I put out a call for help with taking the body off my '41 Oldsmobile and setting it on the Chevy frame.  Four hard working Little Guys came over to lend a hand and a back.  Joe Walls also stopped buy with his 33 Ford sedan.

Special thanks to

Jim Gerrard

Howard Haston

Red Johnston

Frank Lewark

You can click on the photos for an enlargement

Here is the 41 Olds after I drove it home. It has had a bath and that is about all.

I didn't have enought room in the Studebaker truck, so I think this should do just fine.

Here is the donor car. It's a 73 Impala and Jim Gerrard got it for me from a friend in the Country Gents.

Body off the Chevy and starting the clean up process.

Lots of rust, but basically sound.

Jim Gerrard to the rescue again. He brought over his power washer and he knocked off all the grease and gunk after I soaked it overnight.

Nothing like having the right tool.

After it's bath and a fresh coat of Rustoleum gloss black.

Here is the power supply, 355 Chevy Blower motor and Turbo 350.

The beginning of the tear down of the 41.

Jim Jumping right in to start ripping things off the 66 year old car.

Howard sure had fun with that air chisel

Red pulling the parking brake assembly out.

Frank lifts a fender out of the way.

Red, Howard and Frank look for the mystery bolt that is still holding the fender on.

Jim's turn with the chisel.

Second fender comes off.

Red and Frank haul away their trophy.

Jim, Frank, Red and Howard thinking about what they could be doing on this nice Saturday morning.

Howard finds another bolt holding things together.

Up, up and away.

Red watches the back end as we slide the old frame out.

Out with the old.

Almost out.

Suspended with two floor jacks, three 4 x 4 treated posts and my engine hoist holding up the rear.

PLEASE don't fall down.

Let's move this out of the way.

The new chassis goes in.

Setting on some 4 x 4s and doing the alignment.

Getting close.

Here's how we held the rear end up.

UPDATE

The Impala frame was too wide and the rear hump was too high.  I thought about trying to make the Impala frame work, but it would mean a tremendous amount of modification, so I found a deal on a Camaro sub-frame.  It was free, all I had to do was go pick it up.

Here's the Impala frame after it was removed from the donor car. Note the red floor from when I painted the Studebaker.

Another shot after the removal, but before the cleanup.

Here's Jim again. I think he has done almost as much work on the Olds as I have.

Cleaning all the years of dirt off the Impala.

All cleaned up and painted.

So pretty, if it would only fit.

Here is the Camaro sub-frame. Located about 50 miles east of Julian in the exact middle of nowhere. It was a nice drive with beautiful scenery.

Bob Mooney and I dragging the sub-frame out of the pile of old car parts.

Bob and I making a path for the truck to back in to load the sub-frame

There it is, ready to load.

Some of Bob's Studebakers waiting to be restored.

Another of Bob's projects.

I said this place was in the middle of nowhere, now you get an idea of what I meant.

Beginning to load the sub-frame into the back of the Studebaker. Most of the scratches in the bed and the tailgate are from this project.

In she goes.

Starting the alignment process after cutting off the front of the Olds frame.

Lined up perfect, now out with the welder.

Progress front and rear

I installed the sub-frame and decided on a Thunderbird rear end.  The rear is fully independent with power disc brakes.  The rear has its own sub-frame that attaches to the T-bird with 4 large bolts.  I was able to make a cross member that the rear of the the sub-frame bolts to and will make some small brackets for the front half to bolt to.  Only problem is that the wheels are 5 on 4.25 and the front are Chevy bolt pattern 5 on 4.75.  The solution was a set of adaptors which convert to the Chevy bolt pattern and space them out about an inch.  Everything fits perfect now and it is just a matter of welding in some support pieces and painting it up nice and pretty.

The beginning of the welding of the sub-frame to the Olds.

Tacked in place, now comes the serious welding.

Moving right along.

A peek at the other side.

My oldie but goodie Lincoln.

Another donor car comes into the project. The rear end from a 1994 Thunderbird.

Resting peacefully at Ecology. Jim Gerrard helped pull the independent rear suspension out.

Here's the view of the rear.

Tbird rear end mocked up in place. The negative offset wheels wouldn't clear the frame, but the Cragars will.

The blue paint on the frame rails is Periwinkle Blue. It is a color that Bonnie likes, but we haven't decided for sure what the final color will be.

Moving Right Along

 

The rear end is in and with the exception of the front mounts and installing the shocks is complete.  We have decided on the final color and I will pull it apart and repaint the frame Candy Apple Green.  The motor was dropped in to test the header and steering clearance and it appears to be a perfect fit.  I sure love sub-frame swaps.

Cross member installed (thanks Jerry Heiss) and rear end bolted in place.

Motor set in place for first time. Everything clears as it should and excitement is building.

Starting to look like a car again. I found the wheels on Craig's List in Orange.

Another angle, I need to break out the polish and get started on that engine.

Wow, look at that cool Studebaker in the background. Looks pretty good from a distance.

How low can you go. I need to raise it up a bit in the back. Bottoms out going over a dime.

Here is that 94 T-Bird rear end, fully independent with disc brakes. Pretty clean instal.

Here is an exemplar '41 Olds. It is very close to the color and style we are aiming for.

Front view of exemplar Olds.

Another shot of the exemplar Olds.

 

 

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