1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

Good morning community, just joined the heavy truck family with a 1965 c50 car hauler. I’m looking for someone who has lowered one and can point me in the right direction for the front suspension. Will be doing a triangulated 4-link in the back. Not sure what the best approach is for the front.
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Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

Nice looking truck.

What you actually have there is an L-Model.

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

Tell me more. I was told it was a c50. Which it probably is and L model is something else. But that’s how little I know about these.

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

Compare your truck to other C-Models out there and you will notice the difference in the cabs. The most notice-able difference is between the top of the fenders and the hood. There are many pictures here on the forum, but another quick way is to google '65 C-50 Chevy and hit "images".

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

I must have taken a heavy dose of stupid this morning. I just don’t see it. So was is the L. As compared to the c50?

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

The L is short for LCF, which stands for Low Cab Forward.

It also has a shorter Front Clip.

The Hood on an L is about 15 Inches shorter than a C.

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

Awesome info. Thanks

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

L (Low Cab Forward) model:
Attachment 1703261

C (Conventional) model:
Attachment 1703262

I guess you bought it from someone who didn't know what they had. They should have called them High cab forward because the cab is raised to move it forward. We always called them snub noses. I guess they mean low compared to a cabover. I'd leave it fully functional as what it is. What would you do, raise the bed so you could lower the chassis?

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

In my younger years before I learned more about them, I used to call them "High Cabs", lol.

Also thought it was pretty strange to learn that they are actually called "Low Cab" Forwards.

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

This one is getting gen running boards on the ground and 24.5 Alcoa’s

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

Little older truck.
But used a squarebody front crossmember.

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

That truck has popped up for sale a few times over in Indiana. Every time it was bad timing otherwise I had planned on picking it up! Killer truck. I have a 66 I’m going to drop/ most likely bag this winter if everything goes right. I’m going to use a front end off of a 92 G30 short bus. It looks to be roughly 1/2” narrower than my C50. My plan is to clip the side rails and center the front end then weld it back up and brace it. That’ll get me independent suspension and disc brakes as well as powder steering.

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

Great minds think alike i picked up a 1984 G30 motorhome. We’re doing the same swap.

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

How soon are you going to get started? I’m not planning on starting mine till after the first of the year. If you get started before that please post lots of pics

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

We started tearing it apart this morning. With a 90 day turnaround.

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

Update?

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

Frame mods are done for the front. Body is off. BBC goes in for test fit Tuesday. Then body back on Wednesday for turbo fitment, booster and ac. Haven’t touched the back yet. But did upgrade the trans to a nv4500. Picked it up off CL with the BH and all the components, for $500. Couldn’t say no. Also upgraded the rear diff to a Dana 70. I also made a wheel and tire change. But you’ll have to wait til the end for that surprise.

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

We ended up having to notch the frame for the front end. The perches with 1/4” toed in on each side, on the front. How are you coming along.

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

Some pics of the front end in mock-up. I’ll have to get better at taking pics.

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

Nice work! I haven't touched mine yet. I did however snag some 22" semi Alcoa's that have been machined down and some adaptors. I am hoping to get started in February on mine!

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

And I'd love to see some more detailed pics of the front crossmember install since I'm getting ready to tackle the same thing here in the next couple of weeks hopefully. Im curious with the newer style front end basically bolting to the frame if that will lower the truck any just by doing the swap. My plan was to do the swap and see where it gets me then decide on bagging it from there. Part of me just wants to give it a nice static drop and not have to mess with bags, part of me wants to lay it out. Either way I think I'm going to section at least 2" out of the steps. Personal pet peeve is when the cabs sit lower than the front bumpers. Can't be having that.

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

Man this build it killing me!!!! I want to see some updates! Lol. I’m hoping to get started on mine sometime in February. I can’t wait to get started on it. I picked up some semi wheels and a Cummins for mine.

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

Man I wish I had more for you. The front end air suspension ended up being a stinker. Didn’t look good. Ended up making all new airbag mounts. Finished just today. Back in again Monday morn for final fitment. The motor and body back on this week for turbo mock-up and to measure the front fenders for a little custom work.

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

Man I wish I had more for you. The front end air suspension ended up being a stinker. Didn’t look good. Ended up making all new airbag mounts. Finished just today. Back in again Monday morn for final fitment. The motor and body back on this week for turbo mock-up and to measure the front fenders for a little custom work.

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

If you don’t mind taking some pics of the front end when it’s bolted back to the frame I would appreciate it. If not no big deal since I’ll be tackling that hopefully soon anyways.

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

No problem. Shoot me a message with your number. I can text updates faster than this board. I rarely come in here. Not enough traffic b

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

PM sent

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

The L is short for LCF Low Cab Forward.

The Hood on an L is shorter than a C.
To make it easier to notice, you can see the truck: The head of C truck tends to be much smaller than the L

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

I had a 1965 3 ton bob tail.my plan until is was destroyed by kids and lite it on fire.It was a blue 20 footer Bob tail it had a 283 with a 4 speed with a spite rear end.I was going to buy a internal rolling chassis from a 1990.Was going to use the I beam power steering and disk brakes and the better 2 speed rear end and better drive shafts plus use the alum Gas takes and the better 16 foot wood bed that was almost brand new guy wanted 3300.00 for the rolling chassis.All i was going to do was add Power brakes from a 1972 chevy truck bracket and booster.But now that hydro boost works so well.that be my next option mine was not a snub nose mine had the long hood

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

Some custom motor mounts and we finally have a good mock-up.

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

The donor NV4500 is mated up. Have to move the crossmember back and a few mods for driveline angle and that check is written. Also removed the rear cab mounts to be re-vulcanized. I found a place that has a jig for a c30, should be the same. I’m gonna send it out and find out if it will work.

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

Awesome build! What airbags are you running? Dimensions, LBS, make model? I'm getting ready to order a set. I was thinking about 5000lbs bags each in the front for my C30 car hauler under heavy loads my truck bottoms out. Also can we get some more pics of how there mounted. I will definitely be following this build! So far you're doing the same mods as I will be doing. What are you doing for your clutch and flywheel? I have a nv4500 out of a 95 chevy 3500 it came with everything as well, but the new flywheels are balanced different then the one on my 70s engine. Dis the newer clutch bolt on the older flywheel?

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

We ran 6k bags up front and 12k in the rear. We purchased our system through x2 industries. The brackets for the bags were all hand made. The brackets s that came with the kit looked like ****. Here’s the only pics I have on me of the bags

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

Body is back on for final mock-up.

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

Please tell me the super singles are staying and not used for mock up too!

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

Since no one makes the parts we needed. Everything we’ve made has been computer modeled so it can be made again. So if you want the same parts as we used. We can make em and ship em. May save you some time on the math. We can remake: the frame recesses for the kframe crossmember, 3 pint inner frame motor mounts for SBC/BBC, rear cab mounts (all steel) airbag mounts for kframe crossmember.

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

Nice to see heavy hauler build. I have a few here waiting for the same treatment. Has anyone ever found an actual max load rating for the Chevy/GMC A-arm steup that we all seem to go with?

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

Ooo I might be down for a set of BBC motor mounts! I haven't started pulling anything yet from my 69 C50 or my Topkick Donor but when I get to that point and find I am needing some, I will definitely look you up. ~3 months time if all goes well.

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

Super singles are here to stay.

Re: 1965 c50 drag car hauler help
 

Start a build post so I can follow