S10 Frame Swap

[Fibonachu]

On 9/29/2019 at 10:52 PM, Old CWO said:

 

I wonder if one could also make the S10 4x4 chassis work with that Code 504 kit.  

 

I think a B or C series Mopar 4x4 with some skinny bias ply mud tires would be a pretty cool rig too.

 

 

I pulled the drawings on the 2wd and 4wd S10 frames a couple weeks ago and they are different enough that you won't be able to use the same Code 504 kit on both.

 

That said they are similar enough that I would not anticipate any issues building a similar set of mounts to use the 4wd frame.

 

I was confident enough in that conclusion that I picked up a 96 4x4 to do exactly that.  My plan is to spend the winter driving it and fixing up the running gear into top notch shape, then do the body swap starting next summer.

 

I will also be watching this thread to see how the Code 504 kit works out.

 

[Old CWO]

16 minutes ago, Fibonachu said:

I pulled the drawings on the 2wd and 4wd S10 frames a couple weeks ago and they are different enough that you won't be able to use the same Code 504 kit on both.

 

That said they are similar enough that I would not anticipate any issues building a similar set of mounts to use the 4wd frame.

 

I was confident enough in that conclusion that I picked up a 96 4x4 to do exactly that.  My plan is to spend the winter driving it and fixing up the running gear into top notch shape, then do the body swap starting next summer.

 

I will also be watching this thread to see how the Code 504 kit works out.

 

Very cool.

 

Now there are two S10 frame swaps I am anxious to see progress!  When done, these S10 chassis conversions should be much more comfortable to drive than the original trucks.  Please start a thread when you get started so we can live vicariously through your project as well.

 

 

[MackTheFinger]

This sounds like a really good idea and will undoubtedly be an improvement over original. What I don't understand is why nobody has become apoplectic over using GM parts.

 

Edited November 7, 2019 by MackTheFinger

[Radarsonwheels]

1 hour ago, MackTheFinger said:

This sounds like a really good idea and will undoubtedly be an improvement over original. What I don't understand is why nobody has become apoplectic over using GM parts.

 

Well speaking for myself I get much more disappointed seeing brand X power in a mopar than brand X chassis. I like chevy and ford but build mostly mopar stuff and in my mind the mopar legacy is all about the motor engineering. 

 

Chassis stuff is just more generic- it is pretty acceptable to just throw mustang II IFS in anything, and a ford 9” based rear has so much aftermarket support it’s the go-to unless you are a mopar dana 60 guy or a 4wd truck guy. 

 

Having said that I did look for a dakota donor for mine both because it was dodge and because the track width is really nice. A lot of trucks swapped onto S-10 chassis end up looking like funnycars with the front tires tucked a mile into the fenders. Plus back to the mopar engineering history the dak was really ahead of its time with rack and pinion steering. 

 

What the S-10 has going for it in spades is they made a ton of them for a long time. Parts are probably super easy to find on the shelf and swapping v8s in is super common too so it probably also enjoys good aftermarket support for fancy brakes and suspension. 

[Radarsonwheels]

But yeah if you slap a pilothouse body on an S-10 with the complete chevy drivetrain- 4cyl etc. you no longer have a cool hotrod dodge truck you have a chevy mini truck dressed as a dodge truck. 

 

Which is cool in it’s way too- drive anywhere, cheap available parts all that. I think there can be a fine line between a re-bodied chevy and a chassis swapped or front clipped or back halved type build. 

 

If it’s your truck to enjoy then who cares but if you want resale value or the approval of your peers then it gets tricky.

 

Gotta say I am a mopar fan but anybody that likes any kind of old dodge trucks is alright with me I like them all and seeing what people do with them!

[Plymouthy Adams]

their car to do as they wish...none of these are really rare examples so its just another apple with a worm in it...

[Radarsonwheels]

1 minute ago, Plymouthy Adams said:

their car to do as they wish...none of these are really rare examples so its just another apple with a worm in it...

