Well the time has come I'm removing the rusty body front the 1978 and installing the body from my 1984.

I have removed all body bolts, and front fenders / grill and hood, I noticed the radiator support doesn't remove. Looks as if an entire subframe up front is welded to body unlike pickups of same era, I don't want to lift this heavy pig over the engine so I'm thinking about drilling the spot welds for the front bar that's on the lower part of the radiator support and removing it then rewelding it back after body is swapped.

Do you guys have a better trick that doesn't involve a lift?

Seeing if anyone's been there done that.

Gonna support body with 55gal drums and 4x4's just a foot or so above frame the. Roll chassis out and roll other chassis in.

Using the rusted one as a shed on the 2wd frame.

 

Not exactly your same year but try this thread---its probably the only one covering this sort of thing Skip: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...on-a-99-a.html

HTH

 

Wow holding the entire front up with a 2x4! CrAzy but worked. I may use the engine hoist for rear that a good idea. Either way "it.ll get done"

 

Go van Go! up in the air!

 

Kewl!

Now's the time to go all through that chassis and fix/replace any part of the suspension or steering that even looks halfway dicey. Pay close attention to the front coil spring perches, those mounted to the frame---been known to rust apart--easier to change now.

 

Thats a 2x4 steel tube. could be 1/4 thick...

do not try this with a 2x4 stud!!!!

 

finding lots of thinned out or almost gone metal under body mounts. gonna be welding metal in them forsure. so far thats what found. i may just use it tell i can redo the 2wd frame and put the 4wd stuff on it as im willing to bet its in allot better shape.

i used drums 4x4s and drilling pipe to hold up body.

 

why ? because you can ?

 

question or statement?

 

?
I'd just buy a longer van

 

anyhow....

 

some more body mount and various pictures.

 

and the last few pictures for now.