Thanks for the links, Dave. I was looking at that X-member kit online the other day. It's funny how what started out as replacing the radiator and the front seal in my transmission has mushroomed into a complete engine & trans rebuild, new headers & exhaust, front disc brake upgrades and a rear disc kit too, new firewall & front floorboards, Boyd Coddington rims (got a great deal on some used ones 17x8), and the list keeps growing...LOL! That doesn't include the fact that I also need/want a complete color change and new interior!!
Now, the reality is my budget is definitely limited and so is my workspace. I live a mile from the beach in Santa Monica, which is great but my place only has a one car garage to work in. Everything I do has to go back in the garage at the end of the day. Removing the body to do frame mods seems pretty impossible at the moment. A variety of less-than-perfect decisions have been made on this frame over the years and it almost seems like throwing good money after bad to try to fix it. I'm sure it can be tweaked a be a decent driver frame, which is what I'm going to have to do until I can do otherwise. I'm guessing the x-member couldn't be easily replace with the body on and the floor removed. I wouldn't want to cut out the rear seat riser, etc.

Anyway, as I babble on....LOL...if I could figure out a way to "justify" it, it would be cool to buy the rolling chassis already plumbed for brakes, gas line, etc. with engine & trans mounts in place and powder coated...I could do the body swap in a day and be well on my way to having a perfect rod....ah, but who in the hell is going to pay for all that??!!! LOL! Given my situation, though, considering time, labor costs, convenience, etc it probably wouldn't turn out to be that much different in the grander scheme of things.....I might be able to get a few bucks outa my old frame to help offset the cost, too.

But alas, I'll probably just have my welder friend come over and do some strengthening repairs on my x-member, install the new firewall, put it back together and drive it a while until "my ship comes in...""

Sorry for the length post.....glad your snow is starting to melt. It was a lovely 80 degrees here yesterday.....but I won't rub it in......

LOL!
Randy