The frame swap question come up a lot. Many of the usual responders. However, there is another way to go. It's just as intensive, and the results still require a lot of finish work. This guy does them down and dirty. I wouldn't want to argue with insurance if there is a collision, and it shows where changing the footprint causes issues. Still having fun. www.youtube.com/@CaseysCustoms/playlists This guy did this one, and it worked surprisingly well. He usually doesn't do this type of thing. The result was also worked on by other channels. www.youtube.com/watch?v=96zlGcoX2TQ&list=PLHgCeKJSmJdOP8QeaudoPbE5hclPXW5Vd Then there is the guy that does it all to a very high level. For those that want to learn what it take to get things show quality, he covers that too. If you can't bother with following along on a double digit build series, you probably can't do the body prep to get show quality results either. www.youtube.com/@SteveMirabelli/videos
I do enjoy watching Casey’s, even if the chassis he uses aren’t in my style. I like to see how he works around everything.
He's a whiz at gettin it done. He also shows why you don't do some things, either by explanation or showing why! Make sure the brakes work before the test drive, kids!
Rich Rebuilds has come a long way from fixing totaled Teslas as a channel goal. Body swaps are something I’d never watch or get into as it’s usually one look and you can tell something isn’t right. Frame swaps are usually much better
Yeah, tons of work, big and small things to deal with. Often compromises are required. Did you see the van go down the track? Long video for short highlights. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj3JROF1utw
Frame swap requires the car or truck to have a complete separate frame. Body swaps typically are when a unibody car has the bottom part of one car along with the drivetrain and often the dash/firewall area stuffed under another body that has the bottom cut out. I provided three examples!
I have a friend who does body swaps. He has done about 6 Nash Rambler Station Wagons onto Mini Cooper. It makes a neat hot rod. LOTS of work involved. On the outside, it's all Nash, on the inside pure Mini.
Pretty cool. What is it titled as, the Rambler or the Mini Cooper? Or is it as a new construction vehicle?
1961 Rambler Classic wagon, unibody conversion to full framed car in progress now. Low buck build as usual! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfAwsTIeG_HFr6k1LHsZAOqCp2gP0OUeT
Its titled as a Nash. It has to do with which cowl is in the car, apparently. In this case, the Nash cowl is used.
Years ago I built a car on a truck chassis (not the 4x4 stuff), I had the titles for both, the car body had the serial number intact and that number matched the title. I took the entire mess into the title agency I was using at the time to seek her opinion concerning the title. Her question stuck with me. "Which one does it look like?" Using the Rambler and the mini Cooper as an example, she said, imagine you jump through the hoops to get it legally titled and it comes back as a Mini Cooper. Then your driving your fully legal car through some out of state speed trap town, and they pull you over for going 1 mph over the limit, they run the plates, and the plates (and insurance) are for the Mini Cooper, but the car looks like the Rambler station wagon? You just gave the speed trap town cop and its judge the opportunity to impound you ride, tear it apart because of a "suspicious plates" and charge you for the entire process. Once its proven, they hand you back a pile of parts they are charging you storage for. If it was titled by what the car looks like, a Rambler station wagon, they hand you the speeding bill, and once you pay it you get to leave in your intact car. Which way would you rather do it?
True! Also, this might get the attention of the powers that close loopholes for civilians later, but it's usually more modern underpinnings and a vintage look. That means a pre-65 HAMB body on a post 65 non-HAMB chassis. Titling it as the earlier YMM will mean not doing some inspections. In any case, I'd be very careful about how it's presented to insurance. They profit on finding reasons to deny, and having a whatzit they can claim they weren't aware of is a pretty good reason.
No emissions testing, and no safety inspections where we live. Liability insurance only. I drive old stuff. 48 Plymouth business coupe. 49 Dodge pickup. 04 PT Cruiser (wife's ride). I don't need the government helping me.
Just like the titles for sale in the back of mags decades ago and Boyd selling fully modern 32s with 1932 titles, it's better for the average guy to stay fully inside the lines, not go into areas where it might be gray or worse later. Funny how a corporation is a person, but rarely can be held criminal due to intent, but a real person is subject to that very threat.
The Jalopy Journal
