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A108 van frame


48JOHNPH

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is this the chassis you referring to as the early van are A100 series...…..the early A100 vans were front straight axle...

 

 

https://www.hotrod.com/articles/schwartz-performance-introduces-g-machine-chassis-108-mopar-bodies/

 

Edited by Plymouthy Adams
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The only wierd thing is that it wouldn’t be more work to backhalf it and install a fancy front subframe like the rms. Anybody that can afford that chassis is having it put together at a pro shop? 

 

The needle bearing uca pivots do sound fancy though and to have it all scienced out to stick that hard in a turn is pretty cool.

 

 

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2 hours ago, Radarsonwheels said:

I filled out their options and to get all the good stuff on it but not their most $$ options it was $22,000

 

well...that is the name of the game when you dropping NAMES...……………………...there is just no way it is worth all this in my book.....but then my book has fewer pages than many here I guess.....just posted it as a response to A108 as I only know of the early vans as an A100  

 

I cannot see this as that great an improvement over the early A body uni-body......I do have four cars that are factory unibody that also was factory with a full frame also...best of both worlds in a single package...

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If I recall there were 100 inch wheelbase (A100) vans, and "stretch" 108 inch (A108) wheelbase versions.  All were body on frame construction with, as Plymouthy pointed out, straight front axles and parallel leaf springs.  Fun fact: the van front axle set ups and lightweight Bostrum bucket seats found their way into more than a few altered wheelbase MoPar AFX drag cars.

 

Full disclosure: most of what I know about the A-van/pickup chassis set up is from building the very detailed IMC/Lindberg model kit!

That said, I believe that the stock placement of the motor is entirely behind the front axle in these 'forward control' trucks.  But, as the Little Red Wagon proved, you could relocate the engine just about anywhere!  

 

 

 

 

 

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thanks for the insight to the A108......we had one of these pickups at the gas station I worked at as a youth....we always had fun flipping the shackle with the tire bars and popping the front end immediately into the air for a nose high profile....shop owner did not think it was as funny.....

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2 hours ago, RNR1957NYer said:

If I recall there were 100 inch wheelbase (A100) vans, and "stretch" 108 inch (A108) wheelbase versions.  All were body on frame construction with, as Plymouthy pointed out, straight front axles and parallel leaf springs.  Fun fact: the van front axle set ups and lightweight Bostrum bucket seats found their way into more than a few altered wheelbase MoPar AFX drag cars.

 

Full disclosure: most of what I know about the A-van/pickup chassis set up is from building the very detailed IMC/Lindberg model kit!

That said, I believe that the stock placement of the motor is entirely behind the front axle in these 'forward control' trucks.  But, as the Little Red Wagon proved, you could relocate the engine just about anywhere!  

 

 

 

 

 

It's been years since I was under on, but I remember the front axle, leaf springs, really far back engine.  But don't remember seeing a frame.  I do remember some healthy sized rails, welded to the bottom of what I thought was a unibody.  Browsing google revealed nothing to indicate a presence of a real frame separate from the body.

Edited by kencombs
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Yeah, that looks like what I remembered.  I think it is welded to the bottom of the body to make a unibody though.  look at the tops of all the  'supports', flanged to meet the floor and all rails open on the top.  I guess sort of a hybrid, a frame that can't be removed except with a blue wrench.

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there is an A series van around the corner from me stuck back in a grown up lot.....it has been given to me if I want it....snatch it out of there and carry it off for my efforts.....I guess I could look at it closer if I were a mind to.....they are not very common these days for sure.

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Grab it!  parts are scarce and you never know when you'll need some.  I know where there is a pickup version, but I can't talk him into selling it.  Another

case of it'll just rot before he gets to it.  The Dodge and ford versions of the first vans were really a practical vehicles.  Rear engined pickup and van from Chevy, not so much.

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I have no need for the van nor a place to just arbitrarily store it.....they were never a model that I found that much favor with.  They are unique and I like it when one pops up in good condition, just not my cup of tea.  It has been sitting too close to the ground for too many years and I would suspect a lot of structural points compromised.  I did snag the emblems off the unit...they in my collection of stuff somewhere around here....

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15 hours ago, Plymouthy Adams said:

I have no need for the van nor a place to just arbitrarily store it.....they were never a model that I found that much favor with.  They are unique and I like it when one pops up in good condition, just not my cup of tea.  It has been sitting too close to the ground for too many years and I would suspect a lot of structural points compromised.  I did snag the emblems off the unit...they in my collection of stuff somewhere around here....

 

The "frame" might already be separating from the body on its own!

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