Projects Turning a lemon into lemonade - Very rusty 55' Chevy onto a Caprice frame...

Well...I bought this 55' 150 handyman wagon and its so rusted, I don't feel bad cutting it up.

Being I don't have a ton of cash, and this 55' needs at least $2K in repro sheetmetal and a replacement frame just to make it structurally sound, I started looking at other ways to maybe salvage this POS. I have always wanted a 55' Chevy 2 dr wagon.

A 55-57 Chev on a 77-91 caprice frame is not a new idea, but most of them look like crap because the caprice frame hangs below if you use the stock 55-57 floor pan. I have no floorpan left, so It will be easy to channel the 55' over the frame to get a nice stance and it so the frame sits up under the body where you can't see it.

I just bought a 85' Pontiac Parisienne (rebadged caprice) with low miles, a nice running 305/TH700 combo, and a nice solild frame. For $400 I figure its a good start.

I am hoping to get this entire project on the road legally for about $2K (not counting the purchase of the 55') out of my pocket. Luckily I do have some parts laying around I can use to try to keep costs down.

We have a pretty involved safety inspection that is needed to get your plates where I live, so the car will have to be safe.

Here is what I am starting with...

 

is that all for today?

 

I haven't even had a chance to make it out to the garage and start! Tough crowd....

 

Move to Alabama

 

Keep it up Rick!

One thing I really don't like about most late-model frame swaps is the track width. Having wheels that sit right at the edge of the fenderwell - or past! - is not a good look on a '50s car. Even worse is using some kind of front-wheel drive offset wheels to keep the front tires from rubbing the fenders.

How does the track width of the Caprice compare to your '55?

 

reverse wheels with a set spun aluminum moon discs would work and keep the offset hidden.

 

The 55' has a 60" track with a 115" wheelbase, and the Parisienne has a 60.7" track with a 115.9" wheelbase. Pretty damn close.

 

i would look for a 55 frame, i took two 57 frames and made one good one.

 

awwwwww man ya gotta leave A original frame under that 55. (they can be bought cheap)
use the engine, trans, driveshaft, etc....... you have to make a floor reguardless ----- new dropped spindles are cheap you have rotors & calipers, master cyl, 55's drive nice even with a stock steer box. -- THEN whenever its time to sell it will sell much much BETTER with the 55 frame under it.

 

Too expensive to get a 55' frame and fix the floor with repro pieces for me. I have already priced it out. Over $2K in sheet metal just to get the car structurally solid again with another decent frame, and then you start the body work, get a drivetrain, disk brake conversion, lowering spindles etc....

The 55' is rotted bad. Its not even good enough for a parts car really since all that is good on it is the roof and the glass (and not even the windshield). Someone has already parted it out and taken everything good. Literally - the only good parts left on the car is the roof, and glass. Everything else is pretty much fucked. Engine has been sitting for years with no head on it (rusted solid), there is no trans or driveshaft, the brake drums are all empty (no brake hardware at all in them), etc.

If the car was better I would put it on another 55-56 frame and fix it right.

 

You might want to check out this thread the guy did a lot of work and some of the HAMBers beat him up pretty bad, but he seems real happy with the end product.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=362341

 

It'll be interesting seeing how this works out. Maybe you can sell the nice sheetmetal from the Parisienne to help pay for the welding supplies and bodywork?

If it wasn't for the fact that the '55 is in such a bad way, I'd say you'd do better to find a '55 frame. Since you're starting with almost zero original good parts, I say go for it.

 

How close are the widths of the 2 cars at the rockers - you plan to use the floors / firewall out of the Parisienne I assume. Friend of mine was talking the same kind of swap using his 55 2-door and a 95 Roadmaster - he says it would fit, concept only at this point though (honestly thought this was his post at first!). Personally saw a race car that was a 56 Pontiac shell, set on what was originally a cutlass I believe, so you might be in the ballpark size wise for what you want to do. Totally get your reasoning behind the swap, working with rusty Ontario cars isn't always fun!!! To one of your other points, you have heard of sight unseen safeties though right...

 

I might be trading a bunch of the Parisienne off for some other parts for the car - 8.5" rear end, maybe some front and rear sway bars.

