Just to be a PIA, I hope you don't cut corners with your build like you do with your typing. Like mentioned before, this is a discussion board, not a text messaging media. We like full words, and if possible, proper English. I guess I'm just an old guy but I like to do my best to express my thought. I might make the occasional typo but I try my best. Spell check is also a handy tool

Now for your build, I've been on this board long enough to see, I would say, an average of 3 posts a year on this subject. I don't think I'd try a frame swap myself but I find the ones that were done were very interesting and I like to see them. If you look on eBay and Craigslist you well find a lot of projects that were started and given up on. They usually have the give away phrase, "Have all the parts to finish, just needs finishing."

 

That's kind of what I was thinking, panels are kind of hard to find. Pickups are still rather easy to find. Plus there are a lot of larger trucks that have decent cabs to start with. If I was asked for my opinion I'd say go with the stock frame upgrades. IMO, going that route will retain the most value of the truck. IMO, I'd be more inclined to shy away from a vehicle that has be cobble together from parts from a multitude of vehicles.


I don't think their is a subject brought up on this board that causes a more heated discussion than a frame swap. Some of you guys almost make this sound like a mild discussion on the HAMB! Any of you guys have tattoos from neck down to your toes, slicked back hair, goatee, wife beater shirt and oversized baseball cap with the brim turned up?

 

How do you title something which is a half breed. Do they have to create/request a new vin number since the frame and body do not match? When you insure it what would it be a explorer, f100, c10. I would check with your local DMV to make sure if you attempt a build like this will you be able to put it on the street legally.

 

I used to have a full beard but reduced it to a goatee when I needed to wear a mask for sandblasting and painting, no tattoos, love my wife too much to wear a t-shirt of that sort and my baseball cap fits just fine, at least my head fills it,lol

 

There can't be too much of a problem seeing as there are hundreds or thousands of Ford cars and trucks with chevy nova/ firebird/ chevelle and various other products clipped to the front ends and are on the road.

 

I don't know about other locations but here in Minnesota you file an "Affidavit of Reconstruction" form. You have to supply a title or bill of sale for all the major components. Then you have it inspected. For example my project is a 54 F100 body that will be mounted on a 78 F150 4x4 chassis. Mine will be titled, registered and insured as a 54 F100 4x4.

But yes you want to check into this before you sink a bunch of time or money into a project.

 

+1............

 

John did an awesome job on a very difficult project. I love his panel hands
down it is great and done right.
The OP would be money ahead to pick Johns brain and follow his lead.
Now if he (the OP) would just try to spell better so us old timein dudes could
read his posts without spending the time to translate them it would be
even better.

As said before I am deft and cant hear. So I text on my cell all day every day. And I know all the text lingo. There is a place for everything.
And here is not the place to take that kind of short cut. Yes I use things
like (prolly and timin and...). But folks I don't think have to translate it.
Just sayin Bud. Please make yer post easier to read for us. I for one do want
to follow yer build. I think it would be so cool. I doubt you will ever get
the quality John did but It can and will be safe and so cool. Like snow
flakes no two are ever the same. Would be a boring world and this site would
not be here if it was.

Sorry carry on please.

 

Sorry for the miscommunication on the lingo i just do this all through my phone and the app on this website so it comes natural when typing on my phone to type that way but ill try n make it better but the panel will be one of a kind thats what makes each his own. I have huge dreams for this build and hope that somebody along the way can be of assistance thats y i joined the site now would it be better to use a chevy frame or the explorer?

 

I'd like to say why I did the frame swap in the first place. When I dragged my panel home it was fairly complete but missing the front hubs and quite a few parts missing from the 223 inline 6. The outer body was rough, had some dents and lots of rust through. I wanted a v-8 and a friend had a 72 chev c10 that had a decent running sbc in it that he getting rid of. I intended to pull the motor and tranny and discard the body and frame.
When pricing front and rear suspensions in the aftermarket I came across an add from CPP, the grand slam package for the chevy was half the price for both front and rear as opposed to just the front on the Ford frame, so the story goes, I was going to save money by doing a frame swap, after all the frame measured the same width. Yes it took alot of measureing and thinking and hoping it would all work out. What I didn't calculate was the tracking width which I found out later on when I intented to lower it to the stance I wanted. 4" wider than the Fords track width made my tire rub the fenders so all the money saved was now going to be spent narrowing the track width to the Fords dimensions.
Am I sorry? No ,this build being my very first has been the biggest and most enjoyable thing I've ever done.
I am not in any way trying to persuade anyone to do a frame swap, I did it because I thought it to be the right and easiest descision.
My project hasn't been cheap, nor is any build from the frame up and if I were to do it again I would stick with the original frame as I have mentioned before in other threads on this subject.
Now to the question as to which frame would be the better of the 2, chevy versus the explorer if you're totally going through with this project and won't consider the original. I'd say either one but if you are a true blue blood go with the explorer. I don't see much difference between the two.

 

Explorer,

It's a more modern chassis, better ride, better steering, 4 wheel disc brakes and if you want it you can get an AWD one. Oh and most importantly it's a Ford!

Just make sure to go with the second generation Explorer ( 95 or 96-2001 ) .

And unless you want a V6, find one that already has the 5.0L V8.

 

I would agree with this also and the track width would likely be narrower than the chevy as well eliminating more headaches and expense.

John

 

I just saw that a guy on the HAMB is putting an S-10 frame under a '49 Dodge Panel, with a slant-6 no less.... so ANYTHING is possible

 

Those slant 6's were good little motors, my dad had one in a 67 Dart. I had lots of fun that my dad never knew about with that car

 

Big enough hammer and a hot wrench anything can be done - Oops, forgot the duct tape