Old body on later model floor running gear

Thanks guys for the nice words...BUT- for me, it boils down to, "if I had known THEN, what I know NOW..." I wouldn't have done it. No reason to not use the stock Merc frame and modify it, unless yours is rotted or your car's underbelly is really rotted. My frame was in good shape. In fact, I sold it to help offset my costs. My body wasn't in the best of shape, but it was certainly not a "riverbed car". I could have made modifications to the stock chassis (which is pretty stout in it's own right) and been driving it for the past couple of years now...but OH NO...I had to be different! Did I mention that Oldbeet is my hero?

The Chevy-in-a-Ford chassis swaps seem easier, but I wanted to try something different. I'd never go this route again. It hurts my brain too much.

Plenty of after-market support out there now, too. When I first started this project, this seemed like the only way to go after reading Tex Smith's book, but it is a TON of work...lots of stuff cropped up that I had to figure out that I had not even considered in the initial plans. Lots of one-off fab work. Lots of standing back and figuring things out. Lots of measuring. Lots of research to see what works with what. If you're not good at welding, you WILL BE after a chassis swap!

 

I gotta' agree with MercMan1951. I did this on my 50 Merc and used a 78 Olds Delta 88 frame and floor.If I knew then,what I know now,I would have used the stock Merc chassis and modified that. Pisses me off every time I think about it!!

 

i put a 41 chevy sedan on a 75 monte carlo frame only had to modify the floor over the rear springs. wheel base was perfect . shorten the front frame horns about 10" used the steering column brake set up and gas tank drove fine. done it two more times for other people

 

mercman, you ever finish it???

 

I'm thinking of swaping out my Chassis too! My floors on my Plymouth Cranbrook are paper thin or should I say what's left of them and the Chassis is questionable.The body is great from the rockers up. So why not! Up dated drivetrain, brakes and suspension sounds like a winner to me.