Info and advice/suggestions please

[Lowl!f3]

Hello all,
Im new to this site and love the old c10's. I have been lurking for a year lol. I have been in the mini truck scene for a few years and currently have an 80% complete mini project now. However im thinking of switching to a C10. Im looking at all models up to second gen.
I really like the 60 to 66 more and have found 2 in great body condition that I would even consider going to look at. one is a 65 short and the other is a 66 long.
65 has v8 with a bad turbo 350. The 66 is tagged and running with a 283 and 3 speed manual.
im wanting to run a 250 inline 6 so these engines I will not need. Also note this truck will be bagged and bodied. So my questions are about the frame. My current project is a 95 S10 Ext cab. it will be sacrificed for the C10 with no regret. I already seen a friend of a friends 62 with s10 frame swap. It looks awesome. Just needs wider wheels to fill in fenders thry way I would like it to look.

1. My main question is for those of you that have used a s10 frame under a 60 model body. What size offset and width wheel do you run to have the real deep dished 22" wheels?

2. Or should I use the stock frame or get another frame? im wanting disc brakes and 5 lug instead of 6. Is it easier to replace frame or convert?

Any comments are welcome as long as they are constructive.

[tincan1966]

With the amount of bolt on parts available for these trucks, there is really no advantage to changing frames. The easiest being using '73-'87 1/2T spindles rotors and calipers to get the disc brakes and 5 lug. replacement axles are available for the rear, or you can swap a complete '70-'72 rear end in.
The amount of fabrication required may not be a factor to some, but in my opinion it is not for the novice(not implying you are at all a novice)

Also to consider are possible titling issues with frame and body numbers that do not match.

I personally have only ever seen one S-10 chassis swap on a '64 and it was UGLY(mostly due to the workmanship quality)

Again, I am in no way questioning your skillset or abilities. I am honestly a firm believer that anything can be accomplished given the right amount of effort and $$$, Now whether that effort yields an equal amount of reward, may yet to be seen.

[Lowl!f3]

Thanks for the reply.
I'm wanting to build it and not spend a ton on getting custom parts some company has pre fab stuff that's over priced. You know what I mean?

So do the 73-87 spindles fit the 65-66 control arms? Or is the whole front assembly swapped out?
The rear would not be a problem for me. If I need to I could build a whole back half.
But to save money try to use what I will have if I can.

Is there a thread on here that has a list of bolt on items from other models that can work like your saying about the spindles?
Is there really a need to swap to disc tho? Can brake parts be found for drums fairly easy? That's what I'm thinking is if the frame is newer the geometry is better and parts readily available at any parts store or scrap yard.

Your burb is awesome

[NEWFISHER]

This: http://www.67-72chevytrucks.com/vboa...d.php?t=559678

will become your friend.

read all of the builds in the air bag and suspension section to get ideas. It's only as endless as the stack of bills on your counter. let it rain

[Lowl!f3]

Thanks man.

[markeb01]

Welcome to the forum. Good luck on whatever you decide to do.

[Lowl!f3]

Thanks

[kieth]

Originally Posted by Lowl!f3

Thanks

Welcome, have lots of fun building your truck...

Use the stock frame, find a good donor vehicle.......the 6 cylinder should not be hard to find and you probably could find some one to trade out the 283 for a 292 ? maybe. I used a wrecked 91 burb for a donor vehicle, used the front crossmember complete to get front disc brakes, sway bar, and and powersteering. Used the TBI 350, complete wiring harness, fuse block, tilt wheel, cost $900.00 - $200.00 salvage for the burb....net cost $700.00.
If you use the stock frame you will find so much information here that it will save you time and money, where using the s10 frame you will be on your own......? There are lots of kits available for the lowering of your truck and they are not that expensive.

lots of luck and fun......Kieth

[1963c-10]

Welcome....and lets see some pics of your possible truck choices.

[Lowl!f3]

My choice is any 60 to 66 short bed fleet side.
If a short bed cannot be found it will be a long bed and cut down. I have already contacted a guy who has about 25 trucks. He is looking for my list and taking pictures to send to me in a few days.

Already know 2 young men that have done the s10 frame swap. It works, and you can run a wider tire with negative offset to have a deep dishing wheels and turn in a low stance.

Sorry for being so hardheaded about the s10 frame swap. It's all a matter of money and not wasting some of the work I have done with the s10. No one buys them after a mini trucker bags them. So I would lose the money and time I have in it. Instead I would like to roll it over into a 60 model truck.
It is fully bagged and has a fuel injected 305 with a 200-4r Y series. Also 4 wheel disc brakes with a .342 gear ratio in the rear. With 18" rims and tires.
So you see I pretty much have everything to work quickly.
18" wheels and tires (new) will be saving to get 22" since these will be small.
4 wheel disc
Bags
Engine and tranny. The v8 will do while I find a inline six and get it rebuilt. Unless the truck I get has one in it. Heck it may even run lol.

Here's the story, 3 months ago my God Son and his friend found a guy with some old trucks. They drove 5 hours 1 way to buy one sight unseen. They didn't care because they both are in the mini truck scene and can fab up anything. I guess his dad and I are at fault for this. He took to it and ran with it. He is only 20 and owns a fully bagged and bodied single cab S10 custom frame from front to back. He got his dads old Mazda b2200 we used to build on years ago when he was a baby. We won first place for the most mods done to a daily driver in a truck show at Houston raceway years ago. Now he owns it and has done allot of work to it and drives it. Also he recently got a 52 chevy 3 window and is now working hard on it. Lots of sheet metal work going on.

Back to the story. So they arrive at this place to be shocked. This guy had a lot of trucks. They was in heaven. Picked one out, loaded it up and headed back title in hand.
Now once they got back they had to build it pretty quick. Turkey Drag 2013 was coming fast. They used a bagged s10 his friend had and did a frame swap.
It took 2 weeks and they was driving it. They drove it to Tyler texas to Turkey Drag 2013. Here are 3 screen shots of it caught on video from the show from you tube. I have looked at it first hand and it amazes me how good he has gotten with working with his friends. They are all in the same truck club also.
Local Finesse also a club of guys I know and help working on their projects is Destrucktion Truckin Crew. With all these people at my back it should work out just fine. Nobody is on their own with friends .

[NEWFISHER]

Get some pics of the cab mounts. This is a VERY common swap over on the 47-54 side...

[Lowl!f3]

Originally Posted by NEWFISHER

Get some pics of the cab mounts. This is a VERY common swap over on the 47-54 side...

Cab mounts are the ones from the stock 62 frame welded in place on the s10 frame. Don't have any images of that sorry. However I can get some in a few days if your interested in seeing them.