John,
Some people have done this exact swap onto a 90's s10 extended cab frame.
You are right the later frames are wider than the AD frame. The saddle for
the c10 (73-87) is 3/8 inch wider per side at the front suspension, but the
AD frame is an "A" frame or its wider at the back than in the front. The c10
frame is a ladder frame (as most modern frames are) or straight rails with
cross members connecting them. The 55 stepside bed box was used until 87! So
I think it would be the body mounts and the steering connections and the
brakes.
I'm currently making my own frame (all new) for two reasons:
1. I'm stretching the cab and integrating the bed, the original frame
flexes too much for that.
2. I'm also zee'ing the frame to get the body really low, and not
withstanding the first item I'd hate to cut up an original frame.
This new frame will also have the front and rear suspension from the jaguar
xj6 attached which eliminates the required adjustments to fit the original
frame.
If you're serious about going the corvette route; a custom frame really
isn't all that difficult to fabricate. I'm using 3/16 wall (heavy) 2x4
structural tubing for the main rails and the rear xj6 cross member. All
other cross members are 1-= diameter 1/8 inch wall tubing. I've got mine
mostly designed and will start fabricating in a month. I am a good welder,
but for the main rail welding I'm going to (he's really coming to me) a
professional for peace of mind. I'll lay it all out and tack weld it
together, he'll do the real welding. Then I'll position it in place and
connect the sides together with the tubing. It will be heavier than the
stock frame, t it will be stable and can handle all the power I can shove in
it!
Jon C. Peters
-----Original Message-----
From: JohnHuntD@aol.com [mailto:JohnHuntD@aol.com]
Sent: Thursday, April 04, 2002 5:36 PM
To: Peters, Jon C
Subject: Swapping AD body on newer chassis
Jon,
We exchanged e-mails a few days ago about my installing '88
Corvette
independent front and rear suspension with disc brakes under
my '49 3/4 ton
longbed 3600 pickup.
I'm wondering if a better way to put modern suspension and
brakes under my
'49 longbed is to take advantage of GM's engineering
expertise and find a
'donor' complete 1970's or 1980's Chevy or GMC pickup,
Blazer, Suburban, etc.
that already has independent front suspension, a stronger
rear end, front
disc brakes, power steering, a 350 V8, etc., and mount my
'49 pickup body
onto that frame and chassis. I see these vehicles in the
Baltimore papers
frequently with prices of $500 or less, although I imagine
they are pretty
high-mileage, rusty and rough at that price.
I'm told the frame rails on the 1970's and 1980's Chevy
pickups, Blazers,
etc. are farther apart than the AD frame rails, so I don't
know which if any
of these later trucks have frame rails that would fit under
my '49 AD cab.
I suspect somebody out there has done this, and I would very
much appreciate
hearing from you or anyone else out there about the
following:
1) Which later model chassis 'fit' under an AD pickup body,
and is there a
year and model of later model pickup, Blazer, Suburban, etc.
that is the best
fit?
2) Are there any major headaches involved in the conversion
beyond
fabricating all the mounts and brackets to mount the AD bed,
cab, fenders,
etc. on the later model chassis?
3) For anyone who has actually done this, do you recommend
going this route
as opposed to sticking with the existing '49 frame rails and
installing a
later model IRS crossmember and disc brakes and a better
rear end onto the
'49 frame rails?
Many thanks in advance.
John Doak in Baltimore, Md.
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