Quote:
Originally Posted by joedoh
the cheapest MII front suspension is still around 1500 by the time you buy the rack and all the brakes. after spending that, you will need to weld or bolt it in, and after that you will have an uprated front suspension and literally nothing else. no motor mounts, no brake lines, no fuel lines, no column, no pedals, no rear axle, no driveshaft, nothing.
your $150 chassis will need about $600 in suspension and brakes, not upgrades, rebuilt. but if you take the truck apart you can use the fuel tank and lines, the pedals and master cylinder, the steering column, even the wiring harness. you will be lightyears ahead.
you dont need a $2000 kit, mounting the body with brackets you make yourself can be done in a long weekend. the bracket kits give you a set of instructions to follow and a help line when you are stuck. other than that, if you are handy at all and have some common sense, you can follow the how-to on this forum and save almost all of that 2k. mounting the body is the easiest part anyway, its the everything else that takes the time.
in this order:
figure out what you want. cruiser? show truck? racer?
figure out your skill. have you ever done anything like this before?
figure out your tools. 144pc craftsman tool suitcase? full automotive fab shop? lift?
figure out your space. you will need a two car garage for the parts you are currently working on, and at least a two car driveway to hold the other parts.
figure out your budget. Hussey put out a nice spreadsheet showing what he spent on his s10 swap and included what he gained back by selling. a full swap with gauges and a nice 350/auto with new rad and new lowering parts and used torque thrusts came in around 11.5k. I have done 8 swaps and I dont dispute his numbers, I save a bit by using the 4.3 auto from the s10, and all the wiring etc.
the best advice in the thread is dont listen to anyone who hasnt done it. There are guys who have done it and dont like it, too. I like it, it hits my efficiency harmonic, using a worn out AD that was headed for the crusher (I buy old grain truck cabs and come up with the rest) and a late model s10 chassis/drivetrain and putting them together for a whole worth more than the sum of parts.
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I’m just looking for a cruiser, but bang for my buck is nice too. If I have to spend money on a certain area, obviously makes sense to upgrade. This isn’t something that will be done overnight, and I like to see what others have ran into who have been through the process. I would like to end up with a truck that runs well, rides nicely, handles more modern, and most importantly - larger safety factor! As stated above, a 4.3 would be enough for my needs. Hell, the original engine only made 90 hp.
As far as tools and skill, two full size Snap On boxes, certified welder, lathe, mill, sheet metal shop, and currently performing three LS swaps and over 100 cars owned. Bring it on!
I love fabrication projects.
One other idea I’ve rolled around, is using a 96-01 Ford Explorer frame as opposed to an S10. For one, I already have one, it’s free! It does offer quite a few additional benefits from the factory, such as:
*Beefer overall frame vs S10. More comparable to full-size trucks.
*IFS suspension, easily convertible from 2wd to 4wd with a simple spindle change.
*4 wheel disc brakes.
*Rack and pinion steering.
*Tapered “A” frame similar to OEM frame, also fairly flat across the top.
*8.8” rear axle, 3.73 gears, 31 spline axles, posi.
*Traction bars.
*Panhard bar.
*Internal rear parking brake.
*Frame has a blank “straight” spot for extremely easy frame lengthening.
*Track width is nearly identical between both vehicles. Eliminates the need for 2” spacers on the S10 swap.
Obviously this would require a bit more custom work, nothing would be off the shelf. But it’s hard to argue that there would be a few “stock” benefits that would be costly to add to either the OEM or S10 frame.