[terryterryterryterry]

[IMG]img[/IMG] i would like to drop my body on another frame of a different car that has everything in place.. i mite buy another car as a donor to build mine, is this a good idea or is it better to use my original frame..its a 4 door master deluxe.. i am open to ideas also....thanks

[willys36@aol.com]

By all means keep the old frame and build off of it. There is nothing you can't do to it that isn't better than any donor you could come up with. I can't think of any modern frame that would be narrow enough let alone have the right wheel base and platform to fit the old Chevy.

[Nightfire]

Why re-invent the wheel? Frame swaps RARELY look good, a lot of people attempt them but you can usually tell just by looking at a car if they did a swap. Either the wheel stick out just a tad too much, or they are too close together being off-centered in the fender....the original frame worked great from the factory so why not build on that? You can always get Mustang II syle kits to improve ride and handling or switch to discs or coilovers, but by all means keep your old frame.





Mike

[SinistrV6]

I have to agree with the previous posts. Frame swaps are not the easy solution they appear to be and I've never seen one that looked right. No matter how nice the body looks, the first thing you notice is the stance or track width is wrong, tire's barely fit under the fenders, etc.

I'm using the original frame in my '36 Chevy with great success. I love the way it looks with the air bags slammed!

[hotroddr]

Ditto! Bill

[Henry Highrise]

I agree with everything that has been said. Keep your old frame and put the kind of suspension and brakes on it that you want.

[terryterryterryterry]

i never did this before and i was looking for a quick and easy way to do this ..thats why i asked people who know... glad i did! it sounded too easy to put the body on another car that i removed the body from..I've has this car since 1977.. it runs and drives OK..any little tidbits in the correct way to approach this will really help me.. i can weld and i do show quality paint jobs.. i really appreciate the quick response you guys gave me ....

[Centerline]

That's the problem with frame swaps. They sound much easier than they really are. Little things like hanging 70 year old sheet metal on a strange frame and the fabrication that's required always seem to get lost in the details when someone is contemplating a frame swap but they amount to a whole lot of extra work. By all means keep the stock frame and build off that.

[SinistrV6]

Here's a link to a "low buck" build up that Street Rodder magazine did on a '36 Chevy a few years back. Should give you a good starting point.

http://www.streetrodderweb.com/roadtour/2001/

[38 special]

Check out my photo album Terry, Terry, Terry. It's the same frame different supspension form a 79 camaro. (front clip and rear end) Just another possible idea for you.

[terryterryterryterry]

did you use the whole front frame from the camaro and box it to the original or just add the suspensoin,,,,if so did you heve to add other brackets on the original frane to accomidatethe camaro parts , i like the idea of using chevy parts i think i can come by them easier..did you use the rotors and brakes too.. thank you everybody for the friendly response..i an going to have 3 months off late winter and want to plan ahead and get as much done in the planning and parts buying ... i know my spelling is bad... lol

[38 special]

Yes, I used the whole front frame and suspension. I put new rotors and brakes on because the ones on it were shot. I laid the DeSoto frame right over the Camaro frame measured the wheel base front to back and right front to left rear and right rear to left front so it would be square and not dog track. Then clamped and welded it into place. I added no extra brackets only welded on a piece of steel to the ends of the DeSoto frame so it would look better without a gapping hole there. You could do this same job in several different ways to fit your tastes and desires of how you want it to look. Just make sure you have very good welding skills. I had someone help me with this part just to make sure it wouldn't come apart.

[terryterryterryterry]

just got a new furnace for the garaage starting to dismantle this thing,,,new huge compressor too...

[38Chevy3WCoupe]

Terry,
I don't know where you are in MI, but my brother (Terry) and I have a '38 coupe that we're building in Eastpointe. It has the original frame and a Mustang II front end from Chassis Engineering. You're more than welcome to take a look at it if you are close enough. PM me with your contact info if you are interested and I'll have Terry call you.
Ed

[terryterryterryterry]

i would like that,would really help. i live off 9 mile betwen schonnerr and gratiot,ezlivinxx@aol.com is my email,eastpoine is just down the road.once i see how it is mounted,and measure i will feel better about taking it apart..