Hello, I have a 1955 ford F100 and I'm wanting to put the drivetrain and frame from a crown vic under it. I see multiple threads on how to do an IFS swap on a 1955 ford frame as well as using later 60's f100s body's and putting them on a crown vic frame. but not many on putting a crown vic frame under a 55 ford. I've been looking into it and i am finding that frame withs and lengths are about the same. If you have done this swap how hard was it to do?

The reason why I am wanting to do a frame swap is because my 55 ford currently sits on a dodge front clip. The previous owner cut off the front part of the 55 ford frame and welded the front part of an 80 something dodge/Chrysler front end. I do have IFS because of it but I'm not sure if I trust the work.

Sooner or later I will be building my 460 & c6 for my 55 but that is later on down the road.

Thanks for your help,
Mike

 

If you think that you have issues now just wait until you go through all the grief of a CV frame swap and then try to put a 460/C6 in it. Do yourself a favor and have an expert inspect your chassis and verify the donor of the front clip and assess the quality of the graft. It is much easier to chart a course for where you want to be after you have determined where you are.

 

Volarie front ends were very popular in the 70s & 80s. Does your truck have torsion bars? If I recall there wasn't a whole lot of the original frame cut out but welding was involved. Pretty sure a few of our members are still running them. If you post a couple of pictures maybe you can get better feedback.
I've read a couple of posts (could have been on the H.A.M.B.) that folks have just bolted the F-100 body's right on CV frames. I'm skeptical that it's that easy.But I've got a friend that installed a Panel on a lincoln chassis so it can be done.

 

It looks like a Voltaire front end but its the front part of the frame, not just the front clip. It does not have torsion bars. I will post a some better pictures tomorrow when i make it back out to the garage but here is what it looks like now.
I've hear the same about the cv frames, some people don't have issues and they just have to weld in a couple of mounds for the body to be attached, others have to cut and weld anything you can think of.
The main reason why I'm asking now is because I have a blank slate and can go almost any direction, I don't mind putting in the work to build something nice.

thanks for Yalls help!

 

That is definitely not a Volare, here is what a Volare looks like:

 

I can't see it very well on my phone, but that looks like a Ford car front clip. Those are late 70s T-Bird wheels. My 53 is running an 87 Town Car clip that I absolutely love.

 

We definitely need better pics not a volare and does not appear to have power steering so if the graft is good probably better to keep it .

 

That looks like a Chev C10 graft?

 

I think Merten has it ID'd...whatever the case the IFS/stub jacks up the frame under the cab WAY too high. The Chevy frame in Merten's pic shows a dip in the OEM frame behind the front stub...the F100 frame does not have this dip which raises the cab significantly. Lots of options on how to proceed but from what I can see the existing stub graft is not workable.

 

Don't think so top of the frame is different and no support bars to the front of the frame on the c10

 

I will add better pics tomorrow when I get to the garage, sorry for not having better pics. The truck itself came with a 318 which is what let me to believe that it was a dodge front end. I really appreciate all the help!

 

dodge truck, my guess 72-80 they might have used the strut rod on the lower control arm later than 80,

craig

 

You got it, not C10. 70s Dodge truck.


1972 Power Wagon Crossover Build Part 1 Thread 1 The Original Truck and Mods - Dodge Ram, Ramcharger, Cummins, Jeep, Durango, Power Wagon, Trailduster, all Mopar Truck & SUV Owners. Dodgeram

 

Thats it! looks just like it

 

Ding ding ding we have a winner .