Chevy S10 Chassis Swaps, What to Look for to Make it as Easy & Wallet Friendly as Possible

This video goes out to my good friend Clint ‪@ClintsStreetMachines‬ and his plans for that left over S10 Chassis that he has from his main MONSTER S10 Build that he is doing his best to get to the 2nd running of the #nonamenationals this coming September in Sikeston MO.
Depending on the truck (or car) that I am putting on these wonderful little chassis' that Chevrolet & GM offered is what I look for..... either four wheel drive, or two wheel drive Chevy S10's (S15 GMC, S10 Blazer, or GMC Jimmy) because they are all different..... and it's all about the track width.
Wheelbase I don't care about, because that is easy to make longer or shorter, but when it comes to the wheel width... that is a different story all together. The good news is.... each option fits all the makes and models out there.
As you see in the video, I prefer the 4wd chassis over the 2wd chassis because it opens the door to more vehicles that will fit on it, but that doesn't cut out the 2 wheel drive S10. The 1st generation F Series Fords (1947-52) all the way down through the 1930's all fit really well on the 2wd chassis as do the Dodges, Studebakers, and pretty much everything BUT the 1st series Chevy & GMC's (1947-1955 trucks). The Chevy's like the 4 wheel drive chassis because the width of the wheels (track width) is dang near spot on, making them not only look right, but handle like a dream travelling down the road.
Also as I mentioned in the video, don't be afraid of the 4 wheel drive chassis. You don't have to use the 4 wheel drive in them. All you have to do is drop the front differential out, and WHAMO BAMO you got a two wheel drive..... aka it's really easy to convert it to 2 wheel drive if that is what you want.
Hope you enjoy my little walk around in the back 40, and you all get to have a sneak peak of some of the up and coming Rusty Junk that I will be featuring on the channel.

[@stephenhotzjustdriveit]

Thank you for the info

[@BareRoseGarage]

You bet Stephen! hope it helps

[@travismopargarage4949]

good stuff man

[@BareRoseGarage]

Thanks Travis!

[@ClintsStreetMachines]

That's a ton of great information. I really appreciate you going through all that. I learned a bunch. Thanks buddy!

[@BareRoseGarage]

You bet man! and thanks for the inspiration!

[@SpankysHotRodsandCustoms]

Just found you and subscribed. -Spanky

[@BareRoseGarage]

Thanks a million for that Spanky!

[@robbieautrey3158]

Great video BareRose, lots of good information on doing an S10 swap. Thanks for taking the time to make it brother..

[@BareRoseGarage]

Thanks Robbie! and anytime my friend

[@dennisparass5531]

Hi. That was an EXCELLENT presentation. We have a 2 wheel drive 1966 C10 being modified with a large hp engine that needs a stronger frame. We have a 1990 S 10 roller that we can buy and swap its frame onto the 1966. We are having some difficulty verifying that the key dimensions of the two frames are similar. Do you have any comment that would be helpful? Thank you!

[@BareRoseGarage]

Hello there Dennis, thanks for stopping in! Like I said in this video, if you are looking for an updated frame for your 1966 (3rd gen) look for anything from 1972-89. Gives you the disc brakes and it's the easiest swap in the world because the body mounts are all the same! The S10's are actually way way narrow for that one. Also advertise that 66 chassis when you do pull it, that is actually a sought-after chassis for guys that like to do the Air Ride & Hydraulics because it's already set up for that with the coils. You can make a few bucks to help pay for the project in the end!

[@timwindsor03]

Awesome video brother. Very informative. Thanks for sharing. Keep the content coming. Hope you have an incredible day. Much love and RESPECT

[@BareRoseGarage]

Thanks a million for that Tim! and right back at ya man!

[@JimsIfitaintbrokefixit]

Another GREAT informative video. I may never do one of those swaps, but you made it sound very doable. Thanks again for your great videos.....oh by the way...will that S10 frame swap work on an MGB? Just kidding....

[@BareRoseGarage]

hmmmmmm never tried that..... lolololol Thanks and you are very welcome my friend

[@musclecarmitch908]

Great info! A few years back I was looking at the 41 willys coupe kits made to go on the S10 chassis but never did carry through with it. The short bed frames are hard to find around here.

