The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop 1950 3100 chevy and a donor 84 c10

Hey guys! I was told to post here any yall may be able to help me out and give advice.

I'm getting a 1950 chevy 3100, and I want use as much as I can from my 84. I'm think the 350 engine and trans and the front ifs and rear axle. What do you guys think? Doable? Recommended? I do not want to lower or make it a hot rod in any way.

How wide are the front tires on the '84? How wide are your fenders on your '50?

Ed

Haven't measured but I will. I want to read a build that did it or talk to someone. I really want to know if it's worth the trouble. I'm on a budget, but I don't want to do anything bad because of it.

I put P3500 HD axles under my '37 GMC, but was able to move the front fenders out 2" with spacer blocks, works well without no tire stickout. Unfortunately, that is not an option on your AD. Some good body persons have added a strip of 'tin' in the appropriate place to widen front fenders.

Ed

I've heard of people doing this swap and the fenders have been a worry. I'd like to know of anyone who has done the swap and know what they did or didn't have to do.

We used to do this on a fairly regular basis but with the weld it up yourself IFS kits now available it's probably both time and dollar wise to go with a kit. While American Motors Pacers were still available that was the VERY best IFS for an AD and a one day bolt or weld in. That ship has sailed so back to your set up. The tires will stick out from under the fenders and both look ugly and crash into the fender bead, especially while turning. Having both widened the fenders and narrowed the cross member the latter is the easier. BEFORE you start anything put a level or angle finder across the upper A-frame and get the anti dive angle as the unit will have to be joined to the AD frame at this exact same angle. The whole unit wants to roll over and is a b!tch to keep in position but the solution is to tack a U-bolt to the very back of the rear lip and raise with a hoist. Once raised to the position where the anti dive angle is correct cut four pieces of 1/2" all thread and get four rod union nuts and screw these to the bottom of the all thread. You will be sectioning a 3" strip out of the cross member so tack the four all thread rods 6" apart on the front and back lip of the cross member and use the union nuts to adjust each "leg" till all is stable and the correct angle. Cut out strip, slide together, weld. There is plenty of surface area touching but some feel the need to add a backing strip across the weld. You will have to take 3" out of the drag link and re-position the engine mounts as they are now too close together. The AD frame is 1 1/4"'s narrower than your 84 but since you are narrowing the cross member 3" you have to "dog leg" each rail to fit in the narrowed cross member. Just a small pie cut in the frame flanges about under the front of the cab followed by a cut through both top and bottom frame flange six inches forward will give enough dog leg to fit tight into the 84 cross member. You will wish you had bought a kit but good luck anyway.

Wow, that route does seem a bit much. Are there any other good budget ifs finds I could use from local yard? Better for or clearances. New kits, something like the mustang 'll right?

Ok, how bout a Jag ifs? I did a search and I found a few around. Best years? Keep ride height? This doesn't seem like a bolt in, might need a welder to come out?

I'm trying to get my options and prices lined up. I have the c10, but buying a new one or a junkyard ifs is something I need to plan for.

I've been told the Jaguar ifs is a fairly uncomplicated install. I have no personal experience with this install. My '48 Suburban has a Fatman Fabrication ifs and Mustang II rack & pinion steering.🛠

Camaro maybe? Some of the kits out there don't seem all that bad in price, I just need a bit more though to finish in a timely manner.

What do you guys think the engine and trans would sell for? I believe stock, rebuilt only once. And a classic story of it ran when parked when someone else started a project. Haven't checked compression yet.

The Camaro/Firebird/Transam clips are also too wide but a Nova clip fits good. The 74 and older have the steering gear behind the cross member and make for an easier steering shaft set up but these are also getting hard to find and thousands have used the front steer set up.

I have the opportunity to take the stock axle and everything on it off another truck. Well it's mostly gone but the axles Andean are still there. How do you guys feel about stock suspension for a daily driver? Worth it? I know I would want brake conversion and power steering.

The stock axle will work just fine ( 300mph dragsters use a straight axle) IF you rebuild it to like new specs. A big mistake is while shackles are nearly always attended to the rear spring eye bushings are not and this lets the entire axle move about. New king pins, shackles and bushings, and all rod ends will do the trick. With the power steering you want the caster can be increased which assures a straight line no drift drive. We have used a lot of 4wd Toyota p/s units but I believe the electric p/s set ups sound just as good. Will do one at first chance. Had a 56 come in with a true 28,000 miles on it where a horse had BITTEN the hood and wanted us to repair and paint match the spot. I know it's hard for many to believe but these trucks drove good and the 3sp shifter actually worked good when they were (nearly) new.

Ok, talked to the guy in picking up the truck from, he said the other truck with front axle is actually missing a few pieces. He said tires are gone, hubs are gone and drums are gone. So the spindles are there....could I simply put some hubs on them without the drums behind it? Spindle is tapered right? If I can I just have to find hubs by this Friday, otherwise I gotta move truck without front wheels. All it has is the bar/axle. No spindles or anything.

