Hi Jim ,
My Name is Rich, I am a 46-year old and I live in New Mexico. I'm looking to restore my first vehicle, a '57 Chevy pickup. My question is about the frame. I was going to restore the truck to its original condition but I've since decided to update the original frame to give me better handling, better suspension, power disc brakes, etc. I've read many different articles about people using frames from Chevy Nova's and other like vehicles. Considering the fact that money is an issue and my resources are limited can you please direct me to the simplest frame to put under the cab and the bed? A little info about what I'm planning might help in that decision. I rebuilt a 350 Chevy motor, which I intend to use in this truck, I'll be using this truck as a daily around town vehicle and I'm sure my wife will be too. If you can help direct me to the best possible frame to use for this application I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you,
Rich Brooks
Rich,
Kudos on making the decision to modify your '57, not that there's anything wrong with resto's, mind you. I think you've got the right ideas as far as suspension upgrades are concerned, but I also think you might be a little misled when it comes to what you call "frames" on Nova's and "like" vehicles. The Chevy Nova and Camaro are Unibody designs. In other words there is only a partial frame stub or "clip" that runs from the bottom of the cowl forward. Rearward from the cowl the reinforced, formed floorpan of these cars provide the balance of the platform. When you see or hear of these clip swaps having been or being performed, what's actually happening is the frame stubs are being severed from the donor cars (at or near the cowl) and then used to replace only the front portion of a trucks original frame. (Leaving the balance of the truck's frame in its original state.)
Now, it's a pretty well known fact that I'm not real fond of clipping a vehicle with anything other than aftermarket components designed for specific applications but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and refer you to a back issue of CT that dealt with the clipping process. The story was called Clip Art, and it was in the October and November '98 issues of CLASSIC TRUCKS. Give our back issues department a call at (866) 601-5199 to order 'em. Meanwhile, check out what some of our advertisers have to offer. All of 'em have low-buck entry level components that aren't always shown in their ads. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at just how many economical IFS setups are available for classic trucks these days. RIZ
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