AAAA... another frame swap post!!
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More Turbo
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 701
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From: colorado
AAAA... another frame swap post!!
At the risk of you all deciding to unite and lynch me... I'm going to ask anyway! has anyone tried to stick a 54 F100 cab on a 79 ford step side chassis? (keeping the 79 bed) I've searched the forums for two hours trying to avoid the embarassment of asking and found plenty on exlporer and s10 swaps but nothing on a 53-56 to a 72-79. Probably with good reason.Found one guy who stuck his on a Crown Vic. WOW! Anyway, I've stared at my 54 for over a year now wishing I had a truck to drive and broke down tonight and bought a running, drivable 79 for $700.00. Reason I'm wondering at all is 1) I like the 54 cab and front end better 2) my eleven year old helped me get my 54 and he may be heart broken if I totally get rid of it. all that said... let me have it! I think I can already tell the response! lol! At least I'm not contemplating putting a Nissan engine in for better gas mileage!
Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,002
Likes: 2
From: Midland, Texas
I've always been a big fan of the guy who wants to do a frame swap. It appears to be an enormous challenge. Then I wonder sometimes why a guy just won't jump right in and start removing body parts from the donor frame, get it just like he wants it, then go to removing parts from the body donor and trying to fit them to the frame.
Most of us agree that it is doable. The guy with the right skills and the right sized wallet will do it with more ease than the guy who has limited skills and a small budget. An FTE'er with some foresight will document each step along the way, much as our fine moderator, George, has done with Earl.
I know a backyard builder in Odessa who could pull this swap off. I don't think he'd want to though, given the time and money commitment such a project demands and what you end up with when completed. The $700 bucks you spent could have almost rebuilt your stock '54 frontend. If you only have a cab and fenders for your project then I'd say you have no choice. No decent truck guy would break an eleven year old's heart.
Have the lad help you and who knows? He might be able to drive it to the prom!
Good luck, himmelberg
Most of us agree that it is doable. The guy with the right skills and the right sized wallet will do it with more ease than the guy who has limited skills and a small budget. An FTE'er with some foresight will document each step along the way, much as our fine moderator, George, has done with Earl.
I know a backyard builder in Odessa who could pull this swap off. I don't think he'd want to though, given the time and money commitment such a project demands and what you end up with when completed. The $700 bucks you spent could have almost rebuilt your stock '54 frontend. If you only have a cab and fenders for your project then I'd say you have no choice. No decent truck guy would break an eleven year old's heart.
Have the lad help you and who knows? He might be able to drive it to the prom!
Good luck, himmelberg
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 8,813
Likes: 13
From: Littleton, New Hampshire
Sure it can be done... with enough time and patience. I have a friend who recently sold his 48 F-1 mounted on a 72 F-250 frame. He ran the 72 360 engine and C6 also. He used it to pull a 22 foot travel trailer to rod runs. He bought the truck already done so he had no details of the frame swap. He drove the old truck everywhere and it held up well during the 7 years or so that he had it.
Vern
Vern
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,495
Likes: 2
From: Northwest Fl
The 79 is likely a 34" frame from the cab forward. Where it actually widens for the bed will determine how much trouble you will have attaching the cab, wider and you will have issues with sheet metal clearance at the rear of the cab. The cab straddles the 34" frame on your 54. Also rear cab support would be a problem to fab, unless you decided to change how it attaches to the frame.
The wheelbase as you know was 110" stock on the 54 so you may have to adjust the frame length to get the front wheels where you want them in the wheel wells. If your thinking of slammin the truck to the ground, you will have issues with the track width and tire clearance, some of which could be corrected with positive offset rims and dropped beams.
I did the frame swap with my 55 (a 69 frame with 74 I-beams) and am happy with the results so far. My desires were for stock apearance and ride height when finished.
Good luck which ever way you decide!