Haha well said! That’s another issue too- some stuff is rare and deserves restoration and some stuff like my truck is too far gone to come out ahead doing that, so might as well have fun with it

[Plymouthy Adams]

5 minutes ago, Radarsonwheels said:

haha well said! That’s another issue too- some stuff is rare and deserves restoration and some stuff like my truck is too far gone to come out ahead doing that, so might as well have fun with it

 

I agree fully I have seen some nice cars that would have taken so little to put back correctly only to end up butchered in the dream of having a hot rod that would grace the pages of most magazines.  However many end up not finished and traded, horrible examples of craftmanship as they cut corners or flat lacked the skill.  In some cases the removed parts do find an owner for the correct repair and upkeep of a nice survivor, often though it goes to a corner or put outside where it quickly turns to antique junk..  I have long ago quit worrying about what the next man does, how he builds his cars, some are worth noting, most are just shake your head and go  on.  

[MackTheFinger]

Normally whenever someone mentions something as simple as converting to disc brakes the immediate response is "Why would you do that, your vehicle is already perfect." I just can't figure out why those responses aren't being made here. Or can't I ?? ?

[Plymouthy Adams]

Mack....stick around....after awhile you see this so often you become numb to it, like beating a dead horse....the horse feels nothing and in the end.....you get tired out and have ruined a good stick....the offenders keeps on offending.  In the south there is a saying...Bless their heart......look it up.....(Urban dictionary has the correct 'southernized' definition)

[Old CWO]

2 hours ago, MackTheFinger said:

This sounds like a really good idea and will undoubtedly be an improvement over original. What I don't understand is why nobody has become apoplectic over using GM parts.

 

 

Some folks on this board are a little in the purist camp and that's okay.  Stock or restored stuff is a great window to history and lots of fun.  I wouldn't, however, expect anyone on the HAMB to bat an eye if someone was building a Ford using a vintage hemi engine, LaSalle transmission or Halibrand rear axle.  Cross pollinating has always been a component of hot rodding and it doesn't ruffle my feathers if done with an eye towards safety, reliability, performance or even looks.  That being said, I have seen a lifetime's worth of SBC and now LS swaps.  I get it, that's a path of least resistance; they're just boring.  I would much rather see a freshened up Poly 318 than another run of the mill chrome valve covered crate 350.

 

At the end of the day, I would say it's better the old Mopars are on the road with an S10 chassis underneath than sit in a field going to rust.    

[Plymouthy Adams]

1 hour ago, Old CWO said:

 

Some folks on this board are a little in the purist camp and that's okay.  Stock or restored stuff is a great window to history and lots of fun.  I wouldn't, however, expect anyone on the HAMB to bat an eye if someone was building a Ford using a vintage hemi engine, LaSalle transmission or Halibrand rear axle.  Cross pollinating has always been a component of hot rodding and it doesn't ruffle my feathers if done with an eye towards safety, reliability, performance or even looks.  That being said, I have seen a lifetime's worth of SBC and now LS swaps.  I get it, that's a path of least resistance; they're just boring.  I would much rather see a freshened up Poly 318 than another run of the mill chrome valve covered crate 350.

 

At the end of the day, I would say it's better the old Mopars are on the road with an S10 chassis underneath than sit in a field going to rust.    

 

I have not yet reach the state of numb that I can accept a Brand X in a Mopar...IF other than powerplants, I would rather see something like a Jaguar 4.2, any Bimmer, Mercedes diesel and or other such transfers than the Brand X but if you can do one of the above, late Mopar is also not a problem.  As the Brand X is so over done, the magazines are full of them and the industry make kits with step by step instruction and the very fact many people do not have any original creativeness to venture onto the path less traveled as there are usually no blazed trees marking the route....they be lost before they started...so it is these reasons I understand the why...still can't accept it though....

[Old CWO]

1 hour ago, Plymouthy Adams said:

 

I have not yet reach the state of numb that I can accept a Brand X in a Mopar...IF other than powerplants, I would rather see something like a Jaguar 4.2, any Bimmer, Mercedes diesel and or other such transfers than the Brand X but if you can do one of the above, late Mopar is also not a problem.  As the Brand X is so over done, the magazines are full of them and the industry make kits with step by step instruction and the very fact many people do not have any original creativeness to venture onto the path less traveled as there are usually no blazed trees marking the route....they be lost before they started...so it is these reasons I understand the why...still can't accept it though....

 

Yes sir, I'm picking up what you're puttin' down.

 

I would almost say late Mopar is getting nearly as soul-less as the "brand X" engines.  Make a couple of clicks, load up the Master Card and a nifty new performance wonder is on the shipping dock before you know it.  That's not meant to downplay how good those engines are, I wish I had one in something sporty with bright red paint and three pedals.  Just, you know, sort of a belly-button engine.

