51 1-1/2 Ton to 1/2 on original frame??

[mr48chev]

I posted about picking this truck up on someone else's thread so I'm going to throw it out for discussion.




I picked this truck and another one off craigslist a couple of weeks ago and this one while a 14000 gvw truck has an extremely solid cab, fairly straight fenders and hood and for the most part decent glass along with a decent front seat. Plus a clear Oregon title.

I was going to swap the cab over to a 54 frame I have but started thinking that it might be fun to just shorten the frame to 114 inch wb and hang 67/72 suspension under it to make a half ton flatbed out of it. Even leaving the hd front bumper as between the two trucks I have one really nice one.

Low but not ground scraping and powered by the 350 that is currently in my 71 GMC.

I already have almost all of the pieces to do it here at the house except the front suspension and think my buddy has that if he didn't cut the frame up for scrap in the past few days.

Am I nuts or do you think it will work?

I also have a pair of 4x4 axles out from under a 79 Blazer that could be used to make a 4X out of it real easy and that might work with the big wheel cutouts in the fenders.

The truck is a patina queen from the word go right now complete with faded signs on the doors so it will probably stay that way, at least for a while.

Opinions, Ideas or just comments one way or the other are welcome and encouraged.

[Dan Bowles]

Save a big truck, heck yeah! The 4x4 probably will fit in there nicely. I wouldn't bother with trying to put it onto a '54 frame. If you alreay have all the stuff, go for it. What could it hurt?