[Don Meyer]

I am going to put a 1966 Rolls Royce on a late 70's buick Park ave(same as a Olds 98). The Rolls has sub--frames which will be removed.
I chose this frame after many trips to the salvage yard taking measurements. It's the same wheelbase,but it is too wide. I will spit the frame thru the center & remove approximately 4", then I will weld 2'X4" TUBING connecting the front & rear 2" inside the outriggers that all GM frames of this era had. I will then cut off the GM outriggers.
The only two problems I see are shortening the drag link 4" (I'll have it magnafluxed (
after I TIG weld it) & shortening the anti-sway bar.
Now for the question:
Is there another GM car that would have a 4"
shorter anti roll bar.
Does anyone have any experience on this frame mods that can help.......Don

[roys63]

You might check a late 80s chevy S10 frame,It will be a lot easer to lengthen then to narrow the other.If it is the right width, they are at least 4" narrower than a fullsize GM , You can mess with your wheel offsets to get it to look right.

[Don Meyer]

The S-10 weights a lot less than the RR.The RR is 4900Lbs vs < 3000lbs. I would worry about the ball joint & brake size......Don(thanks for the reply)

[PAULWELDIT]

Check a 88 Olds(78-84) frame it's narrower than a 98 frame. It also uses 4 3/4x5" bolt pattern. The wheel base is a little shorter but that maybe easier to deal with than narrowing the 98 frame.
Just a thought--Paulweldit

[Phat]

As much as i dont like the s-10 swaps ..thats the frame i would be looking at.That frame will more than handle the weight of your car as your going to be cutting all the heavy stuff of to build it anyway.(rolls floors and motor and trans weigh a lot)Plus the s-10 was overbuilt and has beefer a-frames and frame than does and older 70s car Narrowing a frontend is not a correct thing to do. You cant just weld swaybars.You also change rollcenters and awhole bunch of other things that i wont get into here when you narrow a frontend. What would be the problem with just buildin an square tube frame.. Also why remove the rolls front suspension??? You coulds maybe change it around a little..adapt a diff spindle for diff brakes. Frames swaps are one of the hardest things to pull off.You must change everything. For every successful 1 that you see ..there are 20 that went to the junk yard unfinished. Remember its not going to be just a frame swap....your only going to us the top of the car..the floors are going to be wrong..the wheel base wrong and the track width wrong...So what is the plus to this you have to ask yourself??? I would do a rethink. I would think the rolls frontend with a few mods would work fine(sway bar,redrilled rotors/drums maybe a rack or newwer steering box) On another note dont worry about wheel bases there the easest part to fix.The track width is the BIGGY! Just my opinion having seen a lot of unfinshed projects headed to the junk yard

[Don Meyer]

Phat - many thanks for your repy(I was hoping you would give me your input). I'll attemp to address you questions & I would appreciate another reply)
The reasons I want to do a frame swap is the cost of repairing the brakes & new sub frame vibra shocks.
1.I need 6 calipers(4 for the front & 2 for the rear) at $365 a pc
2.The other items needed for the brakes bring the total to $5000.00(It has a triple series high pressure hydraulic system that is a nite mare.(The pumps work off the cam).It could be replaced w/a GM 1 ton trk hyro-boost master cylinder.
3.It needs 8 new sub frame vibra shock mounts @ $250/each

I picked the full size GM frame because it has the same wheelbase - 119", similar wt.,large ball joints, large wheel pattern(5x5"),large brakes & A nice riding suspension w/springs that should not need replaced, plusI can us the Rolls floor by cutting it only in the trunk area.

I am not familiar w/the S-10 frame but the full size Chev trk frame starts bending upwards just to the rear of the cab to support the bed. I would have to cut more than half the floor in the RR away & I do not want to cut the floors because it is uniibody. I bought a 1984 Buick Park ave for $400.00. I drove the home. After being able to measure both cars I find that I only need to narrow the frame 3".I'm farmiliar w/the ackerman princable & roll centers, but not sure how much narrowing the frame would effect this to the point that it would be detrimental to handeling or tire wear........do you know or do you know where I can go for a answer?

The S-10 frame also sits too high & the Buick frame is 2" too low, thus letting me getting away
with out cutting the floor - I can just use 2" body mounts.

I did this about 10 yrs. ago using a 1972 Chevelle frame under a 1941 Ford conv't, altho on this frrame I only had to straighten the outriggers........Don

[ May 13, 2002: Message edited by: Don Meyer ]

[ May 14, 2002: Message edited by: Don Meyer ]</p>