NOW I know that it's a big thing for people to put medium duty front clips on pickup trucks (of all makes, I've seen old Fords, and new Chevys) BUT has anyone ever considered taking a front clip of a 73-87 Square Body and placing it on a 73-87 Chevy/GMC medium duty truck? Could you imagine how revolutionary that would be? I haven't come across such a thing in person or the internet, is it because I'm not looking hard enough, no one else has thought of it or it simply isn't feasible? Could you imagine an '85 Chevy front clip on a massive C70 dump truck? I know the fenders would need cut to an extent, or even somehow use the fenders of the medium duty (cut them just right; SERIOUS fabrications?) I know the cabs are the same (with minor differences) but not something big enough to destroy the idea, yet enough to make such an idea a thought in the first place. WHAT DO WE ALL KNOW ABOUT THIS POSSIBILITY? Really the OPPOSITE of below:
You could maybe get a similar effect by just using the pickup grille and headlights and it would be much less fab work. Maybe utilize a widened pickup front bumper too, but raised of course. If trying that route, I imagine it would be easier to use a rig that did not have the optional tilt nose.
were these those without tilt nose?\ EDIT okay yeah i see it now i wonder how interchangable the rad supports would be for the lights/grille?
I think they have they're own front clip, core support and all. I've thought about doing this before, my family has always owned trucks like these, c60's c50's and whatnot. The hoods and front clip length on the big trucks(without flip-up hood) are about half of what the pickups are. If I was doing a full on build I would slide the cab and related mechanical and electrical components back on the frame with it. If I just wanted to do something cool that would look decent but not be as much work, I would just put a pickup front clip up front, the only problem is I believe you wouldn't have enough frame rail, so you'd have to add some more frame rail or something.
sounds easy enough but then the whole wheel well proportion would most likely be off. I've never looked at one up close with the hood down and all that, i'll take your word for it
Don't get me wrong I've never took a tape measure or anything like that to it. But it's for sure shorter, and I believe even the firewalls are cutout more to allow for the motor to sit farther back in it. I just don't believe it could be done the "easy" way and look good still. But this was always one of my lifelong projects I wanted to do, 4wd is on the menu as well.
yeah this is clearly something i'v always thought about and would love to attempt if the opportunity presented itself. and 4wd what specifically?
Firewalls on the mediums are recessed back and the floors are more or less flat (no hump), With the factory recessed firewall center that has made me think that could be the way to go with a Cummins swap, medium duty cab on light duty frame/front clip. (which late 80+ mediums could be optioned with a Cummins VT225, so a 5.9 is not complete blasphemy)
You bring up a great point. The recessed firewall would be a very good start for a Cummins swap! As long as you can deal with a small back window cab, which is what I believe all civilian owned medium duty's were. You are also correct about the floor, completely flat. I believe the foot pans on the firewall/floor are "shorter" if not just more aggressive of an angle.
A flatbed truck most likely, maybe like a 12 ft bed, with some stake pockets so you could haul dirt or whatever. Basically a badass medium duty pickup, something to haul trailers with, if I ever needed to pick up a decent sized older tractor or semi, and anything under that. Probably get like military axles, Cummins swap, divorced transfer case etc
This is the only picture I could find of this truck. C60 Suburban. You can barely make out it has a Round Eye front end. Front Flares resemble the Bushwacker Cut-out flares.
You'd have to keep a set of headlights down low due to headlight height regulations. Might even have to leave the higher up ones disconnected to satisfy some States.
