49-54 Chevy Frame Question

Here are some photos. I'm not sure but two things bother me with the column..
1. I want a longer lever arm so maybe I can figure a way to grind and weld a longer lever arm , then I want to put a beer tap handle on it (like with a 53' I used to have quite some years ago)

2. Ideally I want the original steering wheel so I'll probably have to find someone to weld something up to mate to the steering column that's in now.

 

Yep I figure I need to flip it. It might need a longer rod yea.. I'll try tomorrow.

 

So basically, there are two mounts in the rear just in front of the rear bumper from what I saw (one on p***enger side and one on driver side). There are two mounts bolted just in front of the rear wheels more or less (one on p***enger side and one on driver side). Would I need just another one on the p***enger side and driver side just rear of the frame kickout (the part I hate) just rear of the firewall or do I need to add more than that? I wonder if I can drill a hole into the cab and bolt that way? If it needs an L bracket with one side welded to the body and the other with a thru hole it might have to be custom made for this.

 

Oh, so do you think the issue is this ch***is belonged to a car that had a TH350 and the 700r4 sits in a different place? My take is they moved the crossmember, or the frame was lengthened. Some of the g-body frames are longer than the 53/54 wheelbase and some are shorter. Maybe this one was shorter.

Either way, if I buy cross member for the 700r4, I'm guessing I would grind the old one out (or leave it for extra stength), and put this one in and drill holes and bolt to the frame? If it needs welding that will need a shop.

 

Are the brackets still on the frame for the cross member? If not same companies that sell the cross member sell weld on extension brackets for earlier g bodies 1978-1982 or 83 only had one cross member position. When later g bodies got 2004rs they added a second location

 

Id do one each side just ahead of rear wheels. And one each side mid door

 

I'm a bit of a g body guru lol. Know a lot of factory upgrades for that ch***is

 

Thanks I’m glad someone with gbody experience can help me figure out what to do.

I took some more photos.

How would I add a bushing and bolt to secure the body up front just before the firewall? It seems I’d have to drill a hole from the top (and access hole from the floor pan) and then work a nut from the bottom opening or drill an access hole at the bottom? If it needs a metal bracket custom made and welding it on, I won’t be able to do that easily. Same problem for adding this to the middle area although frame looks open there so maybe easier.


It looks like the crossmember in there is welded and I can’t tell if the one from speedway or other places for the gbody and 700r4 would work or not. I’d have to grind that out or leave it if the other one can catch the trans mount and not interfere. Any idea?

 

It appears your frame is a 78 to 83. I can see the bracket for the factory cross member. Getting the cross member and extension brackets I mentioned would still fix your issue

 

Nevermind it's later g body. Sorry just woke up. But you can still add the extension brackets. Current cross member was out of something else. If you can get to a picknpull and find a 92-96 f series Ford the frame brackets for radiator core support mounts are easy-ish to drill out and then use for body mounts on your frame. It not lmc truck sells them fairly cheap. And they'd be easy to stick weld to the frame with one of the cheap Amazon welders I mentioned.

 

Some suspension upgrades. Can get 98+ S10 front springs to raise the front up a bit. Get them for a 2000 blazer Xtreme with zq8 package. They'd lower a g body about 2" so I would imagine 3" on a 54. And are basically the same as f41 police. Steering box from same blazer with quicken the steering. And knuckles and brakes from any 98-03 2wd S10 blazer will give you beefier rotors and two piston calipers

 

Sorry man, we tried to warn you.

If this is still available, you would probably be money ahead going this direction. You can use your current motor and transmission, and the frame would fit in your car.

As is, you only have the 4 of the original 8-10 body mounts the original G frame would have had holding the body on to the frame, and the trans crossmember is welded to the existing frame. It still appears that most of the original car's body to frame mounting points are still present. I'm not highly impressed with the condition your G frame looks to be in, up here in the rust belt those frames had some issues because of the salted winter roads. You don't have salted roads where you are, but a few trips to the ocean beach could cause the same damage, or worse.

