47-59 Bought a 1950 3600 today

[mr48chev]

I'm down as not liking the nonsense of using an S-10 frame because a guy thinks all the cool guys have S-10 frames but when you have what may be a butchered 3/4 ton frame and might have a short box bed and running boards in your stash all bets are off, you do what you need to do.

Still sort it out and decide what approach will give you the best bang for your buck. There isn't a thing wrong with cutting off the old MII (original Ford) crossmember that was put on in a rather suspect manner and getting an aftermarket MII crossmember that uses the factory control arms and going that way. The MII factory crossmember can be a bit whimpy but the actual suspension is pretty stout. The upper ball joints are the same upper ball joints that are on a Lincoln Mark IV. Probably a lot stronger than the Volarie upper ball joints on most Tube Arms for MII.

One thing to remember and take seriously, Just about any S-10 long bed donor is going to have over 200K on it and the front end will need a complete rebuild that will take A arm bushings, ball joints and steering rod ends. That is one thing that all the guys who say it is the cheap way to go forget.

Best thing is that when you get it home and get it to the point you can take some good photos for show and tell, do the show and tell thing so folks can see what you have or you can more clearly see what you are up against.

[scott123]

Yes. I agree. Thanks for the input.

I will start the picture taking/posting process today. Once I have enough pictures, I will make it into a semi-build thread.

The body is rough, not so much in rust, but the paint is peeling off in a lot of places. I see filler in a number of places as well. My son and I talked last night, and I think we are not going to worry about the body all that much. I will do the cab corners because they were a 'body-filler and spray foam' repair. There are a couple three red flags (like most 70-year-old trucks) that let's say 'an owner in the past did the best he could with what he h ad or what he was capable of doing'. I am happy with leaving it at that.

We won't make a final decision today, but we will start ironing a few details out.

My original plan was S-10 swap because the first two or three frames had seen their better days. Then the one I had my heart set on had a really nice frame already with 3" drop axle in the front and a really decent lowering job in the back.

The frame on this truck, the rear as an absolute, has to be replaced. I have nailed the gas on some suspect crap in my time but at some point, even I have to say, "this ain't real smart".

Regardless of how I move forward, as of yesterday I am in the game.

Now the fun/work begins.

Thanks for allowing me to bounce ideas of the group (that will continue as well).

Scott

Originally Posted by mr48chev

I'm down as not liking the nonsense of using an S-10 frame because a guy thinks all the cool guys have S-10 frames but when you have what may be a butchered 3/4 ton frame and might have a short box bed and running boards in your stash all bets are off, you do what you need to do.

Still sort it out and decide what approach will give you the best bang for your buck. There isn't a thing wrong with cutting off the old MII (original Ford) crossmember that was put on in a rather suspect manner and getting an aftermarket MII crossmember that uses the factory control arms and going that way. The MII factory crossmember can be a bit whimpy but the actual suspension is pretty stout. The upper ball joints are the same upper ball joints that are on a Lincoln Mark IV. Probably a lot stronger than the Volarie upper ball joints on most Tube Arms for MII.

One thing to remember and take seriously, Just about any S-10 long bed donor is going to have over 200K on it and the front end will need a complete rebuild that will take A arm bushings, ball joints and steering rod ends. That is one thing that all the guys who say it is the cheap way to go forget.

Best thing is that when you get it home and get it to the point you can take some good photos for show and tell, do the show and tell thing so folks can see what you have or you can more clearly see what you are up against.