Post by bartels44x on Mar 20, 2023 17:54:18 GMT -5
I have a 76 Pontiac Bonneville that needs a new frame. Curious if a 76 impala frame or what other old iron frames would fit under it. Let me know thanks
Aren’t the Buicks and olds wheelbases longer than the Pontiacs?
Buick 225 and Olds 98 are 3 inches longer under the doors, fully boxed under doors. Delta 88s, Ponchos, Lesabres etc. Are all the same for swapping purposes, these cars can be convertibles and have fully boxed side rails. Impala and caprice are different wheel base all together and the frame is a different shape and has different holes on the inside of frame at core support versus BOP. These are c channel under doors as well, convertibles boxed. Obviously there are differences between years as well. Rivis are their own thing. Wagons are their own thing.
Aren’t the Buicks and olds wheelbases longer than the Pontiacs?
Buick 225 and Olds 98 are 3 inches longer under the doors, fully boxed under doors. Delta 88s, Ponchos, Lesabres etc. Are all the same for swapping purposes, these cars can be convertibles and have fully boxed side rails. Impala and caprice are different wheel base all together and the frame is a different shape and has different holes on the inside of frame at core support versus BOP. These are c channel under doors as well, convertibles boxed. Obviously there are differences between years as well. Rivis are their own thing. Wagons are their own thing.
You're correct. I don't know why I was thinking Bonnevilles were big brother to Catalinas like Electra/LeSabre and 98/88 but they aren't.....
Try to leave everything better than you found it. Become a better person today than you were yesterday.
Buick 225 and Olds 98 are 3 inches longer under the doors, fully boxed under doors. Delta 88s, Ponchos, Lesabres etc. Are all the same for swapping purposes, these cars can be convertibles and have fully boxed side rails. Impala and caprice are different wheel base all together and the frame is a different shape and has different holes on the inside of frame at core support versus BOP. These are c channel under doors as well, convertibles boxed. Obviously there are differences between years as well. Rivis are their own thing. Wagons are their own thing.
You're correct. I don't know why I was thinking Bonnevilles were big brother to Catalinas like Electra/LeSabre and 98/88 but they aren't.....
Seems there was no rhyme or reason for alot of GM in that Era, what cars got tow packs, what frames were thick frames
I'm fairly certain that an Impala frame will also fit under a small body BOP, the door lengths are the same, as noser said though a chevy front is shorter due to the geometry from the front to firewall mounts to the engine crossmemeber and then again from A frame forward so the front body mounts won't line up there UNLESS you use a chevy front clip that will bolt up just fine to a pontiac body, the rest should be good to go.
Excluding chevy, everything is the same length from middle body mount forward, 71-6, wagons, big body, small body etc. only differences are boxed or not boxed which at times can also be crap shoot.
I've built them all as individuals but didn't do any swapping of body and frames just doors and clips.
Big body sedans, different animal as mentioned, more leg room so the change in frame is from center body mount to the one in front of the wheels. In front of that they are the same as everything else including wagons.