried to move parts, at whatever price we could get. Other yards just wanted to go home at 15 minutes to 6, and would skip sales depending on whatever they felt like

 

That being said, if they just scrap every car, they still make a profit. On the other hand, LKQ makes a bigger profit and is buying them out

[bananahamuck]

Yes the whole cab comes off as one piece if you want,, we didn't even remove fenders but it was done on a lift so didn't matter how much extra weight .. After all hoses and cables removed , and steering coupler unbolted,, i think it's 6 large bolts 

 

 

Not the most detailed cab switch story ever documented ,, but it's there 

 

Clickty clickty 

 

 

Edited August 12 by bananahamuck

[Sephakrid]

On 8/11/2025 at 2:27 PM, Duncan said:

 

You do have to be a bit aware of Pick-Your-Part.  For instance, if you buy a rear axle, they charge separately for the the brakes, brake lines, etc, etc.   If you buy a seat and the seat belt receiver is built into the seat, they charge for that, too.  Pretty much anything left on the cab will be charged when you check out.  

 

I've never bought an engine there, but I am assuming they will charge you for the alternator, water pump, etc, etc. 

 

I bought a rear end there a few years back, and I ended up removing the brakes to avoid the extra charge.  It didn't used to be this way, but they bought out most of the other wrecking chains, and they have a monopoly on the bigger yards here in So Cal.

 

 

 

  

 

Yeah, LKQ tries to charge you for every little thing. Last time I got a spare coil for my truck and they charged me separately for the rubber boot that goes over the top! They'll even charge you for light bulbs.

[alexlikespizza]

On 8/11/2025 at 10:20 AM, NC85ST said:

If I understand your location correctly, you’re in Southern California and you have this much rust? Wow! 

 

I take it that this is a do it yourself yard? If it is, then you can determine what you leave on the cab and what you don’t. If the engine is out of the truck, it will certainly be easier to load on a trailer with just 2 people, you should be able to more or less just slide it on. Make sure you take all of the nuts and bolts that you remove in the yard, then you’ll have them to replace the ones you loose taking the cab off of your truck. 

I'm surprised about the rust as well lol. To the best of my knowledge this truck lived somewhat close to the ocean for quite a few years, at least the last 15. So that probably contributed to the rust. This is also a big farming/manual labor area so I bet this truck was abused a bit in that way getting scratches exposing the paint etc. Also someone lived in one of those campers that go on top of the truck and over the roof for a few years and I bet that trapped moister even more. 

Yeah the LKQs in socal. Most likely the engine will still be intact, best case the head is gone. The more tricky part will be if the truck is located in an isle where there is not much room to squeeze the cab between the lines of cars.

[alexlikespizza]

On 8/11/2025 at 10:31 AM, datzenmike said:

Wrecking yard is very likely to have a fork lift truck or something better. Get everything ready and they cherry pick it off. If you have a flat bed waiting they can drop it onto that. In that case leave everything on the cab and remove it at home at your leisure. A gold mine of spare parts and wiring. Even the seats and dash! 

The LKQ junkyards have these large cherry pickers but I've never seen then bring out anything motorized for the customers.  Probably to much "waisted" fuel to help the people lol.

[alexlikespizza]

On 8/11/2025 at 6:13 PM, datzenmike said:

Find a smaller yard and work out some deal.

 

A local yard wanted an ungodly price for some part I wanted. I was told that's the 'going rate'. I said just because some where someone paid that, doesn't mean it's worth that here. How many have you sold this week? this year??? ever? You have a dozen out in the lot and they have been there for years and next month when the mobile crusher shows up you'll crush them and have nothing to show for them. 

I wish it were that easy lol. The only local junkyard near me is only a bit cheaper then the main yards. (they also refuse to sell whole cars which is a bummer because i have seen complete "classic" cars there totally worth saving. But I doubt a young person who doesn't look like he has a lot of money will persuade then to go through all that effort lol.). Also to my annoyance I took a visit and they got 4 720s after not having then for months and the one single cab they had was wrecked.