62 C10 Frame Swap
Victor started out with a pretty clean C10, but after taking into account his goals and overall budget, we decided the best option was to get rid of the undesirable 62 and earlier frame in favor of a conveniently available 63. This allows a much wider array and lower cost of parts going forward. His current 62 was an original straight 6 with manual gearbox.
Goals:
Air ride friendly chassis
SBC V8 power
Auto Trans
Disc brake conversion
Power steering conversion
New wiring harness
It so happens that our available frame took care of 3 out of 4 of these goals out of the box (SBC and TH350), and made another 2 much easier and more cost effective (adding disc brakes and power steering). The donor frame came from another customer who we are installing a custom Scott's frame and crate motor for. He had no use for his old chassis and powertrain, so it worked out perfectly. And it so happens to run perfectly.
So here, we will document the transformation, which included steam cleaning the chassis and engine of the 63, C-notching the frame, installing power steering, and of course, swapping his cab and bed over. In the long run, this will end up saving Victor a lot of money and heartache as he builds his truck.
Bryan achieving clean plasma cuts for the C-notch on the 63 frame, and installing lowering blocks prior to transfering the new cab and bed.
Rear of the 63 frame back in action and cleaned up.
62 bed removed, frame revealed.. note the differences between 62/63. Mounting points will have to be relocated.
Bed to be set aside
2 more comparisson shots of 63 (top) and 62 (bottom).
62 engine bay, before front end break down.
Cab coming off the frame
Separation..
All done for the day.. next we relocate the front cab mounts, as the 63 mounts are more inward from the 62. The rears line up fine.
We continued working on the still-drrivable 63 chassis, and installed the power steering conversion, disc brake conversion, and rebuilt most of the front end steering/suspension before trading cabs.
As usual, Bryan can never leave systems alone without refinishing them. He took the time to remove parts where he could, sand blast and paint before reinstalling components. Now everything is looking better than new..
With all done that could with the old cab on, we swapped cabs in order to complete the new master/booster installation and install the new Ididit tilt column and steering shaft. We now have a 62 cab on a 63 frame, which required relocating the front cab mounts in order to fit.
The original plan was to leave the engine bay alone, but again, Bryan couldnt leave it alone and got things cleaned up. Some paint, cable ties, and valve covers went a long way.
Overall, the process was fairly trouble-free, and Victor now has a completely different truck to build out in stages.
