so an old time hot rodder that we're friends with is thinking about bagging his 1937 Chevy truck, it's all stock and has original motor that runs good..he wants to keep everything and bag the truck he doesn't want to do a mustang II or any sub frame..has anyone bagged one of these trucks before and how did you go about doing it? this will be our first time bagging anything that old so I'd like to do as much research as possible before we jump into it
Bagging his truck seems like a strange place to start modding it. Especially if he plans on keeping it totally stock otherwise. I'd almost try to talk him into doing a static lowering and see if he likes that for a season or so, then if he still wants to bag it he have a better idea of what he's getting into. It might mean less money in your pocket initially, but more when /if he decides to bag it.
he's got some plans for it so it wont be exactly stock but he doesn't want to mess with the frame or engine because everythings so solid..basically he wants to paint the truck olive green and do a tribute to war vets as he's one and then just be able to go to shows and drop it to the ground..he said he likes his vehicles super low and I think the truck would look bad*** bagged so I really want to get started on it but want some insight first..I'm sure someones done it before
I would think the hardest part would be getting the steering to work with the pitman arm and steering link moving up and down... I can imagine it will be easy! Hope you get it figured out!!!
Yeah I would think it is not going to be easy with the original straight axle. I did mine but went the Mustang II route. Good luck with it and make sure you keep us posted when you do it. I am interested to see how you approach it.
yeah as soon as I got underneath it I told him Mustang II would be the easiest way to go, he has no problem spending money the guy is loaded but he thinks the frame and everything is just too solid to change it which I can see where he's coming from...he said if we cant bag it he'll buy this 1950 Ford Truck he's looking at and have us Mustang II and bag that but I'd much rather see this old Chevy laying low
I would think by the time you add brackets, relocate shocks, change the steering up so it works you will have done just as much if not more damage to the original frame and axle set up as you would by putting in a Mustang II.
exactly what I was thinking, did you use the stock rear end or something else? he was talking about changing the rear end but keeping the stock motor/******
Seems like the cleaner, cheaper, and safer approach would be a MII. I'd try to explain to him that it would actually take (in all likelihood) more modifiaction to make the original stuff work. If he wants it on the ground, or at least very low he's looking at a notch out back anyway, right?
i think you can do it with the straight axle, i have a 45 gmc, pretty much the same front end, make hairpins, bags out front, panhard bar, if your going to lower it you need to raise the stock steering box up the same amount of your drop, pretty much, have a set ride/drive height and setting up your steering to that height, you could still go along slow at any height but there would be bump steer, mustang II in a 37 chevy pickup sound like alot more work to me.
Mine is probably not the best example to go by as I switched the whole drive train. Still running a straight 6 but opted for a little newer one, saginaw transmission and ford rearend that is on a 4 link but if he is keeping the original motor and transmission probably no reason to not leave the stock rearend in place. Here is a link to my build so far it shows a bit of the suspension set up in the first post. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=307305
Welding in a prefabricated cross member and adapting the steering column to take a u joint is the extent of what you need to do. Sounds to me like building mounts for bags for frame and axle as there will be no kit to do it, building shock mounts, moving sterring box, making hairpins and adding panhard bar would be more work. I don't think the issue was the amount of work but that the owner doesn't want to mess up the original drivetrain which realistically is going to happen regardless of how it is done.
You're not going to be able to get that truck down more than a few inches before the oil pan contacts the stock beam axle. Switching to a 3" or 4" dropped axle will instantly get you that much drop, plus mono-leafs, Posies springs, or just removing 3 or 4 of the original leaves will get you around 3" more. Still a long ways from laying frame, if that's what he wants. I've got one of Sids 3" dropped axles and mono-leafs on mine for about a 6" drop in front. If he wants it really low, he needs a MII.
You could swap out to a Ford style axle, and use a Cen-Pen speedshop Traditional Air crossmember. http://www.cenpen.com/traditionalair.htm http://www.cenpen.com/traditionalairorder.htm I did this in the Ugly Truck, I can post some pics if you want.
update on this, talked to him last night he has now decided to sell the truck to a guy in Indiana and he will be picking up a 1950 Ford truck thats been chopped and he wants us to Mustang II and bag that when he gets it
he buys/sells/trades more than anyone I've ever seen..he literally has a different car or truck in his garage every month..he just traded his '54 chevy truck for a '31 model a truck only bad thing about it is it's done in rat rod style but still a pretty cool truck...kinda bummed about the '37 chevy truck though, I really wanted to see that thing bagged
Hey guys! Just got a 37 chevy truck myself and im looking on dropping the front end until i come up with some cash for a Mustang II front end. Any tips on how to drop the front of a 37 chevy 1/2 truck?? Would like some pointers. Thanks!
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