50's chevy trucks on GM car frames...

heard a lot about putting the 48-54 chevy cabs on frames like monte carlos, malibu etc frames. does anyone have any pics of this being done. i have a 79 malibu for a 54. need to do it fast because of space right now. anybody have any websites or forums here?

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=113869&highlight=g+body+frame

There you go

 

here's the brutal truth for you and others considering a frame swap of any kind:

IF YOU GOTTA COME TO THE H.A.M.B AND ASK, YOU AIN'T GOT THE STONES TO DO IT....

take whatever car you are considering and cut it up into small enough sections to ship when you sell them on ebay, cuz if you have to ask.... it ain't never gonna end up on another frame.

BRUTAL TRUTH... that's all I can offer.

 

**** you 49ratfink. i have the ability to do it, i just dont have the time and if somebody has already done one, why not ask for help. isnt that what this whole thing is about? looking to help one another? how much stuff have you learned on here? probably more than you want to admit. so take your at***ude and go **** yourself.

 

This one uses an S10, with pictures.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8491

 

Be kind of like reinventing the wheel when it has already been done. That's the nice thing about being part of the HAMB board and getting ideas on how to do things. I think it's great that we can use other people's experience. After all thats how you learn things by doing and asking questions.
Check out http://www.ad-engineering.com/ if you are interested in going with an S-10 frame.

 

Asking how to do a thing is different from not knowing how, or having the guts to do a thing.

Just recently, I got a truck project in the works. Until now, I could have cared less how to put an old truck on an S-10 ch***is. I remember seeing the original thread here on the HAMB, and just re-read it last night to get my brain in "work-mode".

It has nothing to do with how many "stones" I have. It's a reference tool, and a damn cool article by someone who's done the hard work so lots of other people can learn from him. Thank you, Clark!

 

If it weren't for the HAMB and the great responses to questions, support, ideas, insights, people I've met (either in person or only via the net) and things I found on here from others who have done similar, I wouldn't be as far along on my Merc as I am. The wealth of knowledge on here is amazing. To each his own, I suppose. I have nothing against an eager Wyotech grad...which seems to upset the third poster. Young guys gotta start someplace. Why piss them off? They add to the hobby and keep the momentum going. Luckily when I was his age I was headed in the right direction.

http://landyachts.homestead.com/firstpage.html

Good luck, Johnny G.

 

The "tinbender" link is a nice refresh/reminder of how this ****'s usually done. I been ****in with all kinda **** since I was 10-11 yrs old with the old man, can't even recall all the jobs and see pics of **** I forgot. Now sneakin up on 50 I still got the "stones" to ask you guys, "hey, anyone remember how to...".

 

I agree... this is what the HAMB is all about... sharing ideas and learning from others mistakes and sucesses. Not telling someone that if they have to ask they cant do it. Ratfink49 obviously hasnt lurked long enough to know this.

Here is a good quick article of a truck some kids put together using a Monte Carlo frame. Its a good read:

http://www.stovebolt.com/features/rascals/index.htm

I am also in the very begining stages of a AD truck S-10 frame swap.

 

thanks you guys for helping out with the kind words and the support. im going the route of the malibu frame unless i get a better deal than it. and thats a frame from a running car with engine and breaks for almost nothing. so thats what im going to work with.

 

if i remember correctly i don't think the malibu has a long enough wheel base. i guess that really isn't that big of a deal depending on your time situation. you can just move the rearend and leafs back and get another driveshaft.

 

damn boys we have Mr ****ing Wizzard that's a ****ing Know It All on top of it.

i take it the day u was born u knew every ****ing thing there had to do w/cars/trucks???? why of course u must have known everything, it's quite apparent by ur reply.

like u never had to ask a question about how to do things?? o ****, there i go again i forgot u know everything..

u remind me of one of those stupid ****ing book smart office people i had to work with at the steel mill years ago. they thought they knew everything there had to do w/making steel & running the mill just because they went to college , but when it came down to it they were dumber then a box of dog ****.

and to think if he was here at the birth of HAMB & everyone listened to him about frame swaps there would of been a whole lot of so-called junk on ebay...

i normally wouldnt reply to ******** like this but damnnnnnn sometimes i just gotta......

and here's the brutal truth for you, if u can't help a guy out w/some info or some constructive criticism why don't u shut the **** up............

