Welcome to the site, Ill leave the advice to the folks that know, and are used to moving whatever the need to wherever the are. What ever you guys decide to do, I wish you the best, and hope you share pictures of your project.

 

Welcome and keep us informed on what ya all do...

 

Here's those pics I promised:

boyfriends 31 model a, we've nicknamed "Rusty Buchans" cause it's rusty and came from a little community in Newfoundland called Buchans. Shows the type of "restoration projects" we get here. We are surrounded by salt water, getting a chassis isn't cheap here. Getting a boat to the mainland with a truck and trailer and towing something back is equally expensive.



And the reason I'm here, here's a picture of the 1956 cab he dragged home. Sorry the picture is upside down, I don't know how to flip it:

 

Are there any other questions that you don't want peoples advice on?

 

Nope I am open to anyones advice, I'll just take the advice I choose. I've chosen to use the 48 chassis with the 56 cab and box, despite inherent difficulties, cost of alterations, etc. Just like I've chose a Camaro front clip and rear end, the wiring harness out of a Chevy van, and a 350 chevy engine. I understand where the concerns are coming from, but all I wanted was the diagrams, which were provided for me, so that I could compare and decide on the feasability of the project.

 

Looks like you have a good cab to start with...most 56 cabs that have rust have bad rust in the drip rail area. The caulk that Ford used to seal the drip rail shrinks with age and allows water to seep into the pinch weld that holds the roof panel to the jamb.

Living in SoCal I never give much thought to a lack of car parts...it must be interesting living in such a remote part of the world as you do. Good luck with your project, it seems like you have a lot of experience building the "Frankenstein" projects. Post some pics as yu progress with the build, the F1 chassis graft seems a lot more logical than late model F150s or S10s.

 

There's a big difference between what can be done, and what shouldn't be done! This project is one of the latter. You are asking for advice on doing everything this site has spent years convincing people not to do: Building rat rods out of salvagible trucks (no matter how you name it, putting a later cab on an earlier frame is building a rat rod), using the camaro front clip (the clip is too wide for the 56 chassis, it's MUCH too wide for the F1 chassis), Using the van wiring harness (it would be much easier to start from scratch), engine choice (I personally don't have a problem, but this forum's rules prohibits discussing how to put in any make but Ford engine), asking advice when your mind is already set to do it your way no matter what.
We are normally a very welcoming and friendly bunch, but I doubt you'll get much support here. I respectfully suggest finding a forum more in line with building rat rods or simply going ahead on your own since this seems what you plan on doing anyhow.

 

I think you should go ahead and do it. Where you are located these trucks are useless to anybody else, so in this case I don't agree that you are going to ruin anything. Where you are it would just rot to nothing in time if you weren't using it. I assume that is why you call yourself "LastChanceGarage". And post pics along the way. As has been said many times before on this forum, it is yours and you should do what you want to with it.

 

HUH?? Never seen that rule... just a bunch of whining about when it's done.

Ppbbbbthhtt.. Nah, you're still welcome. Don't listen the the stick-in-the-mud.

The only issue I sort of have with the frame swap is that it seems like a bit of work to make a cab fit a frame it wasn't intended for. Seems like if you're going to do that, you might as well find a later model frame (hell, even 60s-70s would have better suspension/steering/etc) or the *cough* dreaded S10 frame... lol.

Otherwise, if you're going to subframe it, then all bets are off.

Let's see more of the Chevys though. I have a 71 Camaro in paint jail though.
(and yes fellas, I have a thread of my Ford-updates on the Camaro board too.

 

Nope, actually I just asked for some diagrams of a 48 and 56 chassis for comparison. Didn't ask for your advice, although anyone who wants to raise arguments or suggestions are certainly free to do so! Can't expect me to blindly take your advice, especially when you've made so many unconvincing and incorrect statements! I mean, many people are using the Camaro clip on their 56's, so it can't be too wide. Using an existing harness is still easier than the tediousness of doing anything from scratch. You don't even know the forum rules. I think it would be a bad move for me to take advice from someone who doesn't even know that a Camaro clip will fit in a 56- it doesn't sound like you know too much about building trucks, AXracer... maybe you could post your credentials so I can make a more informed decision? Or perhaps back up your information with some real facts, instead of just making blind statements regarding your own inabiliy to think outside the box?

