The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop 1949 Chevy 3100/ S10 Frame

I was wondering if i should keep my 1949 3100 Chevy Original or put it on an S10 Frame. If i did put it on an S10 Frame what S10 would i have to have like Reg Cab Long Box. Or Ext Cab Short box

There is nothing wrong with running the original suspension. I put nearly 11,000 miles on my '54 Suburban last year on stock suspension. I say rebuild it and go with it.

I agree with Cletis, but you can keep the original frame and do some upgrades to it like disc brakes, new master cylinder, power steering and a bunch more. I was going to go with a S10 setup on my truck but decided against it. The reason being is that I like the original look of my truck. And with most s10 setups the truck will sit differntly. And there is a lot of work involved doing it yourself. I know a man here local that quit his day job to just do rstoration work he had started as a hobby but he was making such good money he turned it into a full time job. All he mainly does is S10 conversions and he has a year back log. You can go to a site called Chasis Engineering and they carry all the stuff you would need to do the conversion. I think they sell a kit for $1500 or $1800 that will give you everything you need but the S10 frame. If i remember right you will need a extended cab frame to do the conversion. You can fab all the parts you will need for the conversion yourself though if you have the skills and the equipment. I just went ahead and left my original frame under neath and did a brake, disc, powers steering, and steering column conversion. it wasn't hard to do and run me around $1600 to do all of it. the truck drives real good. i can turn the steering whell with one finger at a stand still. And the brakes stop on a dime.

I put power front discs on mine but left the steering stock. I love the way it stops.

If it is all adjusted right and doesn't have fat tires, it is not hard to steer. Now my '56 has short fat tires and it takes a little muscle to steer at parking lot speeds. But that is about the only exercise this old fat guy gets so I live with it.

Cletis where did you get the front discs for your truck, and how much does it cost around to do it yourself

I used the Performance Online kit on my Suburban. I have also used the CPP kit on another '54. I don't remember the cost but I imagine prices have gone up since then anyway.

Would it be worth the 450 to get a gearset for the rearend it has, or just find a rearend out of somthing else

Would a 4X4 S10 Rearend work in this truck, or a 1968 Firebird Rearend

im pretty sure tracern1 meant ad engineering not chassis engineering for conversion kits...they dont do s10s...but they make some really good mount kits for motor and trans as well as suspension stuff.....and its the standard cab long bed s10 that you want for the conversion....good luck....dave

The S10 you need is the regular cab, long box. But the frames are supposedly built where they can easily be adjusted in length.

if all i change is the rearend would i need a 4X4 or 2WD rearend from an S10

I found a 1972 Nova Rearend for it, just wondering how it would fit and how hard it takes to put it on

Yes, those are the folks I meant. I picked up all my conversion stuff from Classic paermance Parts, from a fella named aron, real good about knowing what your talking about. i picked up my power sttering and brake kit from them and he threw in a tilt steering column.

And Cletis, I know what you mean about turning a old chevy with out PS. My wife hates driving the 55 2nd series truck because it is all stock and hard for her to turn when it is still