1954 Chevy 3100 5 window S-10 Swap

[spanto]

Hi there, my build is a 1954 Chevy 3100 5 window getting put on a 1982 S-10 regular cab long bed frame. I've had the '54 for about 18 years sitting in my parents building. The truck had been slightly restored around 27 years ago, put in primer, but never painted. That guy sold it to a friend of mine in 1987, when we were 13 years old. He was learning to drive it and the transmission went out. To work on the trans, he pulled the engine, trans, torque tube, and rear end. I know, a little bit of overkill, but in his defense he was 14. In the following years he sold the engine and the truck was moved into a barn and left with no rear end. In the mid '90s, I was getting out of Figure 8 Racing to go to college, and had a small number of cars and racing parts sitting around. Turns out, his brother and him were wanting to get into racing, so I traded my 1976 and 1977 Monte Carlos, roll cage, a race worn 350, and miscellaneous other parts for the 1954 Chevy 3100. I had paid $100 for the 2 cars, $50 for the roll cage and whatever I paid for the engine had been used up anyway, so I felt like I got a pretty good deal. After that I parked it beside a building at my parents place for 9 years before we found a spot inside for another 9 years. A couple years ago I got talking to my father in law about wanting to actually get working on it. He had room in his shop, so I loaded it up and moved it to start the build. I had already gotten a stripped S10 frame so I got that moved to his farm as well. That's pretty much where I am now. I have gotten the body loose from the frame and the gas tank out. The floor pan is almost 100% rust free and the body is too. I had no seat, so i picked up a third row seat out of a GMC Safari mini van. As far as a drive train, I plan to use the engine and trans out of my old band van, a 1995 Chevy Van. It only has 62,500 original miles, but the body has about rusted off the frame. I also have a 327 out of a '61 Impala and the cast iron Power Glide. Both are in need of major work before they could be used. Also, I bought an AD Engineering full kit, with trans mount and motor mounts, so I hope that helps cut the fab work down a pinch. The truck is a little more than an hour away right now, so I don't get to work on it as often as I would like to, but I will get some more pictures and details up as I move forward.

Thanks,
Jeremy