S10 frame vs Camaro/Original frame

[mr48chev]

When I get the nose off the 48 I'll take a "this is what happens when you subframe an AD and are in a hurry photo of the carnage under there. I think I replaced the pan below the grill when I swapped it back on the stock 54 frame though.

The thing I don't and never will get is the guys who pay a premium for an S 10 to get the chassis, pay 1400 + for the Code 504 kit, spend several hundred dollars rebuilding the S-10 suspension then more to bag it and change to 4 link on the rear and then tell us that they saved a ton of money over putting a crossmember kit complete with bags and a rear suspension kit on a stock AD frame.

For me the subframe swaps are obsolete 80's technology from the time frame when we didn't have good aftermarket front suspension kits available and the subframes were dirt cheap and still in decent shape. Around here Mullet Camaros and Firebirds have hit collector status and the prices have risen on parts accordingly.

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

When I get the nose off the 48 I'll take a "this is what happens when you subframe an AD and are in a hurry photo of the carnage under there. I think I replaced the pan below the grill when I swapped it back on the stock 54 frame though.

The thing I don't and never will get is the guys who pay a premium for an S 10 to get the chassis, pay 1400 + for the Code 504 kit, spend several hundred dollars rebuilding the S-10 suspension then more to bag it and change to 4 link on the rear and then tell us that they saved a ton of money over putting a crossmember kit complete with bags and a rear suspension kit on a stock AD frame.

For me the subframe swaps are obsolete 80's technology from the time frame when we didn't have good aftermarket front suspension kits available and the subframes were dirt cheap and still in decent shape. Around here Mullet Camaros and Firebirds have hit collector status and the prices have risen on parts accordingly.

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL, no really, LOLOLOLOLOL

Yeah, when I see my inner fenders and rad support that I cut up to clear the Camaro sub I want to puke. Those are the ONLY items I have from my truck that came with the pink slip, well those three and the dash clusters, but that's it, all I have. The inner fenders I can save, the rad support is likely trash. But even though I have another that is perfect I may save it just because I want to so bad, I am a romantic in that way.

Brian

[skymangs]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

When I get the nose off the 48 I'll take a "this is what happens when you subframe an AD and are in a hurry photo of the carnage under there. I think I replaced the pan below the grill when I swapped it back on the stock 54 frame though.

The thing I don't and never will get is the guys who pay a premium for an S 10 to get the chassis, pay 1400 + for the Code 504 kit, spend several hundred dollars rebuilding the S-10 suspension then more to bag it and change to 4 link on the rear and then tell us that they saved a ton of money over putting a crossmember kit complete with bags and a rear suspension kit on a stock AD frame.

For me the subframe swaps are obsolete 80's technology from the time frame when we didn't have good aftermarket front suspension kits available and the subframes were dirt cheap and still in decent shape. Around here Mullet Camaros and Firebirds have hit collector status and the prices have risen on parts accordingly.

I don't use a kit and I hold out for a good deal on my s10. I do save money.

[joedoh]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

The thing I don't and never will get is the guys who pay a premium for an S 10 to get the chassis, pay 1400 + for the Code 504 kit, spend several hundred dollars rebuilding the S-10 suspension then more to bag it and change to 4 link on the rear and then tell us that they saved a ton of money over putting a crossmember kit complete with bags and a rear suspension kit on a stock AD frame.

I bought a good running 03 longbed three weeks ago that is already paying me for its parking space after selling the wheels toolboxes and hood, lots more to go. I havent used a code 504 mount kit on a single of the 5 trucks I have done, just followed the directions in the swap sticky. I bet 90% of the trucks in the project forum built their own mounts too. I use all moog stuff when I rebuild the front suspension and its around $350, $500 with brakes. thats $500 worth of spend, and I have a running efi 4.3, shifting 4l60e, 3.42 rear gears, driveshaft, pedals, steering column and I even reuse the wiring harness. with a MII, you have a MII, and only after you spend the time installing it. whats your time worth?

bagging any truck will cost 3-5k, whether its a MII or an s10, but an s10 bag kit is strictly a bolt on affair, from dozens of vendors.

as far as being jaded, why not stop judging peoples real actions with your best intentions? Its one thing to say "I'm gonna" but another thing entirely to actually finish and drive something you built with all your lofty goals.

