does anyone know if there is any difference in frames on a 3rd gen and 4th gen.

 

deffinatly shorter but you can take every thing off one and put on the other

 

what are you trying to do?
if your talking the 78-80 to the 81 up i dont even think they are longer or shorter are they?
but i know most fo the parts will match from one to the other.

that is a good question

 

i dont know for sure if the frame is diffterent lent or not but the car looks shorter form the trunk and rear quarter but all the rear end control arms all the front a-arms ball joints spindles stiring box bumpers and anything that bolts up to it that i know but 3rd gen are rare around here so i did not see many of even tore one down but i did alot of 4th gen so i know alot about them maybe there sombody that knows for sure around here

 

see i would love to find a 3rd gen.
but this is defently interasting.
if the frames are the same that means alot more choices for those who are atempting to restore then etc...

 

ok the reason i ask is because i have an opg catalog and it shows parts for 78-88 body styles and it doesnt say anything about either one being different. It just confusses me alittle

 

well they lable them like that because everthing that bolt on to them is interchangeable and i even think that like the rockers and other stuff would change over too

 

think of them this way for those years.
pretty much the only diffrences will be
the front and rear bumpers.
the front head lights changed some in all o fht eyears but i would bet that you could change them to any ot the years.
the rear trunk lid changed some in there also.
the body lines actually changed some threw out the years but for the most part it was not to drastic after the 78-79 models the 80 took on more of the 80-88 model body lines.
the hoods got flater threw some of the years also.

 

so basically i could change everything over and the only thing that wouldnt look right is the rear quarter panel lines?

 

for the most part yeah.
that and the front fenders with out the doors would look strange also.
in the 80's the doors and fenders body lines were not as pronounced as they were in 78-79. in 80 they went to the lower profile ones. and if you were to change the fenders with a 80 you would be fine. or at least should be.