67 cab & box tranfer to 74 chassis...anyone?

[hippycarguy]

I picked up a 74 4X4 completely done & detailed, chassis for very little labor. I was just starting my 67 c20 2x4 project & was going to lower the stance, but this chassis came up. I'm toyin with idea of just putting 67 on this frame. It would save tons of money & time rebuilding 67 chassis. Anyone installed older cab & box on a 74-later chassis? Do body mnts. line up? How much fab work needs done? Any pics?

[Sublvr72]

I don't think the body mounts line up, it can be done with some fab work

[68 TT]

From what I have read and been told it will take a 3" body lift and you will need to shorten the newer frame by 1-1/2" to match the wheel base of the earlier body. Some body bushings need to be taller and some shorter due to frame shape differences. Front bumper brackets need to be fabricated due to the frame differences too. The frame body mount brackets need to be relocated from one side of the frame to the other too.

A tall transmission tunnel may reduce the body lift needed.

Much less work than swapping all the 4x4 stuff onto a 2-wd frame in my opinion.

I plan on doing the same swap with my 78 LWB K20 and my 67 LWB C-10 so I get a 67 K20 and a truck arm 78 C-10. The 67 will get shortened to a short bed so that will take care of the wheel base difference there and if I can find a decent short bed box for the 78 body it will get turned into a short bed too.

In my case the 67 will be getting the entire engine/trans/transfer case assembly from the 78 K20 in addition to the frame and suspension so it is definitely easier to do the body swap in my case.

[argonaut]

I saw this done in a clever way but it was a 66 body onto a later 70s frame. Basically they fabricated a bunch of offset body mounts. That new mounts were bolted to the stock frame brackets at the bottom, then the body sat of top of the new brackets perfectly and bolted to them. I'm not sure if there was a net "body lift" effect or not, but its hard to say anyway given that the frame and body don't have a "stock height".

Also, i wouldn't shorten the frame, just split the difference in length so that the wheels line up well inside fenders. most guys with 67-72 k5 and k10 4x4s want to relocate their rear axles back 1"-1.5" anyway.

Let me see if i have any pictures of the truck I'm referring to...







The phone camera pictures aren't great, and my motorcycle is in the way in one of them, and apparently I didn't get any of the body mounts, but hopefully you get the idea.

[68 TT]

From the looks of it they built in a fair amount of body lift but it could also be suspension lift too.

Looks nice.

I was thinking about something along the same lines in fabricating new frame stands for the stock body bushings that would be bolted to the frame in place of the stock frame stands and body lift.

[hippycarguy]

I like the idea of just making off set body mount blocks. They could be made fairly easy if truck was mocked up in place. I have hooked up with a rust free 87 cab & frt clip with a 454 driveline for $700 worth of trade labor since i first posted!!! I can buy a rust free box assy. for $1100 with gate just across my state. I've been told an 87 would bolt right up. I hate to dismantle 67 truck because it is so clean & complete. The 87 idea would be the easiest. These trucks are coming out of the woodwork for some reason, so i am just exploring my options. Thanks for the input guys!!! Hopefully I can post some pics this spring of both trucks.