JAL55

I want to know if I can swap the frames on my 1965 98 luxury sedan( this is the cherry frame) with my 1965 98 convertible ( this frame is rotton with rust)? All that I have measured seems Identical, and I'm not far from taking the tub off the convert. but does anyone know if it will work?

joe_padavano

Unless your sedan came with the optional heavy duty frame (which was simply the convertible frame under a sedan or hardtop), the fundamental problem is that the convertible frames were fully boxed to make up for the loss of rigidity when the roof was removed. Sedans without the HD frame option got an open section frame.

And since the question always comes up, boxing the sedan frames on a 60s car like this IS NOT the same as boxing a simple street rod frame. The factory used complex C-shaped stampings that were tailored to fit the floorpan. The trans crossmember mounting is different, as is the crossmember.

It is possible to cut the welds and remove the boxing sections from the covert frame and weld them into the good sedan frame. The outer sections of the frame rails were the same, it's this additional inner section that's different on the convertibles.

Now, if your sedan already has a fully boxed frame (in other words, it was ordered with the HD frame option), then this is a bolt-in swap.

joe_padavano

OK, the sedan frame WILL bolt up to a convertible body, but it WILL NOT be structurally adequate. That's why you need to weld in the reinforcements. I call that a little more work than "bolt-in". The HD frame option IS a convertible frame.

JAL55

Joe, thank you for the information, I feel alot better now for buying the sedan. I'll let you guys now how I make out. I'm sure I'll be posting plenty more questions during this project.