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Apr 26th, 2026 | | AD Chevy Trucks  Over 6,000 pictures Brad Allen has an awesome collection of Chevrolet factory pictures that he has set up from film strips. Check them out!
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| | | | Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 29 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 29 | Unfortunately I talked my wife into trading her five window off for a motor home when we moved from Maine down here to Oklahoma. Now we are about to build her another pickup for her, this time we have a 51 Chevy short box that we want to mount onto a 98 Tahoe frame. Actually it's the complete power train, 350cid vortec with a 4L60 tranny. We stripped her 51 cab assembly off of an old 1 ton frame farm truck, and the bed came from a trailer. We stripped the body from a 98 Tahoe that had some wiring problems and didn't have any papers so now it's going to have a new life. Yes we saved every part ie: master cylinder and boost pump,etc. and every piece of wiring harness, we could so as to have it if needed for this build. QUESTION is has anyone ever done a build like this and how much modification to the cab and engine area do we have to make? We saved all the body mounts off of the 51's frame, where can I find a picture of a 51 frame to use for locations on the Tahoes frame to place these mounts. ANY and ALL HELP/Input will be greatly appreciated. We are doing this on an extremely limited budget, but alot of love for the truck and plenty of time.
Last edited by whiterook; 05/16/2017 1:00 PM.
| | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,875 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,875 | Before you get into a lot of fabrication work and expense, it might be wise to check into your state's procedures for getting a title and registration for a vehicle assembled from salvaged items. That's particularly true when it appears that neither of your donor vehicles seems to have any sort of paper trail. Some DMV people get downright unfriendly about that sort of situation.
Next- - - -how close to the 51's wheelbase is the Tahoe? If you get into cutting and stretching or shortening the new frame, you'll have to deal with altering the length of the driveshaft, brake and fuel lines, and a bunch of other nit-picking details. Make it work on paper before you grab the wrenches and the welder! Have fun!
Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
| | | | | Joined: May 2015 Posts: 11,156 Housekeeping (Moderator) Making a Stovebolt Bed & Paint and Body Shop Forums | | Housekeeping (Moderator) Making a Stovebolt Bed & Paint and Body Shop Forums Joined: May 2015 Posts: 11,156 | The Factory Assembly Manual has frame dimensions, although be aware that they're for a '54, which may have some slight differences in the rear where the pickup box mounts (there's less arch in the 54 frame). Should be good for the cab area, and close enough to get you in the neighborhood to compare with your Tahoe Frame.
Like Jerry said, starting without a title or some paperwork on one vehicle or the other could be more work than the physical conversion.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truckFollow this saga in Project JournalPhotos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together. | | | | | Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 10,307 Renaissance Man | | Renaissance Man Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 10,307 | Tahoe will be too wide in the front to clear the fenders.
1952 5-window - return to "as built" condition | 1950 3100 with a 235 and a T-5 transmission
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 29 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 29 | Thanks guys for the input. I n this state you have a form to keep track of all the parts you use to build the vehicle and when it's all ready to go you have to take to the tag agent that checks it over and gives it their seal of approval. Then they send all the paperwork to the state who will issue a title with a new vin. number.
I will check the dimensions. | | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,875 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,875 | Tahoe will be too wide in the front to clear the fenders. Don't some folks use a front end from a big bolt to work around the wide front wheel spacing issue? Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 10,307 Renaissance Man | | Renaissance Man Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 10,307 | I have heard of using the big bolt front end, but I have never seen it on a pickup. I'm thinking that it would look funny with the giant wheel openings with ~30" tires.
Last edited by 52Carl; 05/17/2017 10:00 PM.
1952 5-window - return to "as built" condition | 1950 3100 with a 235 and a T-5 transmission
| | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,875 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,875 | A good sheet metal man could either section a couple of inches into a pickup fender to widen it, or reduce the size of the wheel opening on a big bolt fender. It all would boil down to which method of matching the track width to the sheet metal would be less labor-intensive.
Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 10,307 Renaissance Man | | Renaissance Man Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 10,307 | Stop putting ideas in my head, Jerry!
I already abandoned the notion of Tahoe/AD build years ago.
What a sweet ride that would be.
