S10, M2, or other Ifs??

[Duece48]

There is chance I could be the new owner of a 1948 chevy 3100 and/or a 50s ish ford f100. I have been doing quite a bit of reading on front suspension options and it is a bit daunting to say the least.

If a build comes together for me it will be my first and im thinking my budget will be very tight. So with that, im basically undecided on the best ifs to use. Most folks say s10 frame swap is cheapest and I have seen donor trucks or frames for less than $500 locally. That aside, s10 are known to wear out front ends and I rece?tly rebuilt my zr2 so I am familiar with the cost to do so. Now when figuring the added cost of new parts in a donor frame and the extra time fabing mounts and what not Im guestimating I could get into a weld on M2 kit for probably less than $500 more than the s10 setup. Im not enterily thrilled with putting ford parts under a chevy but there doesnt appear to be any better options.


So with that said, let me hear some thoughts/reasoning/explantion of pros or cons to ifs options. Thanks

[joedoh]

what are you going to do with the truck? daily drive it? weekend show it? garage queen? ridler award? sell it?

if you plan to bag it, the MII setup uses a pretty short spindle and has a lot of camber change through the range of motion. s10 bag parts are sold as bolt in kits and has its own problems for caster and toe at extreme lowering on big wheels.

a MII clipped truck will usually sell for more than an s10 framed truck, but thats usually because the MII truck owner usually spends more on paint and finishing. An S10 swap is a great way to get on the road quickly and enjoy the truck.

other clips take more setup than most weld in MII. I think your estimate of $1k all in for a MII might be a bit sporty, and make sure you compare apples to apples. for example, with a weld in MII you usually get a manual steering rack and nothing else about the driveline changes. with an s10 swap, you get a power steering box and a highway geared rear axle.

[Coach529]

We kind of need to know you final goal to give you the best option.

Also, how good of fabricator you are weighs heavily on the answer as well.

Motor?

Ride height?

Static or bags?

[joeydirt]

I'm at the same fork in the road on my truck and while I could be mistaken it seems that the s10 swap is not any cheaper assuming that time is money. Maybe some guys will chime in on how much time they have in a s10 swap vs ifs swap. It's also kinda hard to gauge since you rarely do just an s10 swap or just a ifs install there is usually tons of other nickel and dime things that might as well get done while you have the truck in pieces.

[iowaboynca]

Before you start ordering parts, you're going to have to see what the condition of the frame is. If it's thrashed, that may point you down the S10 path...

[Duece48]

Lots of things are still up in the air at this point. I may not even get the trucks so thats a build stopper right there. My gramps bought the 48 brand new and was a farm truck until the late 80s. At that point the 216 was rebuilt and only ran a short time until the radiator sprung a leak and the truck was parked for good. The ford was given to my uncle around the same time, not sure what the deal is with that one other than its a 50ish with factory v8. The condition of both is unknown as I havent look at either in several years.

Main purpose of the 48 would be a weekend cruiser, occasional grocery run,etc. Basically I just want to get grandpas truck back on the road.

Motor is up in the air, ideally id like to stick in a worked over ls motor but Id be delusional to think that will happen now. Most likely a carbed sbc, 350 or 400 maybe. Id like a t5 or t56 but an auto is not out of the question.

No bags on these, im thinking coilovers. I dont have any desire to lay the bumbpers but I do want a lower but very drivable stance. Maybe 1in lower in front than the rear.

As far as my abilities, I have a background in custom weld/fabrication shop before I went back to school. My dad will be helping with the project and brings 25yrs or better of auto repair knowlegde.

And I will not be ordering any parts until after I have the trucks and have given them a thorough inspection.

[joedoh]

Originally Posted by joeydirt

I'm at the same fork in the road on my truck and while I could be mistaken it seems that the s10 swap is not any cheaper assuming that time is money. Maybe some guys will chime in on how much time they have in a s10 swap vs ifs swap. It's also kinda hard to gauge since you rarely do just an s10 swap or just a ifs install there is usually tons of other nickel and dime things that might as well get done while you have the truck in pieces.

I am a former program manager, and a very right brained engineer (I frequently say "what if it was" instead of "it is") and I scheduled and budgeted the 47 GMC s10 swap project.
I went 17% over budget on some must-haves and some mistakes (buying 3 sets of front coils, using the wrong front bumper, etc jumps to mind) but those were learning points for the next project and I actually expect to come in 20% under budget on the 49 Chevy s10 swap.
I also came in over my first time estimate, I thought 4 months at the outset and it came in at 5, mostly because of the mechanical delays, so thats 25% over there too. I adjusted for the 49 because I dont have as much time as I hired done last project, but its still going pretty fast and I should hit 5 months total (which works out to about 3 actual).

its not cheap. but that was a very usable 47 GMC with no real rust out and a perfectly running 4.3 auto longbed with completely new suspension and brakes.

a note, since I hired the mechanical done this amount was not included in the total, figuring that anyone else wouldnt have that particular expense. The 49 I am doing all myself.


hope this helps.