Thread: chassis swap

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i have a 1940 Chevy Truck Short Stepside 1/2 ton. I would like to swap the chassis for an s-10 with power brakes, steering, under bed mounted gas tank, air conditioning & manual transmission. Does anyone know if this is possible. This will be a weekend driver-Not a Show Truck. I would rather invest the money in the engine, cab and bed of the truck.

Please help!

Why a chassis swap??? There's any number of companies making IFS with rack and pinion steering, disc brakes etc. for the Chevy trucks. A frame swap sounds easier, until you try to get the wheelbase to match, body mounts built, pedals changed around, and countless other things that will require changing.

I was told that a newer frame would be better than a 50+ year old frame. I also was told it was much cheaper to get a donor car/truck to replace those components.

The cost up front may be lower, however the extra time trying to get everything to fit and get the wheelbase correct and the ride height and stance right IMO would outweigh the cost saving. Going to a used frame isn't only just labor, the used components would probably need to replaced anyway, rotors, calipers, suspension bushings, etc. If the original frame is not bent, rusted, or cracked it will work fine. You may want to weld in some boxing plates when you install the new suspension.

Coming from a "been there, done that" mindset, I doubt your savings with a used frame would be little if any over the cost of buying an IFS kit and installing a late model rear end.

A late 70's nova or camaro makes a good donor too. cut the old frame in front of the firewall and box the subframe into the old frame. Almost instant gratification. The rear end will usually work well from the same car. Disc brakes , power steering and a great ride. What else could you ask for?

been there done that to installed nova subframe onto 48 chev
worked out in the long run but it is a ton of work dave is right i had to build new body mounts, fender brackets rad mount and all kinds of other headaches although i am happy with the final result i would'nt do it again next time it'll be ifs all the way!
cost wise the ifs may be a few bucks more but saves a ton of work bolt it on and go!