I have been going through the spare parts I have laying around, and have a 4 speed setup that would go behind the 305, some 66' vette valve chrome covers and a front fill q-jet intake to try to get the engine to look a little more vintage. I do have an old Martin Turbo kit laying around if I get bored with the 305 being stock.

I was going to channel the 55 and fab a new floor. Its easier to do. I am looking for a cheap bead roller!

I am planning on driving this car like I stole it when it is done, so I will built it right and get a proper safety. The only think I am not sure of right now is the windshield wipers.

 

I have seen a 55 go on a chevelle frame before, and that is the same basic setup as a crappice.
I also remember quite a few guys in canada using the caprice front stub to modernize thier tri 5's in the 80's.
p.s. the best way to go about this on here, is to show it done, and looking correct, then mention the caprice frame.

 

lol - I have done this before on here. My old 49' Fleetline was channelled deep over a shortend S10 frame. The 49' was in much better shape than this car.

 

Go for it. I love to prove the naysayers wrong.

 

Can you cut the body off Parisienne body the and keep the floorpans and truck floor with the fame?Using the late model floor might be a time saver...Just a thought...

Steve

 

I will do lots of measuring and see. It will mostly matter on how much I end up channelling the 55 body to hide the frame and give a decent stance.

 

Good plan,should be cool when done. The Pontiac floor should be almost wide enough to fill the entire width of the Chevy.I am pretty well convinced what you are doing is the way to go.So many advanages.Engine hoists work good to lift car bodies off I found.Good luck.We Canadians need all the luck we can get.

 

Ok, I'll bite. What's a sight unseen safety?

-Justin

 

there is more to it than track width and wheelbase.

where will the motor end up with the new frame in relation to the old firewall??

how much frame hangs out front of the wheels as compared to the 55?

how much hangs out beyond the rear wheels?

 

All I can say is you have more ambition than I do right now Looks like the floor plan idea will work A bunch of buddies & a cooler full of refreshments you could at least get a mock up done even if its on paper Good luck

 

X2. I've helped rebody stock cars with this method. It's worth considering if the pontiac has a solid floor and more importantly...the footwells are in the right spot.

 

The big one is where the motor is going to line up. I usually go by where the engine is compared to the front spindle since the wheels have to be in the same location. I will know more when I get the front clip off of both cars. Initial measurements are looking pretty good however, and the firewalls seem to be is relatively the same spot.

I wasn't planning on using the parisiennes floor, but I will do a bunch of measuring when they are side by side to do a little comparison. I think the floor is soft anyways, so I will take a good look at it.

 

Go for it. I've seen soem pretty nicely done frame swaps on Kustoms...where you don't see much chassis, anyway. Donn Lowe, and Manny Bastiao used to do them when Donny was in Colorado.
You'll probably have to relocate the engine back anywhere from 4-6 in. to fit inside the engine compartment, and still have room for a radiator. But that a minor thing, as well as shortening the driveshaft. And you'll be building a new trunck floor anyway, as the spring mounts are higher up there than the original 55 stuff was.
BUT you'll get much better handling, ride quality, and stopping/steering.

 

Get a hold of Jethro on here or the Canadian Rodder board...He done a frame swap on a 60 Impala wagon...His car is sweet...It will give you some good ideas!!!

 

I wish I could do this with my Pontiac. Keep us updated!

 

can someone photos hop the car with the lower body cut off where the rot is , keeping(raising) the rear fender well ?

 

I say do it.I know how much the replacement parts are for Tri-5's as well (floor braces ,pans ,etc.) lots of money to redo it right the factory way .I had a 54 Chevy 2 door post a few years back that was chopped and channeled over an 81 Buick chassis and floor.It drove like a million bucks and was my daily for 5 years .Real easy to get parts for and cheap with the late model chassis.A freind of mine on the Hamb did a 55 Buick on an 85 Caprice chassis and floor recently and it came out very good.It was cheap to do and the best part is its channeled 6 inches ,so its dumped and he didnt have to do a thing to the suspension to lower it.Its not hard to move the motor back or foward a bit to get it to sit correctly in the 55 ,and the frame horns are as easy as cutting and welding .Its not as hard as people think it is to do this kind of swap.Have fun with it and keep us posted...