Will a 57GMC PU frame interchange with a 57 Chevy PU frame?

I need a little help from the HAMB brain trust. I have a friend with a real nice 57 Chevy pick up body but no frame. He has an opportunity to buy a 57 GMC pick up frame but he is told they won't interchange. Both are short wheelbase. It seems to me that they should but I don't have enough experience with these trucks. Since this will be hot rodded I was thinking he may be able to use a later model frame with independent suspension that already has discs, power steering and power brakes. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!
Lee

 

Truthfully I dont know.But I think they are the same ,Gmc is just the cheaper version of chevy............

 

im no expert but i dont see why not , i know a guy who swapped his gmc cab for a chevy because he wanted a big window and im pretty sure it was just a bolt on deal
Fink

 

Also He should stick with an original frame ,My buddy had a truck witch was on a later frame and the problem was where the motor came into play .Id set it up with the original frame and that's it .Make upgrades from there ....

 

57-57 is easy....It will fit the difference is only in things like the factory transmission crossmember motor mounts etc. You can also use a suburban or half ton panel though there is a minor diffrence on the member that goes under the rear valance. I've done it several times and Pop currently has a 59 Chevy panel we put on a nicer 58 GMC 1ton pickup fleet frame. Even if you change to large ton (thicker taller frame) everything that counts lines up on the cab-bed-pedals-steering etc up to one ton for certain. X2 for using the stock frame as starting point as it is rather narrow and won't fit between the factory step wells. If its slammed its not really an issue to loose them though. In changing cabs the worst is as simple as drilling new holes for the hood hinges say if you have a 55-57 clip on a 58-59 cab or the other way around. There is also a difference in the steering column length as the later ones are shorter with a dished wheel. I've found more than one guy complaining about room running the early column with the late wheel. No big deal at all for something that's not going to be 100% OE.

 

cabs are the same, no problems using gmc cab with chevy clip. i do know as far as the frames the is alitle difference with the rad support mounting and i think the gmc frame horns mite be alittle longer cuz the desigh of the gmc grill and bumper

 

Not 100% positive on the '57, but I know the 58/59 Chevy/Gmc are damn near identical, in fact I can attest that the only difference between the front clips is the grille insert.

 

Thanks for the info guys. Sounds like the GMC frame is the way to go. It's cheap enough and the factory motor/****** mounts won't be used anyway.

 

just helped a buddy pull a 57 GMc cab today and as i had mentioned before the front frame horn area is alittle longer cuz of the grill and the rad support mounts to the front crossmember not the frame like a chevy does

 

i put a 56 gmc on a 57 chevy truck frame and it fit good all i had to do was cut off the front radaitor mount brackets .i hada friend use a 1979 chevy 1/2 frame under his 55 chevy truck and anothe r friend use a 98 chevy 1/2 frame and i read somewhere online that a person was using a 2009 or 2010 chevy truck frame obn a 57 chevy truck.thanks

 

yes

 

Yes he can use it...

In a lot of ways the GMC was nicer. The grills for one, sometimes the engine choices.

 

I was always under the impression that GMC's were better built and higher end than the Chevy. I could be wrong though. I would think a body interchange would work though. I had two carry-alls (63's) in the 70's and the GMC was a better truck with better suspension and such. Dimensionally they were identical.

 

That's backwards. The GMC was the higher end vehicle, but not by much.

 

Saxman, Fallbrook, Isn't that the rear gate to Pendelton?