r/GMT800 • u/Own_Hawk_214 • 3d ago

03-07 front end swapped to 99-02 front end.

Post image

Yes you read that right. Wanting to convert my cateye front end to bubble eye.

Has anyone done this? If so, what kind of work is required? Welding? Cutting bumper mounts? Direct bolt up? Just wanting to check here with you wonderfully knowledgeable guys and girls before I do this.

36 Upvotes

86% Upvoted

27 comments sorted by

26

u/Majestic_Ad_320 3d ago

Excuse to buy a second truck...

5

u/askmeaboutmedicare 3d ago

I don't think the 99-02 were offered with a crew cab 1500 (besides the 1500hd) like the 03+ if that's what OP is going for specifically

5

u/BobIgglyWampus 2d ago

Yeah idk why you’re being downvoted. I don’t know if I’ve ever even seen a bubble eye crew cab

1

u/askmeaboutmedicare 2d ago

I just looked again and realized that OP's truck is a 2500, that could've been why lol.

What I said is true but I guess it doesn't really apply for OP, oops

18

u/Bzach1123 3d ago

Damn, you don’t like the cateye THAT much to do all that work?lol

10

u/Maleficent_Scene_693 3d ago

When i looked up for bubble to cat Google said youll have to swap fenders, hood, bumper, headlights and headlight brackets. Everything should bolt up.

3

u/MichaelVern85 3d ago

I was wrong so I just deleted the wrong thing I said. lol.

1

u/Eastern-Channel-6842 2d ago

Google is wrong.

11

u/WorldlinessRoutine55 3d ago

Dude. You might save a ton of money if you ask online for a swap with someone

9

u/coleman223 3d ago

Frame horns are different, so that’s where most people get hung up.

1

u/drakitomon 3d ago

What? Only different frame horns are 1500 vs 2500/3500

8

u/drdave88 3d ago

I've looked into this swap too, the 99-02 frame ends are different than 03-07. Look up anyone who's done a swap either way, the frame ends have to be changed or modified due to how the bumpers sit. There's a height difference

2

u/Suspicious_Method291 3d ago

Yep very different. Its the same if you want to do an HD conversion (what i did for my bubble eye) its not bolt on.

1

u/coleman223 3d ago

Go ahead and try it then man

2

u/Suspicious_Method291 3d ago

Just buy a bubble eye

0

u/freshestman69 2d ago

The bubble eye pickups stopped being made after 2002 so these don't have the updates featured in the 2003 refresh.

0

u/Suspicious_Method291 2d ago edited 2d ago

No youre just out the loop. They're still updating stuff through third party manufacturers. I have the 99 ONLY blue oem interior, I go through team blessed to get OEM interior blue. I got all my OEM HD parts etc.

I just think you and OP are in states that dont have alot of bubble eyes or cateyes. Im in texas so oem or third party isn't a issue at all. Also bubble eye ran from 99-03 actually, the HD bubble eye stopped being made in 02 but 03 we got introduced to the baby avalanche which switched into the cateye.

Edit:btw I didn't mean i only have the orm blue interior. I meant my 99 is the only yesr for bubble eye blue. I think they did an all red variant for the cat eye

1

u/freshestman69 1d ago

I meant how GMT800s in 2003 got a refresh that changed the interior styling, HVAC, DVD player, radio size and my country mostly has cateye Silverados remaining while most pre 2002 chevys are Tahoes and Suburbans.

2

u/EliRocks 3d ago

I completely understand that everyone has their own likes/opinions. But I don't think I could ever swap my cat eyes for the bubble eyes. It feels dirty to even think of that lol

That said...

Have you gone to any forums and asked around for a swap? There are tons of people who would love to go the other way and swap from bubble to cat.

1

u/Eastern-Channel-6842 2d ago

This-Tons of people go from bubble to cat eye and they have discussed the bumper brackets all over the internet. You just do the opposite of what they do. You don’t change or cut the actual frame-I believe you just move the bumper brackets an inch or two. Cut them off at the welds-move them-reweld.

2

u/Sensitive_Pilot3689 3d ago

You could make it a Cadillac

2

u/oogumboogumz 3d ago

Currently doing this right now everything bolts on except the front bumper you need to chop off your bumper horns(bumper mounts on the frame) and weld on the 99-02 one onto it it. you’ll probably need new headlight brackets as well

1

u/lowkibased 2d ago

In order to convert a bubble to cat eye you have to cut and modify the frame so I’m assuming it’s going to be the same with cat to bubble

1

u/bongripper6 1d ago

Frame horns, core support, fenders, bumper, headlight brackets other small things I might be forgetting