 

Euro diesel is interesting idea - I have seen a couple of VW oil burners swapped into Suzuki Samurais but not much else.  Small industrial engines are also intriguing, but then that's just what the Chrysler flathead is anyway...

 

I know they're sort of long,  but a Jeep 4.0 is a great engine that doesn't get the swap creds it deserves in my opinion.  I drove one dropped into an early 60s J-Truck.  While no tire burner, what a smooth running little mill that's easy to keep in it's powerband. It would be cool to see one of those or even an AMC 258 engine in a B series Dodge.

[Fibonachu]

16 hours ago, Old CWO said:

Very cool.

 

Now there are two S10 frame swaps I am anxious to see progress!  When done, these S10 chassis conversions should be much more comfortable to drive than the original trucks.  Please start a thread when you get started so we can live vicariously through your project as well.

 

 

I intend to start a thread when I get that far, though I probably won't get serious on that until spring.

 

My plan is to drive the donor in its current for while I rebuild the running gear so that will be done when I am ready to do the conversion.

 

It doesn't help that I lost the head gasket on my daily driver last week, so the donor is my new DD until I get that fixed.

 

[ggdad1951]

23 hours ago, Old CWO said:

 

Some folks on this board are a little in the purist camp and that's okay.  Stock or restored stuff is a great window to history and lots of fun.  I wouldn't, however, expect anyone on the HAMB to bat an eye if someone was building a Ford using a vintage hemi engine, LaSalle transmission or Halibrand rear axle.  Cross pollinating has always been a component of hot rodding and it doesn't ruffle my feathers if done with an eye towards safety, reliability, performance or even looks.  That being said, I have seen a lifetime's worth of SBC and now LS swaps.  I get it, that's a path of least resistance; they're just boring.  I would much rather see a freshened up Poly 318 than another run of the mill chrome valve covered crate 350.

 

At the end of the day, I would say it's better the old Mopars are on the road with an S10 chassis underneath than sit in a field going to rust.    

 

When I started my Dodge journey, I was such a purist, I still am, for a RESTORATION.  Beyond that it's your vehicle, your choice, even if it's a crap rod, just don't be stupid.  Be safe for you and for the others you hurtle thru time and space with on the road.

[Radarsonwheels]

All this talk about brand loyalty and restoration vs modernization and upgraded vs ruined is fun- BUT- 

 

Got pics of your progress?

 

I’m curious how they set it all up to fit the chassis underneath with no welding or sawsall! 

[Old CWO]

3 hours ago, ggdad1951 said:

 Be safe for you and for the others you hurtle thru time and space with on the road.

 

This can not be over stated especially now that common road speeds are significantly higher than when our vintage iron was designed.  

 

Good reminder, thanks.

[MarkAubuchon]

Here are a few pictures.S10 Frame 2.txt

S10 frame 3.txt S10 frame 3.txt

[kencombs]

3 hours ago, MarkAubuchon said:

Here are a few pictures.S10 Frame 2.txt

S10 frame 3.txt 23 B · 5 downloads S10 frame 3.txt 23 B · 2 downloads

all I see is the 'sent from my iphone' text.

[MarkAubuchon]

yes I need to work on that..  

 

 

question  several posts have mentioned the narrow width of the s10 frame for the dodge.  Im wondering if those conversions used the wider rear end and either the spacers or longer a arm.    Im assuming the dodge stock rear end is 60 inches.  

[Radarsonwheels]

If you have an iphone just download the diptic app. Crop the photos into their single square or multi-image layouts right from your iphone photo gallery, then save them with the smallest option from the app. 

 

Then when you are posting here just select the new saved version from your photos and this site will throw them up here for us all to see.

 

[Dave72dt]

Check out Eastwood's Project Pilehouse for a S10 based truck. You can get a reasonably good representation of how these bodies fit on a S10.

[MarkAubuchon]

Spent time looking at the Eastwood Pile House Project.  From the pictures they made no changes to the S10 Drive line, which clearly sets the width very narrow.  They also have fabricated all of their own brackets, since its really a tutorial on their tool offering.  Project looks very nice I will say.  More to come

[greg g]

Progresss so far

 

[MarkAubuchon]

Greg, thanks for posting pictures of my s10 code 504 switch