Hey Matt

There is a fellow in Florida that does this type of work all day long...he is business is Purple Monkey Customs...his facebook page is here...https://www.facebook.com/groups/1528793600746528/ ...He swaps the whole entire chassis out and then does some decent paint work and then sells them on ebay for a living.

He is a straight shooter too...

Good luck with your project.

MikeC

I'm not sure a tow truck can move it to where I need it. Think I could drop front into a car dolly and really tie it down? Only going about 6 miles.

Necessity is the mother of invention, go for it.🛠

Lol I was hoping for a more, oh yea I've done that lots of times....

I've moved plenty of vehicles with less than complete suspension systems on trailers, and a few on a tow dolly. Stack up a couple of pieces of 4X4 wood under the spindles on the spot on the dolly where the front tires would normally ride, and maybe put a V groove in the top one with a chainsaw for the spindle to drop into. Then lock the front axle down tight to the dolly with a chain and a binder, or a big come-along. It will follow your tow vehicle just like the front end was all together.
Jerry

I think i see what you mean, couple of short pieces where wheel would go on each side...like wooden tires lol bunch of straps and chain and duct tape...it shouldn't move

Got it home! This guy has a classic car junkyard, so much stuff he doesn't remember it all. I was able to put together a full front stock suspension, brakes, linkage, hubs you name it. Took a while but got it on all four wheels and towed home.

Don't you just love it when a plan comes together!

I'm sure I could Google and you tube pretty much everything, but I've never had a project so old before.... are the service manuals for this year very detailed? Are there good and bad ones to choose from?

Shop Manual for a 1950 Chevrolet Truck and/or for an 1984 C10 (outside the range for most members)?

1950 Chevrolet Truck Shop Manual is covered/on-line here.

Have you looked in the Tech Tips (here) for information/suggestions on what documentation might be useful, and where to find it?

The information here is overwhelming - perusing the Tech Tips in your free time (huh, free time?) is time well spent (to see what topics are covered, in detail).

Good luck, and keep asking questions, Matt

[img]https://goo.gl/photos/eKa2kqX9TWK2w9q48[/img]

Very detailed manual.... and I have done a lot of searches here. I'm gonna keep pretty busy I think. First thing I'm gonna do is put the bed off to the side and then yank out the engine and trans.

The trans has a shifter on the column...can that be made to work for a 350 trans?

I plan to use the rear end out of my c10. Can I bolt to factory springs or should i use the c10 springs?

I need to get a tape measure...the two wheel drive rear end from my c10 truck won't work will?

It would be much less work if you used the factory springs, you will only have to remove and weld on new spring perches. Other way, remove and replace both ends of the spring attachment assemblies to the frame, plus the spring perch exercise.

Ed

I keep seeing people say to use the 4x4 rear end...but the only difference in the two is the spring perches right? Aside from the insides. I can use this axle...move perches..and bolt to factory springs?

S-10 4x4 rear ends are about 2" wider than 2 wd. Don't know about perch widths.

Ed

I'll take off wheels and measure tomorrow..

If I'm switching to an automatic I need a new steering column right? I'd like to find something that looks stock. Any 50s cars have what I'm looking for? Do I also need the gear box?

Matt,

Steering column from a mid 60's to a 72 chevy/gmc would be pretty stock looking. Key was still on the dashboard not the column.

I just looked them up...looks good. Would I need anything else from a donor truck for the trans shifting? Will it mount pretty easy and can I use stock gearbox. I know where a 69 is that's being parted out.

You are getting in deep now. With 350 engine, and an automatic transmission, you will need power steering, and either modify your stock steering column (cut the gear box off, add a lower bearing in the bottom of the mast, and weld a flange on the mast where it passes through the firewall , or do similar with a non-stock steering column. You will then need to modify your stock shift box internally to use it for shifting the automatic as well as fabricate a rod which goes from the shift box to the transmission shift lever.
Or you could spend a small fortune for something like a Locar setup. They have a number of styles.

I'm slowly learning all the ins and outs of these trucks. Like the column is one piece with the gear box. I was just reading where someone did weld a flange and cut the mast and add a joint.

Modifying the box...has anyone done a write up?

I've made some progress. Had to get a new cherry picked so I didn't get that until today, but for the last couple of days I've been tearing it down. Fenders, doors, hood, bed, rotted interior, bumpers all off. Very happy with the lack of major rust. I was afraid I'd find some bad hidden spots but so far just surface rust. Hopefully tomorrow the engine will finally come out.

I have run across some rubber/felt like stuff between pieces...is this something I can find at a local store?

Where?
Between what pieces?

Where the fenders met the cab for example

I'm cleaning out the gas tank and am very happy to say there's no rust in the bottom! I'm thinking there was a sealer of some kind coating the inside. It's flaking like old paint and underneath it's clean metal. I took out the sender and shined a light.

I've seen in other posts where people talk of using a later sending unit to draw from the top instead of bottom. Safety I guess? I'm using the carburetor v8 from my c10, has the fuel pump on the engine.

If I do this later sending unit, I shouldn't need a newer pump right? It pulled fuel from saddle bag tanks after all.
Proper way to plug bottom of tank?
What gaskets to use on everything?