Your work space looks pretty tight, that could present a problem. A dissembled car takes up a lot of space, so lets get a better picture of what you actually have.

It looks like you have the front up high enough to get under the car pretty easy. If you take your floor jack under the car with you, you should be able to lift the back of the car by putting the jack under the center of the rear end and jacking it up from under the car. Once the jack is in position, and is ready to left the car, you should be able to slide out from under the car, and jack it up from the side. You only need to get high enough to put a pair of jack stands under the rear end. If you want to go higher, then you can just jack it up normal and adjust the jack stands to a higher notch.

With the car on 4 jack stands, you can get a better idea where you are, and you can take pictures showing a bit wider view. Before you take more pictures, s****e off any loose undercoating or dirt ac***ulation that may be there. In some of the pictures its hard to tell if something was old undercoating, or near metal failure, or an old metal patch.
While the jack is under the car (with it sitting securely on 4 jack stands), move the jack forward to the transmission pan, and jack up the end of the trans enough to be able to slide the piece of wood out that is between the crossmember and the trans mount. It would be helpful to actually see what needs to be done there.

The original G body frame has 4 body mounts behind the rear axle, one on each side of the frame at the very rear, near the bumper, and one on each side, just behind the rear axle (those two usually went up through the frame). Then there is one mount on each side of the frame just forward of the rear axle. There is a body mount at the front kick out on each side. There is also a body mount at about mid point of the side frame rail, on the upper cl*** cars, that body mount connected the body to the frame, but the lower cost cars simply had a rubber bushing between the body and the frame there.

 

The LMC truck bracket might work better than me trying to hunt this stuff down.

Thanks, hmmmm, so you think I could learn to weld quick enough that I can make a mount for the body that I would be safe? I'm willing to try I suppose. My back neighbor has a TIG welder and he might help me in a pinch if its small stuff and not more than like 30 min or so or he might loan me his welder even (he helped me with a marine outboard just last week for a broken stud that he welded a nut to)

 

Do you think this would get the job done? I can't tell if it has the extension brackets you mentioned



https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Torq...O3DLU7_0FwqGfTajT3rTCkE4tskXzXyPoThkwsSaTGgkY

 

I think if I'm going to take the springs out I may as well bag the car... I'm afraid to kill myself taking the springs out though...

 

If the right width should work. As for removing front springs tie the spring to the frame and release the floor jack slowly. It'll pop out without going crazy

 

Yeah body mount isn't quite as critical as say cutting down a frame. With as many as you need total id put it dead center in structural importance between welding a frame and welding in a sheet metal patch. On the original application the replacement brackets attach with two supplied 5/16" bolts if anything

 

I know I know... I had put a deposit down on the car to be the first one to look at it and when I got there I felt the pressure to move forward especially when the guy said he would load it on his friends trailer and bring it all the way down to San Diego for me...

The problem with a frame swap is finding enough manpower to help me get the body off and pull the frame out and put another one in. It's hard for me to ask for help. I'm not sure the history of this frame but I probably wouldn't be close to the ocean too much with it and I never keep anything I care about outside.

Here are some photos of my garage.. its a 2 car garage and my driveway is flatish and 2 car. I don't like leaving my C10 outside so I keep it inside and it makes space very tight. Lengthwise the washer and dryer make it tight and I'd have to do a lot of work to move them (already had thought about this).

I'm pretty sure I can jack at the differential if I'm under the car but I don't like being under it while I'm doing that. I could start it, then swivel it so I'm pumping the lever from the side (I'd be positioned near the door off to the side). Another thought is to take the rear bumper off, open the garage door and slide the jack from the back and do it that way. Is one way better than the other?

