Square body on new chassis?

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436'd skylark

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Hello- I'm trying to get my post count up to use the classifieds. I'm right in the middle of my project and need some odds and ends. Has anyone else swapped a squarebody cab and bed on a newer frame? I'm putting the 77 on my 05 2500hd with the durajunk..
 

Charlie

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:welcome:
 

crazy4offroad

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Sounds interesting. Post pics and get your post count up that way as well.
 

bucket

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I'm curious about this swap. Got anymore details about what you are doing? Like what portions of each truck are getting put together.
 

Craig 85

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Here's a You Tube video link to a guy that put a 1968 GMC cab on a 2500HD chassis. There's 12 videos.

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436'd skylark

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Its pretty straight forward. I've owned the 05 for 10 years. Its a regular cab long box truck. 2500hd 4x4 with the duramax and allison. Its the best truck i ever owned. The body has succumbed to the normal northest rust. initially i was going to swap the durajunk and allison into a square body. I soon found out a decent 3/4 ton 4x4 square body was way out of my price range. I bought a very solid 77 c20 from California for 2000 bucks. I considered a 4x4 conversion on that chassis but realized the 05 running gear was hard to beat. 4 wheel disc brakes, the AAM rear axle etc was all in good working order. Not to mention it all fit together rather nicely already. I parked the two trucks next to each other and started measuring everything. I soon realized the square body would fit on the 05 frame easily. Even the AC suit case is in place.

To answer your question though i am running the complete 05 chassis and drivetrain. I merged the 05 core support with the 77. The rest of the body parts are all 77. I made the 77 dash and cluster work as well. Its at the body shop right now. I'm having the box matched to the faded buckskin color as its off another truck. I'll upload some pics once its out.
 

Frankenchevy

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Sounds like a cool project. You’ll have one of the sweetest looking newer trucks around. Is the 05 a manual transfer case or push button?

Not really sure how a chassis designed to handle more tq, hp, and payload is inferior...
 
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DavesJimmy

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Cant wait to see some pics of this FrankinSquare!:hmm:
 

436'd skylark

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Sounds like a cool project. You’ll have one of the sweetest looking newer trucks around. Is the 05 a manual transfer case or push button?

Not really sure how a chassis designed to handle more tq, hp, and payload is inferior...

It's a manual transfer case. That was pretty easy. I still had to power the front axle encoder motor. That was pretty easy.
 

roundhouse

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I’ve got good running 96 Yukon with a salvage title and wrinkles in the quarter panels

Wonder if a first gen blazer body would drop on it ?
 

bucket

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IFS or not, that's pretty cool.

Also, I've got those exact same ramps.
 

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