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I am new to this site, and I'm sure this has been covered somewhere, but I'm not sure how to find it. I have a 1959 f100 and the frame is warped from the previous owner's stupidity. There is a guy locally that has a ton of older ford trucks sitting around, like a f100 graveyard. What years would have the same frame, or close enough for me to swap my body to another frame. I was going to crown vic subframe swap it, until I noticed the frame warping. Im not sure if I could just swap the entire crown vic frame under it since the wheelbase of my truck is only 110 inches and the crown vic wheelbase is 114 inches. I am open for suggestions on if or what I should do to get this project back moving forward. Thanks in advance for any help.
Ok.. I think I might have gotten off track in my rambling. To make my question a little more clear. I have a 1959 2wd 6.5ft stepside. I need a new frame. What frame should I be looking for that would be easiest to swap my body on? If I have to buy a frame and the CV swap the front end, that's fine. Or can you fit my body on a CV frame without having to do much frame cutting.. I think that's a little better lol
Last edited by Elibardin88; Jun 25, 2018 at 10:34 PM.
Reason: Clarifying
The frame is warped where the motor mounts were welded in. It looks like it warped the top of the rail inward. Almost like it was very hot when they set the motor in it. I wouldnt think just welding would have heated the frame enough to warp it, but you should see the job they did welding and fabricating their "motor mounts" in.
Not to mention the notching job they did on the passenger side of the frame. The holes that held the steering gearbox on are torn also.. I have no clue how they managed that. I could always cut the frame and weld it all back together, but I would rather just put the body on a new frame, that is, if I can find a frame that would work
57-60 all use the same frame. There may be some nuances over the run, but the cab, box, steering, and suspension all mount to the same points.
I would start by cutting that mess out and grinding the welds away. A competent fabricator could fix that, usinbg new steel to replace what is unrepairable. A frame swap is easier if you aren’t a welder, but both are fairly involved.
57-60 all use the same frame. There may be some nuances over the run, but the cab, box, steering, and suspension all mount to the same points.
I would start by cutting that mess out and grinding the welds away. A competent fabricator could fix that, usinbg new steel to replace what is unrepairable. A frame swap is easier if you aren’t a welder, but both are fairly involved.
Yup my thoughts exactly you can weld fix it , it won't be too hard.
Regardless who ever cobbled together that mess should be kicked right in the plums.
Ok you were looking to do a CV front suspension to the truck before this showed up to lower it right?
Then you said maybe use the CV frame but the truck is 110 WB and the CV 114 WB right?
The guys above say fix what you have if you cant find a truck frame and we know the fix will be a lot of work in my book.
I say use the CV frame, shorten it 4" and swap it under the truck body.
I am sure it would be a whole lot less work to remove 4" than to fix the truck frame and then add the CV suspension to it.
It also sounds like you would need to take the truck frame to a pro welder.
Why not take the CV bare frame to the welder to remove the 4"? Bet it would be cheaper to do the CV frame.
If you were going to use the CV motor & drive train you would only need to shorten the drive shaft 4". Add brake, fuel lines and Ebrake cables and you are driving!
Ok you were looking to do a CV front suspension to the truck before this showed up to lower it right?
Then you said maybe use the CV frame but the truck is 110 WB and the CV 114 WB right?
The guys above say fix what you have if you cant find a truck frame and we know the fix will be a lot of work in my book.
I say use the CV frame, shorten it 4" and swap it under the truck body.
I am sure it would be a whole lot less work to remove 4" than to fix the truck frame and then add the CV suspension to it.
It also sounds like you would need to take the truck frame to a pro welder.
Why not take the CV bare frame to the welder to remove the 4"? Bet it would be cheaper to do the CV frame.
If you were going to use the CV motor & drive train you would only need to shorten the drive shaft 4". Add brake, fuel lines and Ebrake cables and you are driving!
But that's me
Dave ----
Swapping the CV frame in is not just chopping 4" out of it and stuffing it underneath it will require extensive modification to fit especially in a flareside. The repair to the existing frame is way way less work.
I only said what I did because the OP said he was going to do the CV front swap till he run into that mess.
Then he said something about using the CV frame but it was 4" too long so I am guessing he knew what else had to be done to make it work?
The only thing "I" don't like about the CV frame swap is the kick up for the rear & fuel tank that makes the bed useless in "MY" book.
If not for that I still think the CV frame swap is the easier of the 2.
Then again on my 81 F100 I have swapped fire walls to get AC in my truck and made a style side metal floor fit in place of the wood floor of my flare side and look factory stock.
In my younger days I made a 69 Bronco frame longer to fit under a 69 Cougar body and channeled it to sit lower over the frame. So I know what it takes to re-work a frame & body to make something work.
Dave ----
I think right upto and including 64 would work, but wheel base is 114" from 61-64 If you have to shift the rear end a bit to correct wheel base it isn't a big deal to do or Z channel the 4" out to keep the rear hump bang or.
Another option is cut the front frame rails off and do a new front section, similar to when they do a front clip install. Maybe you can use some 2x4 channel or 2X6 and get a professional welder to weld it all up, not sure if there is a vin number under the cab but if so then you get to maintain your original frame. That would be similar to Z channeling it and is doable. You have options just depends how much work you are willing to do. Or get another frame and use the front section and Z channel that in. There are choices, do a bit of research as to what you want to bite off and get busy cutting welding and grinding.
You can’t really tell for sure from the picture, but after cutting off the welded on mess, trimming the rails and welding in some flat 16 gage steel to the upper flange will take, at worst case, a couple of hours per side, not including the trip to the steel shop for material.
A Crown Vic frame swap will take a novice months, and there is a pretty good chance that the project will never get done. The frame has to be stripped from the donor body, wiring figured out, box floor raised, cab trimmed and mounts fabricated, fuel systems figured out. A major project for someone reluctant to tackle what looks to me to be a simple frame repair.
A frame swap from a similar truck still requires pulling the cab and box, disconnecting the brake and fuel systems, etc. A novice would have to allocate weeks to that.
The op doesn’t have much to lose if he tries a repair to the bungled frame first. Hers out some cutoff wheels for his grinder, some argon, and fifty dollars worth of steel.
I’ve been in a similar spot with an old truck restoration project. For your 1959 F100, finding a frame that matches can be a challenge. From my experience, frames from other F-series trucks from the late '50s to early '60s might be close enough to work. I found a handy tool from https://ruler.onl/ that helped me visualize how different frames and swaps could fit together, which was a game changer for planning my project.
Regarding the Crown Vic swap, you’re right about the wheelbase difference. It might be more practical to get a frame from a similar era F-series truck and then swap the front end if needed. It’ll save you from a lot of cutting and fitting issues.
Last edited by HelligeGall; Jul 29, 2024 at 04:08 AM.
