Hi All, I have a 1957 Pontiac Super Chief. After closer inspection, the frame is no good and would have to be replaced. The wheelbase is 122 inches and track (frame width) is 59 inches to 59.4 inches The '94 - 2004 Chevy S10 extended cab has a wheelbase of 122.9 inches with a track of 57.9 inches. The frame dimensions are very close. Would an S10 extended cab frame swap work for a 57 Super Chief? I'm keeping the body including floors, dash etc. I just want to drop the body on the S10 frame. Obviously I would have fabricate mounts and do some fitting. But would this work? Has anyone swapped frames for a 57 Pontiac before? Dave
OT for this forum, but as noted above, doable but far more involved than you think.....one of those "if you have to ask you probably shouldn't do it" deals.....find a nicer donor - a lot of 4 doors have given up their rust free floors and frames to "fix" clapped out 2 doors of the same year/make/model - still a tough job, but far more plug and play
Is it a Canadian Pontiac? If so, Chevy frame. If US, I have a pretty serviceable frame near Milwaukee. I will price it right
Since this is on the off topic section, I may have some real answers for you. I have no idea what the frame on your 57 Pontiac looks like, but I suspect the original frame is pretty different then the S 10 frame. You may be able to adapt the S10 truck frame to support the front sheet metal on the car, but the distance between the where the radiator sits on the truck frame and where the firewall meets that frame, and how that compares to the same locations on the car radiator mounting and the distance to the firewall on the car body are both critical for drive train fit and function. You will also want to compare how the front tire is located on both frames, in relation to the car's body. If the wheel placement is wrong, or the firewall is too close, major modifications will be required. My suggestion would be to park an S10 that will be similar to the donor frame, next to your Pontiac with the front wheels lined up, then open both hoods and start to compare the differences. You will have to modify everything that doesn't match up. The rear truck frame area is a very different story. Its very likely much higher behind where the cab sat (about where the rear passenger feet would be). Most modern truck frames kick up several inches to clear the rear suspension, starting right behind the cab, and remain pretty close to that elevated height all the way to the rear crossmember. Trucks do that so the bed can have a flat floor for its entire length. Its most likely that the rear part of your car's frame has a raised area above the rear axle (which would be behind the rear seat), but then drops back down to have a lower, more usable trunk floor. The elevated truck frame under the car body will likely make the original car trunk floor useless. The top of the truck frame is very likely 7"-10" higher then the top of the car frame in the back seat and trunk area. Using the truck bed floor in the car will probably make the rear seat and the trunk space non-existent. My guess would be that a car frame would be an easier frame swap for your car then an S10 is going to be. A frame swap isn't easy, nor is it cheap. Some are easier then others. I have done about a dozen frame swaps, so the voice of experience is going to repeat itself. Park the donor vehicle with the front tires side by side to the recipient vehicle. Open the hood, the doors and the trunk lid and start making measurements. Generally speaking, the front suspension won't move, so any part of the donor that doesn't match up to the receiving car means the car has to be modified for it to work. It shouldn't take very long to figure out how hard its going to be.
The only way you are going to tell for sure is Jack the 57 up and roll the frame out from under it and set it aside by side with the truck frame. My experience with frame swaps and sub frame swaps is that you will end up cutting inner sheet metal at the front to get things to fit and you may end up modifying the hump over the rear axle. There is no free lunch when it comes to doing frame swaps no matter how easy the guys at the local spit and whittle clubhouse make it sound. Plus don't get rid of the original frame until you have everything and especially the bumpers fitted up as it saves a ton of headaches to be able to measure the stock frame horns on either end and figure what you need to do on the other one. The good in your case is that you can actually go to a local parts house and buy suspension and brake parts over the counter.
No idea whether this would work but since you are in Canada with an American Pontiac, maybe bastardize the car into an American - Canadian mix with a tri-five Canadian Pontiac or Chev frame since parts are readily available for these cars. You would need Canadian Pontiac front end sheet metal since it would be a shorter car. Of course, I could be wrong.
S-10 track width would probably be way too narrow as well. Tires would be sunk way into the wheelwells. Gary
Hi All, Thank you very much for the advice. It's greatly appreciated. I've also done some further research on my end. Between your advice and my research, it seems that the S10 frame swap is a bad idea. Like some of you said, it can be done but the amount of work and mods would be crazy. My car is an American Pontiac. I do like the idea of trying to find a Canadian 57 chevy or pontiac frame, although not an easy task to find one. I'm also looking for cars that have same frame dimensions. Crossed fingers I can figure something out. Thanks again.
I made my living for nearly 30 years patching and welding rotted frames and body structure under cars and trucks. Gaining access to the places that need to be welded and patched is often more work then the actual welding and patching. If a guy can lift the body off the frame, patching it up gets a lot more easy. Probably much easier then adapting a different frame to the car's body. Happy welding!
Dave I don’t know where you are, but I have a 57 Chevy 4 door parts car. Frame was good. But could let it go if it helps. I’m in Calgary.
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