 

I have a bunch of pictures of that truck. I first saw it shortly after that article appeared as I was driving close by shortly after.

It started as a long bed truck, and the bed was shorted to fit the wheelbase of the frame. The long-bed wheelbase is 127 inches. The standard short-bed wheelbase is 116 inches. The g-body wheelbase is only 108 inches.

The biggest issue is that the g-body frame is a perimeter type and between the front and rear axles is it wider than the narrowest area under the cab. There is interferrence between the cab in teh cowl area and the frame. It appears the rascals truck they simply trimmed body away to make it fit. The body was welded to the frame, so the loss of structure didn't really hurt the integrity of the body.

I can't find any pictures of the fit at the cowl. I did find one that shows the fit at the rear of the cab.


Feel free to poke around at the other photos at http://www.oldsub.com/images/2005/04/littlerascals/ to see more of my pictures.

The truck has improved over time and I took pictures of it again at Hot Rod-Arama this year. Those pictures are visible at http://www.oldsub.com/images/2006/08/05/ starting with 100_0880.jpg and continuing for several pictures.

 

that looks good, but did they take any pics of the just the frame, before the cab was on?

 

I think you would be better off looking for an S-10 donor ch***is. Try and find a regular cab long box model and the wheelbase is 117.9", almost correct right from the start, it will also be easier to shorten the S-10 than to lengthen the G body. The rails are nice and narrow so you dont have the interference problems at the cowl like you do with the G body.You can still use the engine/trans from the malibu and probably sell off some parts from it, they are popular with some people. If you need info on the S-10 swap definitely look at the article by Clark referenced earlier, it's one of the best I've found on the net.

Boy, 49ratfink pissed in a lot of peoples cornflakes, kinda nice to see everybody jump to JohnnyG's defence. You should never be afraid to ask questions.

Darren

 

G-bodys aren't a leaf spring car.

 

Amen!

 

I saw a post awhile back on using the front portion of the frame from a Monte Carlo and mounting it same as a subframe. Looks like it would be easier than trying to fit the wider frame under the truck.

 

ok, i dont want to lead anyone down the wrong road on this, i want a really short bed. so the frame length is pretty much good for me, i dont want anything longer than a 4' bed. it would make the proprtions funny. i dont have an original frame, so a subframe is out of the pic, and im low on cash right now so buy an s10 frame is a little out there unless some one wants to give one too me. heres a pic of the bed side that i really like, its about 2' shorter than a stock short bed.

 

The may have and if they are available you'll find them on that Stovebolt link. It was finished first time I saw it.

I have some pictures of a '78 g-body frame somewhere. Do you want to see any details of one?

I've collected a fair amount of information and pictures because I've contemplated making this same swap. Today I'm leaning toward narrowing the g-body frame or finding an S-10. I don't like cutting the cowl and having frame show between the cab and bed.

 

Yeah, you are right. I forget many of those newer (late 70's and up) big body cars are coils in the rear too.

 

you should be able to find an S10 frame pretty cheap. i'll bet you could even trade off that wide *** car frame for one. check your local junk yard. it's prolly just s**** weight to them.
i'm doin one right now. it's goin on a regular cab short bed frame cause i want the bed shortened. it'll end up about 8" shorter than stock. along with the 4 1/2" chop it should look pretty good... i think. i got my frame with rearend and steering gear for $50. they usualy go for a little more (but not much) but i shopped around for a looooong time and finaly got a good deal.

 

yeah, no money. the frame is at a buddies parents house and hes leaving for school in a month or two. so i have to get it out of there pronto. so im trying to use what i have, instead of trying to get new **** right now. if any one had a frame and wanted to give it to me, no preblems. i just cant afford it. thats why this truck is still up for sale while im working on it.

 

like i said. with just a little leg work you might just be able to get the "right" ch***is without spending any green.

 

thought i would add this. 49ratfink cleared things up with me. thanks again. anyone can run theres mouths and then hide, but he realized what he had done, and cleared his name. it takes a real man to apologize.

 

now i have a ? can you use a s10 extened cab short bed ...i would think its the same length as a long bed standard cab...cause i want to build one now lol

 

Late 60s Chevy Truck Frame Works Pretty Good.

 

if not just make it longer. i stretched mine 37inches to put under my bus/panel.....

from what i have read, everything past 2nd series 55 is too wide by a few inches......joe

 

late 60's frames work the best? wouldnt that be the same frame thru 72?