 

Thanks, what about the rear springs? I'm worried those could be really hard to work with. hmmm

 

You don't need a bunch of guys to help lift the body off the frame, you just need to use these jack stands under the body at the correct location, a couple 8' long pieces of 2' x 10' lumber, a few lengths of chain, and an engine hoist. It would be easier if the front of the car was facing the garage door.
The body only has to come up high enough for the wood under the body to clear the rear tires as the frame is rolled out from under it. You do need to pull the front sheet metal off, and pull the motor & trans, disconnect the steering, and the brake lines.
Then disconnect the body mounts connect the chain to secure location on the rear part of the body and lift it up with the hoist until the lumber can fit between the body and the frame. Do the same with the front. The body sits on the lumber, the lumber sits on the jack stands with them screwed up high enough so the frame can be rolled out from under it. I've done this stuff myself a lot, its easier with a helper. The operation takes up a lot of space. Maybe there is a neighbor, or a buddy you can recruit to help a couple of hours for some beer money.

 

I looked at the chop and gl*** and said good enough. literally. I thought for $10,500 I should be able to resell it for what I paid if I don't proceed and someone with better metal working skills can take this car to the next level. In San Diego, a chop and gl*** will run $14k (I asked) at one of the local shops.. the other shop that does this in the region probably even more.

I could barely see anything underneath the car sits so damn low and that frame was low. I couldn't get a floor jack under it from the sides. I had to get a scissor jack and jack the front corner of the frame and put my floorjack under the front crossmember once I got it down here inside my 2 car garage.

I can take more photos of the chop but I think the chop was not done by the person who welded anything to the frame.

 

Not sure why your last reply came in blank

 

Just Jack up the rear without shocks and they calmly fall out. Did it multiple times on two different 86 Cutl*** supremes

 

Thanks, the guy that sold me the car said he built those stands for the car.. I wonder if he's the one who put this car on the frame or not.. he told me he got it from Phoenix and made it seem like he got it this way. hmmm.
I could reverse the car in I suppose.

Hmmm finding a person to help me is possible... I've done car work for some friends.. but getting more than 1 other person at a time would be tricky. I think the issue is the space in my garage is tight... perhaps with the car reverse in and the front door open I can do a lot of work that way (and my C-10 pulled outside for a day or so).

The other thing is if I want to airbag then the stock 53/54 frame would need to be c-notched and I have no business doing that... I'd have to have this done by some shop, ideally before swapping.

 

I'm not sure if the previous owner or owners tried to weld someone on to it (the one photo showing the ugly welds) but it didn't affect the frame integrity there? It doesn't look like those ugly welds are what are holding the frame together.

 

I know opinions are like.....uhhhhh...navals...everybody has one, but....being a welder from another lifetime , it's MUCH EZ'er to learn how to MIG weld (with CO2/Argon gas coverage) than stick weld.
I did both for years and stick welding is VERY frustrating when just learning. (that's why they call it 'stick welding'). Let alone welding overhead or vertical positions with very limited space to work in. The machine is cheaper but...it would be harder to re-sell IF you give up trying to learn...
Harbor Freight/Tractor Supply etc. have entry level MIG machines WITH CO2/Ag gas coverage pretty reasonable. Garggle or Youtube how to set one up....
CLEAN the area to be welded...95% of the work is done! (IF you give up on it....you can get most of your $$ back on a re-sale.)
The higher you can get the car...the better off you'll be..
Take more pictures and CIRCLE the areas you are talking about. (I was lost on your above pictures)
GOOD LUCK pal !
6sally6

 

BTW....'sometimes'...Gorilla-welds(big&ugly) hold just fine.
Steel and welds are amazingly strong things.
A solid 1" fillet weld has THOUSANDS of pounds of strength.
US guys have a tendency to OVER weld things(for some reason)!
Jus Say'in
6sally6

 

Thanks! I'm in San Diego though, the road conditions and potholes are at times just unbelievable due to the city administration mismanaging the budget.. so welds will be put to the test here!