[skymangs]

8man, to steer it back to the origial point of this thread. If yoy want a good example of a flat floor/original bed height s10 swap check out Mr Ts build. http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=613249 What engine are you planning on using?

[joedoh]

wow a month and a half, sheesh I am wasting so much time hahaha. I think the fastest I have done one is the current one, right at 5 months in.


thanks for all the help and advice skymangs. I remember when I was just thinking about plopping an old body on my daily 99 sonoma, you sent me plans and advice through email!

[8man]

The engine is still up in the air. I put the 5.3L/4L60E from an 05 Avalanche in the Chief and it runs nice.

Laura has said she wants a carburetor. If I go that route, I'm thinking just a 350. Nothing with tons of HP, it's for a driver.

So if I had to guess, right now it'll be another 5.3, but I'm still thinking about that. I used drive by wire in the Chief and that made throttle easy. Hiding the PCM wasn't an issue as I had more space.

So thoughts on the engine are going to come up next. I keep looking at Summit at the crate engines and thinking...

Also, I want it to be a little lower than stock, but NOT bagged. The S10 I picked up was lowered in front 5 with springs and dropped spindle and 6 in back. I don't want my truck that low, but thought I could use the drop spindle on front with stock springs and then see about the back.

But back on topic, I still think I want to use the S10. After reading the sticky on them, it just seems to fit what I'm trying to do.

[skymangs]

sounds good...
rico f's build uses a 5.3/4L60E. http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=651164
Cecil uses an old school 350 tuned port/700R4. http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=642010
and mike t's truck is a carburated 5.3/700R4. http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=613249
in case you want to do some research. IMHO a 5.3/4L60 is just so drivable, that's the way I'd go.

[8man]

I'm reading everything I can on this. I have looked at one of those, but will look at the other and go through the first one again.

Right now, trying to finish up real work projects so when August gets here I'll have more "truck" time. I am really enjoying the learning experience. When I finished and got to drive the Chief, that was a real treat. I'm ready to get into the truck a lot more. and get it on the road.

[joedoh]

nothing like that first drive!

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by joedoh

nothing like that first drive!

I read an article once on the first drive and what it does to us, it is like magic. All the busted knuckles, the hard work, the broken tools or what ever, they are all forgotten!

Brian

[dsraven]

if you want to do an s10 swap, first do some measurements on your old truck so you know where the front axle centerline should be from a reference point like a cab mount or a firewall. if you have an s10 with the body still on, use some threaded rod or square tube, whatever, and lock the suspension at the ride height it was intended to be sitting at. next, take the body off gently so you have some good parts to sell. next, with a bare s10 frame, check the s10 wheel base against the wheel base for your old truck. if you need to change that it can be done by grinding off the welds where the front part meets the rear part, just about where the cab mounts would be if the cab was still on there. the front and rear slide together so grind it off and slide it to where it needs to be keeping in mind that there is only so much frame to slide apart. then square, level it and weld it back together. a couple of punch marks on the frame prior to dissassemby will help here. once you have the wheel base correct place your box on the frame, roughly sitting on some spacer bocks, then place the cab on and space it away from the front axle centerline the correct dimension that you already wrote down. just use some blocks of 2x4, 2x6, 4x4 or 6x6 and plywood spacer blocks to get it right and at the right height you like. if you happen to have some pipe jacks or long jack stands then more power to you. hang the front fenders as a reference once it is the correct dimension away from the axle and set the ride height you like so the box will clear the frame. then see how you like the look. try not to place the blocks where the cab mounts are because you will need to work in this area building some stands. get the cab level and square, then you can use some poster board or some thin plywood to fab up your own mount kit. when the wheel spacing is correct for the cab then turn to the box and line up the cab with the box height. the space between the cab and the box should be correct if the wheel base was done before and the dimension from the cab to the front wheels are correct. now you just have to fab up some blocks to go from the cab to the frame and from he box to the frame. ensure everything is square at the sa,e time as you bolt stuff down. this way you get the exact look you are going for, ride height wise.

[dsraven]

the fuel injected 5.3 with the auto trans from a donor vehicle will be fun to drive and get great fuel mileage. get as much stuff from the donor as possible.