1952 5-window - return to "as built" condition | 1950 3100 with a 235 and a T-5 transmission
| | | | | Joined: May 2006 Posts: 8,351 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: May 2006 Posts: 8,351 | I have heard of using the big bolt front end, but I have never seen it on a pickup. I'm thinking that it would look funny with the giant wheel openings with ~30" tires. Maybe not. Tahoes are for the most part 4x4s, and the factory tire sizes run in the 30-32 inch size range. If that is the intended end goal with this particular project, it may not look too bad. We actually have a similar project sitting behind the shop at work, a '54 GMC on a Yukon frame. I'll see about snapping a few shots at lunch.
Bill Burmeister
| | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,875 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,875 | I once helped fabricate a set of 6" wide fender flares on a 65 Corvair so the rear fenders would cover the tires (Narrow-Minded California Highway Patrol!) Of course, the thing really needed those 12" wide rear slicks- - - -it had a beaned-up 392 Chrysler hemi V8 in the back seat!
Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
| | | | | Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 888 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 888 | A bolter, Sublime,when I first joined Stovebolt added a 4" piece down the center of the fenders on a AD. It looked as if it belonged there. He had a great photo library on Webshots that like many of us was lost when they went down. I believe stretching the fenders if done right would look OK...my 2 pennies...have fun and good luck
Dan | | | | | Joined: Jun 2011 Posts: 5,096 Crusing in the Passing Lane | | Crusing in the Passing Lane Joined: Jun 2011 Posts: 5,096 | I have a spare set of wide front fenders for a '41-'47 GMC truck. My work truck(which I added a stock 4wd axle to) has a pair off a school bus I found in the mountains. The large wheel opening looks OK.
Ed
'37 GMC T-18 w/ DD 4-53T, RTO-610, 6231 aux., '95 GMC running gear, full disc brakes, power steering, 22.5 wheels and tires.
'47 GMC 1 ton w/ 302, NP-540, 4wd, full width Blazer front axle.
'54 GMC 630 w/ 503 gasser, 5 speed, ex fire truck, shortened WB 4', install 8' bed.
'55 GMC 370 w/270, 420 4 speed, grain, dump bed truck from ND. Works OK.
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 29 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 29 | Guys I measured the wheel base and it's very close to dead on. The front end also looks to be very close also. I'm not sure what you mean by big bolt, but this cab and dog house came off of a 3800 1 ton. Does this make it a big bolt?
Last edited by whiterook; 05/20/2017 12:47 AM.
| | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,875 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,875 | Nope- - - -the bigger trucks, 1 1/2 ton and up, had slightly wider front fenders with larger wheel openings to clear the 20" or sometimes bigger tires and wheels the big rigs ran. Most 3800's ran 18" split-rim wheels for tube-type tires, or 19.5's for tubeless.
Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 10,307 Renaissance Man | | Renaissance Man Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 10,307 | Well all I can say is that the front axle better not fit or I will have to build one, and then have to find another house and wife (well, another house anyway, I can always put off looking for a new wife...)
Carl
1952 5-window - return to "as built" condition | 1950 3100 with a 235 and a T-5 transmission
| | | | | Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 2,832 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 2,832 | This is a picture of a 51 GMC that sets on a 74 Cadillac Sedan DeVille chassis. The frame was shortened and narrowed and the front fenders had the wheel opening enlarged 3" for tire clearance. The fender lip (bead) was cut off, moved out, and welded back. It was necessary to add in a section as the bead was longer for the larger opening. http://s32.photobucket.com/user/coilover/media/51%20GMC%20010_1.jpg.html
Evan
| | | | | Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 2,832 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 2,832 |
Evan
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2013 Posts: 1,367 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Sep 2013 Posts: 1,367 | Quick Thread Hijack: Evan, if you've ever posted a thread on your truck, please provide a link. Sure sounds sweet.
Hijack over!
RonR
1951 3600 with Clark flatbed, T5, 4.10 rear
1970 340 Duster
1990 5.0 V8 Miata (1990 Mustang Gt Drivetrain)
1964 CJ5
| | | | | Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 2,832 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 2,832 | Actually there was a question on enlarging the fender wheel/tire opening so I thought this might be of some help. I never do a write up on projects since I'm such a computer dunce. Tried once and botched everything by showing beginning pictures first followed by subsequent steps. Of course the finished pictures were first in the post and beginning pictures last. Looked like a movie run backward.
Evan
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