Hello everyone, I want to post my build here as I go and I hope you guys can pitch in good tips and any helpful info. Two weeks ago I picked a 1950 Chevy 3100 5 window pickup. The 47-54 trucks are my all time favorites! I sold my Ford Bronco to get this and still have some left over to start with.
Now, I am on a budget...thats doesn't mean I want to do any half jobs or be unsafe or cut corners, I just may not be able to use the greatest and best on the market. This is not a restoration to stock and it is not to be a hotrod. I am not the hotrod type, never was, and it will be a long time until I can do a full restore. This all said, I plan to take as much from my current pickup as I can. I drive an 84 c10 2 wheel drive pickup.. the wife used the car. This truck was never meant to be a project but one thing led to another and it got a new 350 and a rebuilt auto 350..that led to a paint job and over time it needed brakes, suspension...you know how it goes.
So I have a good low mileage 350/350 I want to drop in the '50. I found where people have used the IFS and put in 3100's. It also has a 10 bolt rear end 8.5 I hope I can use also. I rewired quite a bit of the 84, good soldering and everything done correctly and safely,and I think I can just use that wiring. I hope I can fab the pedals to work and also use MC and brake booster maybe.
I know the tires on the front will stick out a bit...maybe I can use offset wheels. If I really think it looks bad I can save up for a nice mustang 2 set up but that will be a while.
I will gladly listen to any advise or opinions anyone has about doing and hope you all can be helpful. This truck is the oldest I have worked on. Stuff like the steering and gearbox belong one unit or it having a torque tube or having 6v wiring is stuff I have had to research and learn.
So, like I said I have heard of this IFS swap, seems to go back and forth with people. I'm ok with the tires stick out for a while, I'll save up while I drive if I hate it. I would like to actually hear from anyone who has done it though. I'd like to avoid hitting fenders for example. That's the front. Will my rear axle stick out too and will it bounce and hit fenders?
First things first, body prep. It's actually pretty solid. Worse than my 84 was but way better than my bronco was. Bronco required a lot of patching and rust removal so compared to that this is awesome. I've started the tear down. I have before and now pics that I hope work. I didn't get photobucket but my Google photos should load right? Let me know if you can't see them.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/xW1ErvOghzjqOTL03
https://photos.app.goo.gl/BFtksV7FJvczhnwh2
https://photos.app.goo.gl/YjzVvZWJkdl1hGn62