[Desert1957]

Originally Posted by R&B51

I’ll throw a monkey wrench in the discussion. I do not even know if what I am doing is going to work but thought you might want to hear about it it is another option. I bought a rolling chassis from Cleveland power and performance. 5K miles older C6 Corvette the body was totaled and they pulled the full rolling chassis out for about $6K. Video of it running before I bought it and they were great through the process. I just paid to have a guy deliver it for about a grand. It is a torque tube which is ironic with these old trucks. Came with everything including computers pedal assemblies steering wheel steering column the works. It is a super wide hub to hub but sitting there with tires on it will just barely fit inside the fenders on the front and a little more room on the back using corvette rims. I will probably have some Rims custom-made and get taller tires for wide whites and I think it will still fit. Will have to have Driveshaft lengthened about 10 or 11 inches and they sent extra aluminum torque tube to weld in when I get there. Bought 51 3100 that was solid. Took it all down blasted and now in heavy epoxy primer. No dents just a little rust to cut out and replace.
Here’s the big kicker. I bought four adapter plates that connect to original suspension and have a L-shaped trough to lay frame tube in from ( search a company that starts with a D and rhymes with Gobbertin). Just got those last month. They are super heavy aluminum perfectly engineered to pick up every suspension point and cross cradle attachment point to keep suspension in perfect alignment and allow custom frame rails to be laid into the adapters. Hopefully simple enough that even I can do it. I’m going to bolt those aluminum corners in this week and see how it sits. Using measurements off of a friends truck, I will design the frame rails front to back and have a local company bend them for me. I will bolt them in and plan to fabricate and bolt the body onto brackets connected to that frame. Already has huge crossmembers with front the cradle -allows the engine to sit right on it. In the rear, the independent suspension bolts to the crossmember and the frame. I can add an X frame support in the middle if I think it needs it.
Won’t know if it’s going to work until I get done. Had some delays for a year building a shop and some family illness. I continually cruise this site listening to all the wisdom and I appreciate so much all you guys have to say. Once I get this thing rolling a little bit further I have been taking pictures and I’ll try to figure out how to put them on based on all the advice you guys give. If it works, Should drive and perform like a Corvette and be about 500+ pounds lighter! A lot of the positives of JoeDoh and the S 10 swap since everything underneath and inside the truck will just be a C6 Corvette. 400 horse 400 foot pound and lighter than the Corvette out to drive nice?!

Sounds fascinating, Can't wait to see a build thread. Thanks for the detailed info.