The wheelbase as you know was 110" stock on the 54 so you may have to adjust the frame length to get the front wheels where you want them in the wheel wells. If your thinking of slammin the truck to the ground, you will have issues with the track width and tire clearance, some of which could be corrected with positive offset rims and dropped beams.
I did the frame swap with my 55 (a 69 frame with 74 I-beams) and am happy with the results so far. My desires were for stock apearance and ride height when finished.
Good luck which ever way you decide!
Laughing Gas
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,072
Likes: 25
From: San Mateo, CA
The illusion is that because you have a working, running chassis, it will somehow be easier to just stick the old sheet metal on top of the new stuff than to rework the old frame and suspension.
The reality is the "old body on new frame" ends up being MORE work, and in many cases, looks funny when you're finished because the wheels look out of place. (Huntsman's truck is an exception and looks good in my opinion, but his work is exceptional too! Most of the results I've seen weren't near as good.)
If you look at how many folks either a)Rebuild to stock, or b)Go with a new front clip only, it's pretty good evidence that these are the best routes to take, based on time, money, and complexity.
I'd consider taking the engine/tranny only out of that new chassis and rebuilding the stock suspension on your truck. Or, for more of a challenge and expense, take a new front clip from one of the typical F-100 sized donors and then add the new engine/tranny.
The reality is the "old body on new frame" ends up being MORE work, and in many cases, looks funny when you're finished because the wheels look out of place. (Huntsman's truck is an exception and looks good in my opinion, but his work is exceptional too! Most of the results I've seen weren't near as good.)
If you look at how many folks either a)Rebuild to stock, or b)Go with a new front clip only, it's pretty good evidence that these are the best routes to take, based on time, money, and complexity.
I'd consider taking the engine/tranny only out of that new chassis and rebuilding the stock suspension on your truck. Or, for more of a challenge and expense, take a new front clip from one of the typical F-100 sized donors and then add the new engine/tranny.
Last edited by F250Rob; Apr 28, 2006 at 07:40 AM.
Trailering
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
From: Southern Oregon
I put my 55 F100 on a 68 Chevy shortbed frame. Its 34" wide, same as the old ford. I took the cab mount wings off of the old Ford frame and mounted them to the Chevy frame but still havent finished mounting the front cup retaining plates or the rear cab mounts.
Once that is done the challenge will be Z'ing the front frame horns to fit my core support. This frame seemed like a natural good choice and Im not sorry I started it at all. I have a 73 front crossmember to put under it for the disc brakes, dropped spindles and springs are easy to find and it extends my wheelbase by 6". I will cut out the front wheel openings and move the forward 6" like the FR100. It runs a 500 Cadillac and TH400.
Now, I have a 71 F100 frame sitting out behind my shop that is/was a parts truck, that I will measure tomorrow and report back here. Seems to me I took some measurments once and didnt like the idea. As for me I would'nt want it under my 55 simply because the twin I beam is more trouble then the coil spring suspension I get with the Chevy frame.
Once that is done the challenge will be Z'ing the front frame horns to fit my core support. This frame seemed like a natural good choice and Im not sorry I started it at all. I have a 73 front crossmember to put under it for the disc brakes, dropped spindles and springs are easy to find and it extends my wheelbase by 6". I will cut out the front wheel openings and move the forward 6" like the FR100. It runs a 500 Cadillac and TH400.
Now, I have a 71 F100 frame sitting out behind my shop that is/was a parts truck, that I will measure tomorrow and report back here. Seems to me I took some measurments once and didnt like the idea. As for me I would'nt want it under my 55 simply because the twin I beam is more trouble then the coil spring suspension I get with the Chevy frame.
Lead Driver
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 6,682
Likes: 12
From: Saskatoon SK Canada
I'm in the process of putting my '51 M-3 onto a narrowed and shortened '78 F-250 Supercab. Here's a pic of what I've done so far:
When I'm done the truck is going to sit at stock height.
When I'm done the truck is going to sit at stock height.
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