42 Chevy truck build

The biggest problem with using car fenders is that they're much narrower than truck fenders. It would take a ton of custom work to make them work.

 

Is that stuff all in NY? The market in Western Canada for pre-47 GM stuff is a lot more sp**** than the USA.

 

No, I have a 500 mile radius set on the search function

 

Let’s see some early chev pickups done fenderless and open wheeled as traditional hot rods it’s my build my way

 

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/bobber-trucks-are-they-hamb-rods.1243980/

 

I have a 42 1 1/2 ton that I pulled out of a falling down barn several years ago. The welds aren’t leaded over . No chrome except the door handle that was replaced

 

After a little bit of flip flopping back and forth this one will be running fenders for a couple reasons as I have all the front fenders and running boards and the bigger issue is in British Columbia the cut off date for a open wheel hot rod is 1940 (serial number confirms it as a 42), and it would be a nightmare for inspections so what would fit for frames without any major fabrication required, and be a period correct option (no s10 frames will not even entertain that option) and allow me to run the front mounted 265?

 

Show some pictures, what is the plan for it?

 

I think M***achusetts is 1943 and they don't have to have blinkers and stop lights but if they are on it they have to function, kinda odd but whatever

 

i have never seen a frame that fits nice under these trucks other than the stock one. you would be better off trying to find a stock frame and building that.

 

I agree, surely a stock frame can't be that hard to find? Are the '37-40 frames the same?

 

39-40 yes. I don't think 37-38 are the same.

 

39-40 frames are different than 41-46 frames. the 41-46 frames are 1 1/2" longer at the cowl forward. i have shortened 41-46 frames to fit under 39-40 trucks

 

I would post a picture but it’s a 1 1/2 ton and it will be removed. This forum doesn’t allow any thing over a 3/4 ton . I’ve learned that the hard way

 

@Okie Pete I didn't realize that.

 

That’s really silly, something like that is sweet, even if you take a big truck cab and turn it into a “bobber” style truck? I think that is a shame

 

41-46 is the only style that would fit? I thought there would have been more options that could have interchanged, I put my 62 C10 on a 71 frame, very straightforward swap just had to change the cab mounting points, stuck 62 style mounts on and relocated the rear cab mounts and modified some square body mounts to fit, surely a similar option apart from S10s exist for these trucks

 

That’s very odd as 43s models didn’t exist apart from military vehicles

 

putting a 62 on a 71 frame is one thing but 39-46 chevy truck frames are very narrow because of the way the body bolts on and the fat fenders. i dont ever remember seeing a 39-46 truck other than on the stock frame that looked good or fit well including the s10 swap. there are 41-46 frames around if you look at least around here. i have seen them on FB for a couple of hundred rolling

 

Some options from farm country. Sometimes you can find an old pickup box converted to a trailer, you never know. If you are heading towards making you own box, old manure spreaders and corn elevators have bolt on tops with the angle already bent, and a nice round finish. Some of the John deere ones have fancy cast front corners with a radius. With some patience and a pair of fenders that fit the time and the tire, this will make a decent looking box, would likely need to be painted to keep it out of the RR category. Not sure where you hang your hat, but I have some of this in inventory.

 

Bi polar thread
Fenders
Then bobber truck
No one supplied exact plans for a crystal ball build but added lots of info
Now OT ch***is swap stuff

traditional style build using non traditional parts.

 

Ok now I’m curious is there any pictures of homemade boxes built like this?

 

here is a build thread that I converted a 60-70s ford era bed into a 30's era bed
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/fixing-a-smashed-31-model-a-pickup-cab.1143362/page-23

 

Build update: a frame has been sourced came from a mid 90s explorer 4 door, I have talked with some people who have done this swap before and they swear the 30s and 40s truck bodies fit under these frames way better than even on the commonly done s10 ch***is swap, all the widths are right, best part is these ch***is plus a whole donor vehicle people pretty much give away as exploders are not a universally loved and collectible car updates soon to follow, the only major change is probably remove running boards or use 40 running boards as the 40 Chevy would have had a close match to the explorer wheelbase,
Also I would like to keep any rude comments out of this forum so if you have nothing good to say, say nothing
And no I am not putting ford running gear in a Chevy I’m swapping out the weak v6 for my Sbc and powerglide

 

I helped a buddy with his 42 and added an IFS as well as swapping in a 46 Oldsmobile center X-member so I could use the OEM rear trailing arm suspension with a 9" and coilovers. Rear frame was kicked up. The X-member certainly stiffens the frame with the trailing arm suspension mimicking later Chevy C10s. A few reinforcing brackets and done.

 

I've had this one for 49 years. Drop axel in front with Camaro rear. 350/350 combo been one of my most dependable vehicles. I've seen very few of these without fenders that look right but to each his own. The fenders on this one were in tough shape but original to the truck.

 

here’s my 42 it had a well used life . The grill is sagging because the apron behind the bumper had been ripped off . The bed sides looked like dirty wood when I got the truck . I wiped the bed down with a 50/50 mix of boiled linseed oil and turpentine. ( that’s what the Chuck wagon / wooden wagon collectors use ) the blue color showed up a week later

 

Build update:
The 42 body is now on the explorer ch***is, not mounted yet but on the ch***is and it fits really nice, I am very surprised this ch***is swap is not as popular (need to change the motor and transmission to chevy though so it’s not crossbranded)
Also a box and rear fenders have been found (56 box buts fits amazing)

 

A little note if anyone else does this ch***is swap, the early Chevy cab sits much further back than the early Ford cabs do (longer engine bay for the i6) meaning you have to move the motor back quite a bit (non issue since I plan to run a Sbc) but other than that it’s actually a very straightforward ch***is swap, the body lines up really nice to the frame, running boards line up nicely as well, you would need to build some risers for the bed and raise the bed floor due to the rear kick up in the explorer ch***is, it’s a little more difficult than the ch***is swap I did for my 62, but not impossible, also you will need to cut the frame down in the front quite a bit (have to do the same for the old Ford trucks as well so no difference there)