Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

My mom got my dad a 49 chevy 5 window for my dad back in 76 for their wedding, and it hasnt been tagged since 81. So as a bonding project with my dad since my mom died, as it was suppose to be all 3 of us, I figure better late than never. Just got the frame home from TCI this Saturday, and today Monday, have the motor and trans in and the bed on it as well, so I can mock up the ride tech and measure up a fuel tank. Hoping to have this driving by August, and then Ill have to take it all apart next year to paint it all. Well see how well this goes as planned.

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

Trying to find out how to fit everything.

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

what a great tribute project....and a nice shiny new frame to boot...and a clean truck...hard to beat all that

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

Love the story. Looks like an awesome start to your build.

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

What a beautiful frame. And truck looks to be in great condition.

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

Thanks!!

It's a really clean frame and I had second thoughts on separating it all since everything is original, but since we're not selling it and my dad wants creature comforts the frame had to go.

Took the bed apart so now I can start mocking up the air tank and look at trying to fit a gas tank. But I go back for my 4 day tour so ill have time to research.

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

That's going to be a nice ride, have fun working with your father!

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

Been pretty sick the past few days on tour and just needed to recuperate. So I borrowed my neighbors harbor freight sand blaster to do the bed cross member. Im going to have to do the front of the bed too.

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

Looking good.

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

Great looking project!! I've been tossing around the idea of buying a complete chassis too. Does the bed floor fit stock with the notched area of the frame over the axle? Or are you going to have to raise your bed floor?

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

Im going to have to raise the bed 2inches higher. But I need to do that anyway so i can have fuel filler in the back.

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

Great project with a great back story. I recall the thread on the chassis and will be tagging along here. Good luck and have fun!

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

So after 2 weeks of busy with life, I took a Friday afternoon off and visited Sanderson Headers which are just a city over from where I work in, they are in South San Francisco. Donna Smith is an awesome lady. She let me take home 2 sets of headers to try out. The LS 150s fit really well. They are 1.5, she also gave me LS 110s in 15/8ths but the center dumps didnt work for my steering or with the starter so the 150s are it.

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

Cool project. Good luck with it.

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

Finally got to bend up the frame for the gas tank. This will prob stiffen up the chassis even mite. Not that it needs it.


Also got a dilemma with my headers should I go with 1.5 in headers or 1 5/8ths. Thus is for a stock ls1

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

Pulled the gas tank, and ill have to buy new drivers side and maybe pass side lower rear cab corners. I removed the 4 cab bolts (2 rear leaf spring shackle looking ones. 2 next to the a pillar) and then 2 on the radiator support, for a total of 6 bolts. I removed all the fuel lines, and i think all the electrical wires that go to the frame to the body and engine to body. The battery and then i removed all the pedals and steering wheel. Is there any other bolts that I am missing? I am trying to move the cab, fenders, hood and grill all at once with my gantry crane. This way I can keep all the gaps correct, as I keep reading its a chore to get them back close.

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

Killer truck, ill go along for the ride. Enjoy the time with your dad, im finally getting the chance to do the same.

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

Nice truck and I love the interior color. Will you keep it brown?

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

I'm not sure prob not I want to do an amg bright green that they have out with black fenders. But that won't be for awhile. So i will probably do black interior.


Finally painted most of the frame with summit chassis black enamel and have the engine back in and lines plumbed. All gave to paint the back of the frame, but I'm still welding in some things. Cab was off. The gantry collapsed and luckily nobody was hurt and only minor damage to the cab. Still mad about that but metal cam be fixed. Going to lower it via fam hacks I think since I gave it on blocks for now.

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

coming along nicely....what happened to your gantry?...glad no one was hurt

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

I swear the phone keyboard auto correct sucks. The gantry tipped over. I was using my fj40 with the warn winch to winch it up and it started tipping and we couldnt put it down fast enough.

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

^^^dang...that sucks^^^

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

Nice build. Keep up the good work.

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

Looking good. cant wait to see it out as some of the local car shows. I'm in San Jose.
i really like these projects that have cool history.

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

Almost have the frame to the body. Ran out of time so we didnt lower it the whole way. Question did you guys have to cut the inner fenders for the ls1 or v8 to fit? It looks tight, just want to know if Ill be runnining into any hiccups.

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

I think you will be trimming the inner fenders more to clear the suspension than the engine.

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

Mine (TCI chassis, 6.0 LQ4 motor) did not need any trimming except around the control arm mounts and for the A/C compressor mounted high on the pass side. The power steering fit tight for the return line but a little adjustment of the lines and it cleared.

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

Got some work done today. Got the body mounted the shackles were a pain to drill out since the frame has 7/16 now which should be stronger, the steering column and and shaft in, and the brake pedal Noyes I gotta hear the running boards on and send it to Sanderson for the exhaust system.

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

Busy month finally got my headers on. Had to go custom by Carlos of sandersons. Find out that my frame is like 2inches to short!!!

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

What do you mean your frame is 2 inches to short? I went back and read your thread and you purchased a TCI frame. On which end is it short?

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

It's behind the relative bearing grease port, near the coaxial stabulator.

nc

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

The back end. Before I had my cab on my bed lined up with the holes perfectly. Now that I have the cab on, I cant put the bed on, as the 2 touch, and I still have about an 1.5 in gap between where the bed holes are, and where the holes on the frame are.

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

Oh man that sucks. So you mean the cab mounts fine by itself, and the bed mounts fine by itself. But they both cant be mounted at the same time because they touch?

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

a tci frame is too short? thats.... unusual?

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

I like your build. Do you have any pictures of your exhaust between the header and the tips? I want to do like you and put my exhaust in the running board and assume the tip will have to be rigid mounted. Did you use a flex pipe or something someplace?

Also, What steering column is that? I am preparing to order one myself and wanted to use the stock mount like you did. Your column length looks perfect too.

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

Correct, Im going to try and remount it this week, maybe I was doing something wrong, but for an hour I was trying to get things lined up with a neighbor.

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

Carlo's did all the work. No flex pipe

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

Try it again

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

Hmm thats interesting. I assumed that as you rev the engine and the exhaust moved it would hit the running board unless you made the tip ridgidly mounted but then with no give there I'd think the engine movement work break something in the exhaust piping. Maybe I am wrong. I like the way your set up looks.

What steering column is that?

Re: Moms wedding present 49 chevy 5 window LS 4L60e TCI frame
 

The spacing between the cab and bed is tight on my TCI chassis, but there is just enough room. The front cab mount has some tolerance to move around, but the rear is the stock mounts and they don’t flew sideways (forward or back) so they pretty much set the position of the cab. My bed almost touches the cab when I push the bed all the way to the rear (rear mounts have that long slot the bolt goes thru) and the front hole kinda lines up but not well. I thought maybe that’s how the trucks always were? I’m camping now but could measure between mounts/holes Tuesday if that would help you?

Also - the square access holes in the frame to allow you to put a washer and nut on the front bed bolts is a PITA. My fat fingers and that tiny hole pretty much guarantee I will fill that damn frame with nuts and washers before I ever get the bed tightened down!:devil:

Looking forward to see how this sorts out. Good luck!