98% Lexan homemade cab for massey gc2300

[massey driver]

Built this cab for my massey gc2300 out of 1"x1" 100 wall tubing with Lexan attached to the tubing.As you can see sure it looks a bit boxy looking but the ROPS is inside the cab.The ROPS that came with mine is the one thats foldable so because I don't have the backhoe attachment I actually cut it down by 18" so its the same height as the non foldable ones.So I had no choice but to make it boxy looking.If I had the other style Rops I'd have tapered it narrower near the top. But anyway here's a couple pictures that'll give you's a idea of what its looks like. I put a home built heater in as well,used a heater core from off the shelf at the local Auto wrecker's that I was able to pick up for $20 and I built a box around it out of plywood and put a fan out of a old Dodge Volarie station wagon that they had in the back.so it works good and throws lots of heat.I made a flip up door at the very front so that I can open the hood to check oil etc;The cab is held in place by two bolts at the front and flips right over backwards on two hindges that are mounted just off the roll bar bolts.So to take it off I just unbolt the front two bolts lift the front up and it'll flip right over onto a couple of saw horses pull out 2 pins and drive away.Of course thats after taking the heater out.For fill in's I used old baler belting and weather stripping off the rear doors of a van.Anyway it should hopefully be nice and warm in the winter plus its very easy to see out of everywhere.As always Larry.

 

[etcallhome]

Looks good great job!! Just wondering how you held the Lexan on Looks like snaps
I had checked on a heater core from a Subaru repair shop. Then I found a heater made for the Versa tractor Seems like it should work OK

 

[massey driver]

I used self tapping screws to hold the lexan on but I pre drilled the holes in the lexan first but used a bit bigger drill bit then the screw so as to allow for expansion and contraction.What I did'nt mention in the first post was that there's a door on either side as well as the back window swings out like that of a big tractors.Both doors can be taken off by removing two hindge pins as well as the back window. So really when it comes to taking the cab off I can get rid of lots of weight by taking pins out and removing the doors and back window.I'll also have to remove the front sides by the loader brackets as well as there a pretty snug fit around the hood.Take out a few screws and there off very easily.The heater will come off just as easy as I've use quick connect couplers in the heater hoses and the antifreeze loss will be minimal.I'll join the hoses together once there off so as to stop any slow leaks through the quick couplers [if there's any] just to make sure.This is probably my 5th homemade cab. First one was on my massey 175 then two other masseys after thats a massey 10 then a massey 1655 and then a ford LGT 125 and now this one.Both the last two are almost the same with it being pretty much all window.Very nice to beable to see like you don't have a cab on.As always Larry.

 

[mrcaptainbob]

Use that when the sun's out and you can grow orchids in the winter! Very nice job!! Did you use a special drill bit? Or did you heat the hole edges to seal the stress fractures?

 

[toy]

Built this cab for my massey gc2300 out of 1"x1" 100 wall tubing with Lexan attached to the tubing.As you can see sure it looks a bit boxy looking but the ROPS is inside the cab.The ROPS that came with mine is the one thats foldable so because I don't have the backhoe attachment I actually cut it down by 18" so its the same height as the non foldable ones.So I had no choice but to make it boxy looking.If I had the other style Rops I'd have tapered it narrower near the top. But anyway here's a couple pictures that'll give you's a idea of what its looks like. I put a home built heater in as well,used a heater core from off the shelf at the local Auto wrecker's that I was able to pick up for $20 and I built a box around it out of plywood and put a fan out of a old Dodge Volarie station wagon that they had in the back.so it works good and throws lots of heat.I made a flip up door at the very front so that I can open the hood to check oil etc;The cab is held in place by two bolts at the front and flips right over backwards on two hindges that are mounted just off the roll bar bolts.So to take it off I just unbolt the front two bolts lift the front up and it'll flip right over onto a couple of saw horses pull out 2 pins and drive away.Of course thats after taking the heater out.For fill in's I used old baler belting and weather stripping off the rear doors of a van.Anyway it should hopefully be nice and warm in the winter plus its very easy to see out of everywhere.As always Larry.

I made mine out of lexan for my 425 pt, but because of the way the operators deck is made on the pt on the bottom I used a real heavy plastic that I got at a craft store. The sharp bends that you have to make at the bottom of the pt caused the lexan not to hold up there around where the seat is and the the machine oscilates and articulates really didn't leave enough room for the hard plastic in that area. I used the tubing out of old discarded grills when they changed over to the new fittings for the gas bottles. For the top I used a hood off of a truck. When I was beating the hood back out from the wreck that it had been I left some of the crumpled bend in it for a conversation piece.

 

[massey driver]

Use that when the sun's out and you can grow orchids in the winter! Very nice job!! Did you use a special drill bit? Or did you heat the hole edges to seal the stress fractures?

drilling lexan is very easy just used a regular drill bit just take it easy and there's no stress cracks etc; now if your drilling into plastic thats where problems like that happen.I used 3/16" lexan and didn't have any problems drilling the over 400 plus holes.

 

[mcd176]

Nice job, you will be toasty this winter!

 

[mrcaptainbob]

Very good, Massey Driver!
And I sure agree with the sign off of taking back the Country.

 

[czechsonofagun]

Was papamobile your inspiration?

Nice job!

 

[Travelover]

I like it! One problem with cabs is limited visibility and I'd say that you beat that problem.