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Originally Posted by 68SWB4x4
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Thank you for your interest!
At this point in the story, if I still have anyone's attention lol, you have probably realized I am not a purist or a total original equipment kinda guy. Its not that I dont value that, but my comfort and frugality (thats a nice way of saying cheap) tend to override these emotions. Nor am I completely brand loyal. I bleed Chevy orange but did not hesitate 1 minute to put a Ford 9" in my Nova. Now dont get me wrong. I hate aftermarket sun roofs and cringe at the sight of fiberglass racing buckets in a street car. I guess what im really trying to say is, I like to work with what I've got provided its functional and looks ok.
With my lil disclaimer behind us, I feel I can now move forward with my story. I bought the travel trailer in mid May of 2012. My wife and I both agreed we would like to use it at our annual family reunion that was scheduled for the last week in July. That gave me approximately 8 weeks to swap the front suspension, motor, trans, exhaust, driveline, and steering column. In addition I would have to get the trailer functional as well. It had not been used in a loooong time and needed a thorough cleaning as well as some remodeling. New tires and a fresh repack/inspection of the wheel bearings were on the list as well. I had my work cut out for me. Remember, Im an average joe, not Mr. Goodwrench!
Unfortunately I did not take any pictures of the swap. It was pretty straight forward though. I used the BB frame mounts and removed the old 4 speed bellhousing crossmember. I had to trim the passenger side frame rail for exhaust manifold clearance. I made a template from the '69's rail and duplicated it on the '67. I swapped the entire suspension rather than dissasemble it. This allowed me to thoroughly clean and paint the front part of the frame. I also added the factory big block fan shroud as my pickup never had one. I finished the swap 3 days before we were scheduled to leave. With all the work the trailer needed, fine tuning and gremlins would have to wait. Needless to say I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best!!