Bring on the think tank...I need some ide'ers!

[Mike Becker]

My father has an extra 1951 chevy car chassis sitting in his yard. It's solid as a rock; no holes, bends, dents, etc. No body though. Have any of you fella's heard of someone constructing something out of this? He's willing to give it to me for free, but I don't know what to do with it. Any ide'ers (don't say scrape yard either!)?

 

[der Spieler]

My father has an extra 1951 chevy car chassis sitting in his yard. It's solid as a rock; no holes, bends, dents, etc. No body though. Have any of you fella's heard of someone constructing something out of this? He's willing to give it to me for free, but I don't know what to do with it. Any ide'ers (don't say scrape yard either!)?

If it were mine I would upgrade it with a modern suspension with a Fat Man Mustang II front and a triangulated four link rear with a modern rear axle. I would set it up to accept a small block Chevy engine and trans and paint the whole thing, leaving me with a complete rolling chassis. Then I would look around to find a good 51 Chevy with a straight body, do the necessary body work and stick the body on the refurbished chassis. It's a lot of work but I think the end result would be worth it. I have been looking around for a 49 to 54 Chevy to buy and if I had this chassis I would have a great start to my project. A friend of mine started on a project like this several years ago with a 49 Chevy. He had the extra chassis set up as I described it and had the complete 49 standing by for the transplant. Unfortunately life got in the way (a loss of job and a pregnant wife) and he had to sell the whole shebang before he could finish it.

 

[der Spieler]

P.S. If you are interested is selling this chassis I could be interested.

 

[FastEddie59]

My father has an extra 1951 chevy car chassis sitting in his yard. It's solid as a rock; no holes, bends, dents, etc. No body though. Have any of you fella's heard of someone constructing something out of this? He's willing to give it to me for free, but I don't know what to do with it. Any ide'ers (don't say scrape yard either!)?

Hello Roy, I have thought about taking a chassis such as your describing and putting an early sedan that may need to be widened or stretched a little to fit, not enough room anyway in my opinion or a 27-32 roadster or coupe body on it. Later style suspension with the old car look! From the sound of your post I don't think you had a 51 in mind and this is very similar to the set up most are using on these type cars!
P.S. If you want to do this on the cheap you could make a homemade body from raw sheet metal and form a "buggy" style body with a SBC and a TH350 which are sourced very cheap and have something that resembles a T bucket or the Beverly hillbillies car with more power!

 

[Francis Blake]

When I started the idea to build a hot rod this was the approach I started with. I bought an old s10 started cutting, ending with a rolling chassis. I have given this to my oldest son, he is going to build pickup roadster on it with a th350 and sbc using square tubing and sheet aluminium and pop rivet the whole thing together. Now if you are thinking tbucket go the tried and proven method. I Wasted a whole year trying to figure a way to make this look good along the style of a little roadster but couldn't make it work. Good luck with what you decide to do.