The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop Queston ????

I have a 1950 3100 truck in bad but not real bad shape and I was woundering how hard it would be to put a 84 S-10 frame under it ?
SlickT

[img]http://216.77.188.54/coDataImages/p...umbnails/157204200000011111111111111.jpg[/img]

Vary hard inless you are good at welding and fabrication and have the proper tools
also depends on what leval of custome you are going for
also note that only 1 or 2 wheel base lengths are close to the right size for your trucks body

The swap is becoming more popular. To me it appears to be rather straight forward. Sure there is some fabrication involved but that is given in any direction you go. There are several websites you need to investigate to make your own decision. Here is one site you can start with;

http://www.commerce.usask.ca/staff/hipkin/burb/frameswap.html

I have looked at more than a few of these swaps . Dont do it. It is not straight forward nor does it look very good when done even if you are a great fab guy. The front is too narrow. Your stock bed does not fit without a lot of chopping. Keep and eye out you can buy many of these aborted atempts for next to nothing. I just purchased a 48 that was attemped for the nice sum of 200. I sent the s-10 frame to the scrap yard the next day and found a nice stock frame from another s-10 project gone bad for 50 bucks.
They even make a real mess of a kit to do it. Stick with your stock frame and update it. Much better looking and drives just as well.

I recently saw a '53 Chevy built over a '74 International Scout 4x4 chassis, and it uses the engine and driveline from same. However, from the outside, you cannot tell any different from a stock Stovebolter. Very nice restofication.

Might be less work than strengthening a stock frame and upgrading it to 4x4. I'd love to have 4WD on my truck, but it has to be done right. I've seen one all jacked up with 4x4 under it and that WASN'T done right. Might have been functional but it was ugly. That's what changed my mind about doing a similar 4WD conversion.
Nope, if I can't get it to tuck underneath well, I'd rather keep it 2WD.

So yeah, dropping the body on a modern frame might be the easiest way to get those results.

Good lord. I learned to drive in a '74 IH Scout. Manual throttle, manual choke, 11 mpg, top speed of 45 mph, why bother changing? (Of course, I just found our old scout in the local junkyard about a week ago . . . maybe I could bring it home, Hmmmm)

I'd use the stock frame if you can. The body is easier to align and everything bolts up "much" easier as opposed to making the S-10 frame fit. There's a lot of popular suspension components for that model truck (Mustang II, Dropped Axles, etc.) and it will require a minimum of fabrication.

Hot Rod Dad, Check out our 53 4x4 if you want to see one that sits right. It was not done by us, but is is sitting on a wagoneer frame. In fact we have a 360 amc engine along with a jeep drive line. My son drove it to high school for 2 years, but since he has decided to take it back to 2 wheel drive, too nice to drive on our great salted roads here in Penna.. In fact we are selling the complete rolling chassis on the stovebolt parts for sale forum. We have put the body on an original 53 frame, therefore we have no use for the wagoneer frame. The body and bed mounting points were welded on by a professional. Check out our site for some photos of how the truck sits. Coach Frank

I saw a 4 wheel drive conversion on a 50 Chevy PU that looked pretty good.The front and rear axles where from one of those ugly boxy Wagoneer type Cherokee Jeep wagons ot Pu trucks they made in the 70's,early 80's.The axles are the right width,I think they have 6 lugs.The truck has a 235 type engine,later Chevy granny gear 4 spd and transfer case.The stock steering box was used ,modified draglink.The truck sat about a 3 inches higher than stock,looked like a factory or NAPCO job.The frame was stock with the exception of a different crossmember to suport the tranfer case.It's a good conversion that retains the character of the stock truck more or less.

If you are wanting to do a stock looking 4x4 swap...

I posted this in the engine and driveline a couple weeks back, you can look it up there, but 79-85 toyota 4x4 axles are the right width and passenger side chunk to avoid exhaust problems with the front driveshaft, six lug with disc brakes, you can even make your steering box work. you can use a divorced np205 and do your own "napco" conversion. I have peformed this front axle swap for someone, relatively straight forward (I'm full of puns).

THANKS for all the advice!!!!! I am kinda looking for the street rod & ratrod look .I have a lot of left over hotrod parts that I have had for years .I have a 327 and a old offy 2x3 intake with 3 348 rodchester 2-jets carbs and linkage,a pair of KalKuctoms valcovers & a M-21 muncie with a trans am disc break rearend.
THANKS FOR ALL THE ADVICE !!!
SlickT

with that engine and drive train for a start
you should end up witha sweet retro rod
you might look in to useing the stock frame and building from it up there

Coach-Frank, that's a really tempting idea. I am attracted to the front and rear axles and frame with the mounting tabs welded on. However, the AMC 360, and TH400 tranny are not really what I'm thinking of.

I do like the idea mentioned above about using a divorced transfer case. That way, I could use my SM-420 granny-geared tranny and still to 4WD.
I don't know, still in the thinking stages. But I'm not opposed to a frame swap. Certainly a lot of donor trucks out there!