Hello all, just wrapped the frame swap on my 2003 disco. Can it be done without a 2 post lift- yes. Should it be done without a two post lift, probably not. Definitely not for the faint of heart. Found a good chassis down in Kentucky which they had bought off copart from California and it was a minor burn car. Sold me the complete frame with axles and all suspension for a song and a dance with lower miles. The swap in all took 6 days and probably 100+ man hours. We are excited to finally have it together. (Still needs quite a bit but slowly will get it together). Three amigos reared their ugly heads afterwards and the master cylinder is leaking like a sieve but it’s a fun vehicle not a daily so we will address it before any long trips.

 

Did you coat or paint the new frame before you did the swap?

 

Because the truck I got the new frame was lightly burned, there was a little spot near the passenger side motor mount that the paint was scorched. I cleaned up that spot, the rest of the top of the frame and hard to reach places (around the gas tank, etc.) They were all painted with frame paint and coated with cosmoline. I left the bottom not finished because it’s still a work in progress. I plan on trying to hit the inside with POR15 and then coat it in the cosmoline as well. It will definitely be done before the thing goes anywhere near salt. I hadn’t gotten to drive it much before because the old frame had rusted so bad the rear shocks busted off the frame, so there are minor things like one of the rockers is noisy at times, and the master cylinder leaks that I didn’t know about. My wife and I are looking for our first house (losing battle thus far due to the crazy market) I have permission and parts to do a full engine rebuild once we have a place. The PO replaced the transmission and radiator fairly recently, and the heads have been done. Excited to get it out once I’m think it’s not readily going to leave me stranded.

Here’s the new frame after paint (thought I had more pictures) I hosed down the inside in this area with rust transformer, paint, and cosmoline.

here is the frame before

 

Good for you.