1954 with S10 frame clip.

[chip46wis]

Ok Im getting several bits of advice on the updating the suspension of my 54 3100. I found a nova subframe and after a rebuild I would have $900 plus in it.!!! I just spoke with a local long time builder of street rods 50 plus years and he said he has used a S10 frame clip on 2 1954 1/2 ton trucks with great success. using JUST the front section of frame. good fit cheap, easy parts ect. anyone here have their own experience with just using the S10 front clip? pictures? pointers? This sounds like the best easiest and cheapest way.

Thank you.

[joedoh]

what are you going to have in the s10 after you rebuild it? I just did the full rebuild on my s10 and it was right at $600 with drop spindles.


IMG_0850 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

Originally Posted by chip46wis

This sounds like the best easiest and cheapest way.

easy and cheap isnt the way to think about a truck project. honestly the easiest and the cheapest way is to sit down with a calculator and figure out every dollar you will spend and total it all up, then buy a done truck for less. even if you have some sentimental attachment to the sheetmetal (dads granpas great grandpas truck) you will be able to swap it over and sell the rest.

[b-mac]

Truth

Part of me wishes I had read this post ^ 6 years ago.


...but I'm a pretty damn decent welder now.

[vintovka]

Given what appears to be an ongoing bout of inflation I recommend a war chest of at least $20K to start. You could easily double that for those of us who do not own a junk yard, have all the tools and skill and a part interest in an auto parts store. Sadly it seems better/cost effective to buy a complete restoration than attempting a ground up project anymore. This inflation thing will also siphon off funds for the necessities of life.

[8man]

Yes, but how do you put a price tag on the therapeutic value of building one?

I did like you, looked at options. I have two frames clipped with both a Firebird and a Camaro front end from the 70's. I looked at how they were spliced together and could not get comfortable with them. I could beef up the support, but just didn't feel right.

Then I looked at complete frame kits. That is big bucks, but you get a complete kit to do the frame. Very tempting.

Then I saw the S10 write up. First it sounded like a fun build. Then I went to the S10 site and saw what some of those guys are doing with S10s. I was sold.

So I now have my S10 frames and am just waiting to finish rust replacement to start on mounts and the frame.

Good luck.

[mr48chev]

The complete S-10 frame swap like joe does a lot of usually sets the sheet metal up off the frame enough you don't have to cut up a lot of the stock front end sheet metal to get things mounted or lined up. Any subframe swap welded to the stock frame calls for some serious trimming of front end sheet metal to get it to fit.

The problem with any used chassis parts be they just the A arms, a front clip or a full frame swap is that you most likely have to replace all the bushings and the ball joints and some other wear pieces before you are done. Most S-10 trucks have over 200K on them before they become donors unless someone blew the engine up years ago with somewhat low miles and parked it. The Dodge Dakota donor for my 48 had 91 K with a lot of those on a tow bar behind a motorhome. The truck had been parked for years because it had lost a timing belt on the 4 banger. The Industrial Chassis crossmember is 550 or so and I have right at 100 in the A arms spindles and rack and pinion after selling a few pieces off the truck and then selling the hulk to a wrecking yard. I haven't priced ball joints and bushings but think I will be in it around 800 when all is said and done. Good thing is that it is almost all bolt in.

I saw a crossmember that uses Crown Vic pieces yesterday from an outfit in Florida that looks promising but it runs coil overs that run the tab up. It narrows up the front end to fit inside fenders of early trucks They are showing it for F100 but may have it for AD or TF trucks http://team321.com/truckirs/narrowcv...cvinstall.html

Depending on what the front suspension costs in your hood you might be able to Do a Jag XJ (late 70's early 80's ) front end pretty reasonable if you find one in decent shape. Rebuild parts could be rather spendy though.