[@BareRoseGarage]

Ooooooooo can you still get ahold of it? I'll show you in tomorrow's video how you can not only make that wheelbase whatever you want it to be..... but also how to lower it 4" without changing any of the OEM Geometry...... and all it takes is a Speedy-Square, a Plasma, and a Mig Welder. It's the method I will be using on the 1940 Pontiac you see in my logo & on my home page. Like I said, Wheelbase means nothing to me when it comes to these little things..... it's all about the track width.

[@musclecarmitch908]

@@BareRoseGarage 👍

[@BuffsGarage]

I always appreciate the information from a true hotrodder.. Just buckets of knowledge pouring into my brain... thanks @barerosegarage

[@johnwilburn]

The ol S-10...

[@BareRoseGarage]

A bare chassis S10 is like a BareRose ...... it's good for Every Body..... lolololol

[@SaerTurner]

Great video, my friend. Very educational ..and did a hear a fluff in the back ground

[@BareRoseGarage]

Thanks a million for that Saer and yeah..... Eddie my unofficial director/inspector loves to tell me what I'm doing wrong..... lolololol

[@deanstevenson6527]

🍓✔️

[@BareRoseGarage]

👍

[@landoncustomclassics]

I've seen that place before!

[@BareRoseGarage]

Oh yeah?

[@reneurquiza3957]

First of all, thank you for the quality information, you certainly clarified many doubts that I had and I think I am increasingly leaning towards doing this swap, from what you mention I think the ideal would be a s10 4x4 swap in my case (chevy 3100 1957 short bed), what do you think, any suggestions,? thank you very much in advance, excellent content 👏👍

[@BareRoseGarage]

Hello there Reneurquiza thanks for stopping in man. The Series 2 Chevy's (55-59) dang good looking trucks man. Those are even wider yet. On my chanel here you will see the '55 Ford F500 we built for my stepmother. It's almost the same track width as your Chevy (and I've done many of those Chevy's as well). On that one (and most of the ones I did at the Resto-Shop I worked for) we actually used the subframe from a Camaro/Firebird/Nova and marry them to the existing frames. They are the perfect width for that. But if you can't find one of those (because that is a common swap for these years) look for a 2nd generation S10 chassis (1996 up). You can still find them on "FB Marketplace" & Craigslist with blown transmissions or head gaskets on the cheap and they are a good cheap fit for those years of Chevy's. If I remember right, they are 2 inches wider than the original "squarebody" S10's. These 1st gen S10's work good on the Series 1 Chevy's (1947-55) because they are still a little narrower than the Series 2's.... if that makes sense. Anyway.. I hope that helps man, and I'd love to see that truck of yours on the road where she wants to be.

[@reneurquiza3957]

@@BareRoseGarage Again, thank you very much for taking the time to respond to my comment, I really appreciate it, I will definitely do my homework and look for a chassis like the one you mentioned, but now that you mention it, I am curious about the Camaro swap, it must be Any year in particular, or what era were we talking about? Thank you very much in advance, I will continue watching your playlist and taking your advice. Have a nice day sir!!

[@oldmanintheshopbuiltnotbou8726]

barerose i need the hood off the 66

[@BareRoseGarage]

My wife would shoot me for that one...... that's actually the only one of the bunch I can't sale. One of these days I need to pull it into the shop and finish it up for her.

[@danielbuckner2167]

"Series 1"? What the hell is this guy talking about, Chevy started making trucks in the 1920s! The 47 to first series 55 is called the "advance design" series. Says who? Chevrolet. This would be something like gen 5 or 6. Ok, now onto the s10. It's a weak frame as it's only rated at 1/4 ton. That's fine for a prewar coupe but not a bigger 1/2 ton truck. Those little fords can use the s10 but the studebaker, dodges, chevies all fit far better on a Dakota /Durango frame that has a better weight rating, is the exact correct width, has a steering rack already on it so that s10 front steer box isnt a problem like normal.

[@lynnrunningdeer7364]

Why would you set them there with nothing to keep the weeds from destroying them😔? Also can you put tires, engine, transmission and location of 53 Ford and let know what day no one will be there😂?

[@BareRoseGarage]

loloololoololol I turn my automatic weed eater loose in here and she does a pretty good job of keeping those weeds down to a minimum, and she LOVES her job..... lololol. In fact you can hear her in the background saying "It's time for me to do my job".

[@lynnrunningdeer7364]

@@BareRoseGarage but she can't get underneath. Here lays the problem. I'm positive that it rains there so the moisture doesn't stop because there's a vehicle sitting there.