I just brought home a 1951 5-window that I would like to make into a daily driver for my wife. I have recently seen 2 similar vehicles mounted on square-body (73-87) frames. I have a 91 model chevy shortbed pickup frame available for this. It has same wheelbase as a short-bed square-body. The point of the later frame is to have a ready-made, stock, modern suspension, brakes, engine mounting, etc that would be more conducive to daily driving on Texas interstate highways. Is there anyone out there with experience in these kind of frame upgrades? Any advice on what to do or what NOT to do?
The first thing is to take a lot of measurements. It's important not only that the wheelbase is where you want it, but also the track width, frame width, etc. The S-10 is a popular swap for the AD because of how nicely it fits under it. In my opinion it works particularly well if you want a lowered look, but it also works if you want a higher look with the use of wheel spacers on the front and a wider differential.
There are several reasons I much prefer the frame swaps:
-The front and rear suspension are engineered to work together.
-The front and rear brakes are engineered to work together.
-You get modern handling and ride that were engineered to ride that way.
-You can go to any NAPA and get a chassis, suspension, or brake part, if you choose a common frame to use.
-The structural components of the frame are as they were and have not been modified, including crumple zones and crash areas. The S-10 frame in particular has a widened area under where the S-10 cab sits for crash protection.
In my swap I used many parts from the S-10, including the steering column, brake booster/steering column brace, brake booster, all brake lines, pedals, emergency brake, fuel tank, seat. There are probably more things I missed. My floor is completely flat on my Art Deco, but the Advanced Design may require a floor hump for the transmission depending on the setup you use and where it is mounted on the frame. I used most of the stock S-10 body mounts, just relocated to fit with my cab. Doing an AD is even easier.
Yes, there is more fabrication and thought involved, but I have driven enough vehicles that have gone the Mustang II route that don't ride or handle right because of mismatched front/rear end, and then they have difficulty finding parts years down the road because the part depends on what year of car the front kit was based off of, and you don't always know. I know my frame is an 85, and since most of the S-10 parts never changed (for chassis or suspension), if I break down anywhere I shouldn't have too much trouble finding a replacement part. Yes, it can be harder to get everything looking right, but in the end I believe the finished product is MUCH better.
For wiring I used a harness kit. I used a Painless. It was good, but next time I might try a different kit. But the nice thing was that since I got the kit for a GM column, the wiring plugged right into all the switches on the column and made things a lot easier.
A frame swap won't be done in a day, but I wouldn't do it another way.
