49-54 Chevy Frame Question

In this photo, I think those are welds that were done from the inside for the floor pan.. supposedly the floor pan is a mix of g-body and the original floor pan according to what the guy said... that's not a weld on the ch***is.



This join/seam looks sketchy!!! I'm not sure why its open there, this isn't stock I'm guessing?

 

I don't know what that is and looks sketchy... I'll go back and get more photos.

 

Hmmm, ***uming I could figure out how to get the body off (maybe with help from one other person), I'd have to do that for the donor car, then the same for this car. I'd need to get the stock frame c-notched so I could bag it (the ultimate goal). The floor pan on this car was supposedly modified to be a blend of g-body floor pan and the stock floor pan according to what the previous owner told me.. so that's going to take some work (I suppose I could take photos to help verify that).

I imagine with a frame swap, a 4-link setup, fix the floors back to stock, reuse the g-body differential if possible (or find something else that can handle the 350/700r4), airbag cups/plates, and c-notch the frame and body, I'm going to be dumping another $7-10k since that will require some shop work that I can't do myself right?

I could also just bail now and try to resell this for $10,500 as is and disclosure what I found and maybe the next owner is someone with metal working skills that can fix/swap the frame and is after this car because of the chop/gl*** work already done.

 

On the bright side exhaust looks decent.

 

The last two pictures are of the G frame, at the notch where the original transmission crossmember sat on the ledge (the bottom wide part) and had bolts p***ing through the crossmember and the ledge. On the original frame, there was never any kind of factory seam there. What you are looking at was someone's attempt at modification, for some unknown reason.

I have some doubts about the condition of the G body frame. These doubts have nothing to do with whatever you might do with the car once its on the road, but it is do to what has happened to it before it came to you. All indications leave me to believe it have have had a few salt water baths in its time. Those frames rot out form the inside outward. The fact that the bottom section has been deformed from being jacked up makes me question the G frame's structural condition, not even venturing into any welding that has been done to it.

I addressed the frame swap earlier.
Hopefully this is the correct picture. See where that side frame rail is flattened out just behind the kick out? That flattened frame section is a sign of a structurally weakened frame, rotting from the inside.

Again, hopefully the correct picture.
In the lower parts of the picture you can see one of the G frame original crush holes in the frame. These holes are either for access to something, or they are design weak points that are suppose to collapse in a crash. Either function depends on the structural ability of the surrounding material to perform as designed.
Look at the pile of debris inside of that hole, the pile of junk is the material on the inside of the frame deteriorating. and flaking off the top and side sections of the frame tube. It is a sure sign of a weakened frame. The ac***ulation has been on the inside of every frame patch or repair I have ever done on a car or truck frame, and I did it for the last 25 years of my working life.

So you bought the car body because it was less costly then you could get the chop and gl*** done local to you. I understand that, good job! Now, buy an already completed ch***is that has the upgrades you want that actually fits under your car. Given your stated budget, you should even have enough money to get most of the other stuff you want for your car. You will have a firm foundation to build from.
If you keep the current frame, you will be patching it up until it can no longer be patched. Buy the shown frame (if its what it says it is) or have one built from scratch that fits your car, put forth the effort to change the frame out yourself, be part of your car.

 

The guy I bought it from did that... which makes me think he didn't make the ugly welds that we saw on the frame.

 

I'm going to take a video perhaps of each side slowly and then maybe we can go back and get some photos of areas that look iffy? Maybe a video will be better.

I agree, safety first... bottom line. I have some life left to live and I don't want to shorten it or shorten someone else's. I appreciate all the help from everyone that has responded on this forum. Perhaps with a video and more photos we can confirm if this frame is too sketchy/risky... and then I can have a think about what to do next.. I think the chop and gl*** are great though, you're right its a decent starting point, I can swap the frame easier than I could ever dream of chopping this thing as a newbie to welding... that would either make it easier to continue with this project or less of a headache to try and resell this car as is to someone that is wanting to swap the frame or do the work to correct what's in there now.

Another thought, I wonder if I can find a generous HAMBer in San Diego with heavy experience to come look at it and give a second opinion.

 

Eh.....I had g body frames distort from being jacked up 20 years ago without rust

 

Every weld on a g body frame is ****. Actually where the term "g body shuffle" comes from. Ive seen whole sections where they missed the seam entirely from the factory

 

I went back and took more photos around this area… it looks sketchy and hideous right and probably needs someone with serious metal working skills to fix/reinforce?

I’m thinking fix the transmission shift lever, a wire to the ignition that kept coming off… then make sure it can start and move forward and backward and post it for sale with the recommendation someone put it on a stock frame or do metalwork to what it’s currently on.

 

It does appear the frame has been shortened