The Last Chance Garage doesn't just butcher poor old perfectly viable truck cabs and plunk them on wrong era chassis with too wide Camaro clips- we also put small block Chev's in big block Chevelles, restore Chev trucks that aren't even any good for parts, turn old coke coolers into chairs, repair juke boxes, and have "cars on top of cars" races at the garage. Our motto is "if we can't do it, you just don't have enough money!" Now, would anybody else like to see more pictures of things we have done that CANNOT or SHOULD NOT be done??

 

 

I know you are relatively new here, and maybe only read the posts that interest you, but "that rule" has been discussed many times and is spelled out in the FTE charter. To quote a moderator in another post: "Please check out the FTE charter link and look under the heading "Models covered": Ford Truck Enthusiasts - Ford Trucks, Ford F150, Ford F250, F100, Ford Ranger, Ford Bronco, Ford Explorer, Ford Expedition, Ford Aerostar and Ford Econoline Coverage from the Internet's Largest Ford Truck Site.
This is a pure Ford site, so talk of installing other brand engines is really frowned upon here. Thanks for your future cooperation."




Perhaps you also haven't read many of my 10K+ posts here, or you would know I am a long ways from being a "stick in the mud". I don't have anything against anyone building whatever you want with whatever parts you want to use. The fact is if you actually knew this "stick" you would know my truck is powered by one of those "other engines", I race a Solstice, and tow it with a Sierra!
I never said the OP was not welcome here, they are quite welcome as far as I'm concerned, just that they are not very likely to get much help with building a rat rod, since that is NOT what this site is about. Plus their attitude of "we want our questions answered, but only if the answers agree with what we have already decided to do." They are much more likely to get the answers they want and audience for a rat rod build in other forums like the HAMB.

As for seeing more Chevys here, reread my first comment...

 

My credentials are that I have been building hot rods and race cars for over 50 years. My avatar picture of the yellow Solstice race car with me driving it is from the cover of the 2010 SCCA Solo National Championships program. If you look in my "extras" gallery you would see pictures of my two brother's cars I helped build (note the FRANK BROTHERS racing enterprises logos, I am the oldest one of the 3 brothers and started the whole thing), the Olds Omega with it's wheels two feet in the air at the Canadian Nationals, and the Gas dragster. Try reading just a few of my 10K+ posts here to see if I know anything or can think outside the box.

The Camaro clip is about 2" wider than the 56 frame, (the F-1 frame is narrower yet) and since the entire front sheetmetal of the 53-56 hangs on and is aligned by the radiator support, the front of the Ford frame needs to be regrafted back on if you hope to use the front sheetmetal.

I DO know the Forum rules! See response #27 above.

ANYTHING can be done, deciding if it should be done is where the skills lay.
(Car on car racing???? I'm sure those are quality builds and safe...!)

 

It's hard to put ourselves in the position of being so remote from the mainstream (geographically) that it isn't an option to run down to the local boneyard and pick up another frame, or hood, or engine or whatever. I've seen some strange concoctions out of Europe and South America, South Africa, India, etc. over the years, all driven by what was on hand, not what was Best. You use what you have available.

 

I'm not here to cause any ripples in the fish pond- I'm just here to read about other builds, and all I wanted was some diagrams which I now have. Many people won't remember, but up until 1949 Newfoundland was a British Colony- therefore the majority of cars prior to the early 50's were European models, and even in the 50's cars were far and few between.

We don't butcher good restorable cars... we just fix what other people have deemed unfixable, or unwanted.... we are suckers for a rusty body or seized motor. This place seems like it's filled with people who know how to do stuff with these old trucks, which is great since my knowledge lies in Chevy muscle and Jasons lies in fabrication, welding, and hot rods.