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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: Apr 2012 Posts: 27 New Guy | | New Guy Joined: Apr 2012 Posts: 27 | Any thoughts on what would be an ideal donor to convert my 49 to 4WD?
It's not the weight of the load, that breaks your back. It's how you carry it.
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 1,775 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 1,775 | The S10 frame swap is quite popular. Maybe a 49 body on S10 frame. I've even seen an AD truck on a Trailblazer frame. Another option is a solid front axle from a Toyota or Jeep. The rest of the drivetrain would be up to you. | | | | | Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,596 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,596 | It depends what type of look you want. S10 has a narrower track width than a full size, but either would work depending on where you want your wheels to end up (width wise) and how you want the truck to look. | | | | | Joined: Apr 2012 Posts: 27 New Guy | | New Guy Joined: Apr 2012 Posts: 27 | I've got access to a Jeep Wrangler, any ideas on what problems I'll have? Ever heard of anyone doing this before?
It's not the weight of the load, that breaks your back. It's how you carry it.
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,596 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,596 | What year of Wrangler? The first thing is that if your 49 is a short box, you need a wheelbase somewhere around 115-117 inches, and only the 2007+ 4-door wrangler has a long enough wheelbase. If yours is a shorter wheelbase, this can only be fixed be lengthening the frame, and that is MAJOR fab work. I have no idea if the width of the wrangler frame or track width would work either. | | | | | Joined: Feb 2010 Posts: 129 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Feb 2010 Posts: 129 | Is '49 an AD truck, or earlier? If it's AD some of those Napco conversion kits might fit. If it's 3/4 ton or 1 ton; I'm not sure about half tons.
Ed Miller
'58 Apache short Fleetside half ton Napco
Falls City, OR
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2005 Posts: 946 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jul 2005 Posts: 946 | Ed, I'm a bit foggy as to when NAPCO started adding the 4wd to the 3/4 ton and up trucks? Wasn't Colman in the biz too? Talk about rare though.
| | | | | Joined: Feb 2010 Posts: 129 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Feb 2010 Posts: 129 | I don't know what year it was, but an AD Napco kit ought to fit any AD truck of the right weight catagory. I just love the look of the Napco equipped AD trucks. You're right though, they are definitely less common.
I haven't read about Coleman doing Chevy trucks that late. I wish I knew more about the early companies like them.
Ed Miller
'58 Apache short Fleetside half ton Napco
Falls City, OR
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