Frame Swap

[EJ38]

I have an oppurtunity to purchase a 1953 Ford f100 frame with a good engine, no body on frame. .
I currently have a 1938 f100 that has a questionable frame.
Would it be doable to assemble the 38 cab box etc.. onto the 53 frame?
Any thoughts appreciated
thanks

[Ralph Moore]

I don't think it would be possible , and look right, because the frames are so different. The 37 has a car frame under it and the 53 is a true truck frame, Ford stopped using the same frames on cars/ trucks in 1942.

[325w]

Measure wheel base. Measure the tread width front and rear. Then measure the frame side to side in four spots. You will answer your question. Correct frame will work best.

[bart78]

No it won't work.

[Ralph Moore]

Sorry , 38, but they are the same from 37-40, so finding an original frame is not too hard.
Might be worth picking it up for the motor though.

[supereal]

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Last year we built an engine for a customer with a very nice '34 coupe. The body was fine, but the frame had seen better days. The answer was to have a replacement frame made by a street rod fabricator. We have assembled several oddball combinations, the most recent being an Econoline pickup where we shoehorned in a V8 with automatic transmission, and a V8 60 into a Crosley! By the time you get mounts fabricated, and the frame redesigned to hold the rest of the running gear, the new frame made sense.

[George/Maine]

Had a local guy here use a ranger frame had to get lowering kit to bring down front.
It drove nice.
Another guy here used a 50 f100 frame was no good ,with shorten springs wheels out to far couldn't keep it on road.
Now going for broke MII frontend on 50 frame using 40 cab.
I think with shorted a arms may be ok.
35 to 40 frames here hard to come by rotten in back.

[nospartsman]

A friend of mine sold 4 rust free 1935-1940 frames at Hershey $750 to $850, they came from dry areas in Kansas. Here's his ph: 620-338-3132 his name is Shannon. Or Doug from Colo 970-686-2926

[scooder]

Not a good idea at all, there are way to many differences twix frames and where everything goes.
Is it just the frame that's bad on your 1938 pickup? All the mechanical bits present and usable?
Gota be easyer to get a frame that's fits.
Martin.

[EJ38]

Thanks for the thoughts, info and advice! Another question, the 53 engine runs and sounds nice, could I use the earlier model water pumps on the 53 and install that engine in a 38 frame?

[JSeery]

Originally Posted by EJ38

Thanks for the thoughts, info and advice! Another question, the 53 engine runs and sounds nice, could I use the earlier model water pumps on the 53 and install that engine in a 38 frame?

Yep

[bart78]

I don't know what all it will take to fit in there. I think it will take more than the water pumps. I think the distributer. And maybe the cam.

[supereal]

Use the 8RT water pumps and the adapter ring for trucks. It is one of the easier swaps.

[JKNalgon]

The customer has built a '36 Ford PU - pretty much stock, including mechanical brakes.

He'd like to do a little more spirited driving, i.e. hydraulic brakes. He's located a '41 chassis and running gear with juice brakes.

Is this a viable swap?

[TJ]

It's a viable swap if it's a 41 pickup frame. If it's a 41 passenger frame they are totally different than the 36 frame. He can use the juice brakes and 41 motor and adapt to the 36 chassis. A fairly easy swap.

[JKNalgon]

Thanks, buddy.

[blucar]

"Supereal" made the comment several years ago on one of the Early V8 Forums, "the most dangerous guy in the world is a farmer with a welder".. A very true statement.
As a general rule most back-yard, shade-tree mechanics do not have the skill to swap later model chassis' into earlier vehicles, there are exceptions, but they are few and far between.
I/we recently swapped a '98 Chevy 1500 chassis and power train under a '64 Chevy C10 that I have. The truck is a very rare extended cab Rail Road truck, has a back seat. We used a '98 Chevy 1500 that had been stolen and vandalized.. Less than 100k on the '98.
The '64 is now a really neat truck with all of it's modern equipment. Still needs to be painted.