Possible G20 project... need advice

Hey everyone,

I found a decent older Chevrolet G20 for sale for a good price. I'm thinking of buying it for a project vehicle. I'd like to turn it into a "half van/half truck" type thing. I know it can be done because I've seen them before.

My plans are to keep the first seat row behind the front drivers/passengers seats. Then where the 2nd seat row starts, remove the headliner and cut off everything behind it with a reciprocating saw.

I'd basically be chopping it like this:
http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/181/chopyo9.th.jpg (http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/181/chopyo9.jpg)

The only concern I have would be enclosing the cab of the van after chopping it. That part I probably couldn't do myself and would need to have a local small-town auto body shop do. How would it be done, would they take the back end of an old pickup cab and weld it onto the van, or what exactly?

Here's the van as it is:
http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/6827/g20fu1.th.jpg (http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/6827/g20fu1.jpg)

Any thoughts or advice on this?
I know it sounds kind of dinky, but I think it would be fun to do.

Might be a interesting project.
I do not remember ever seeing one done.
I would check with your local body shops for help and ideas on it.
Good Luck
MT

Not meaning to rain on your van, but;

You might want to think about weight distribution... You will effectively be removing a couple of hundred # or more from the rear axle... This may tend to make the van squirrely to drive (back end slipperly).

An easy solution would be to add some weight (steel) under the 'bed' of the back end... :)

ford did make a van like this for pulling a fifth wheel trailer..they move the doors in to the stop point of the roof and then you have a pickup bed in the back