1st O/T--"old" IFS question

[Grumpy]

Ok, don't bust my balls too hard!

I just picked up a "A" chassis from HammerHank that was under a sedan his Grandpa built and drove until he passed, and it went to Hammer.

What I want to do is throw together a cheap, dependable fendered sedan to drive daily and let the wife run around in.

What I can't seem to figure out is what frontend is under it. Hank don't know for sure.
It's 5-lug (4.5)with drum brakes.
It looks like an old MII, but I was told they didn't make those 5lug, with drums.
So maybe pinto?Maybe what?

I usually don't do O/T, but I know someone here will know.
If you want to stay undercover, PM me http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I'll post a few pics.

Let the ass-bashing begin!

[Grumpy]

more

[Grumpy]

last unless you want more

[jerry]

looks like it might be a corvair front end with a rck adapted to it. a common swap before the mII came out.


jerry

[ELpolacko]

Looks like pre-74 Pinto to me. Control arms, crossmember and rack mounts. But the drum brakes and spindles look Corvair. Odd

[Grumpy]

Were corvairs 5-lug by 4.5?

and come with drums?
BTW, as you can tell, the stock "A" member was left in place.

I know IFS sucks, but the chassis was cheap and it'll be a good daily.

[Levis Classic]

Sure aint no traditional A front end. Good to see ya dive into A's Grumpy!

[ELpolacko]

are you really sure you ar measuring 5 on 4.5" bolt pattern.

GM stuff was usually 5 on 4.75" and had 7/16" studs. You measure the pattern by hanging the tape over one stud completely, skip a stud and measure to the center of the next stud. Or you can get a wheel pattern template somewhere online if you need. Better yet try and put a GM wheel on it and see if it fits!

Yes most Corvairs were drum brake and had a steering box with a center link steering system. So I don't think the majority of this is Corvair. Might be why the rack has no tie rod ends on it...they didn't fit.

[Charlie Chops 1940]

Corvair steering arms bolted on the spindle. I don't see anything here that looks GM-like. Pacer??

Charlie

[Deuce Roadster]

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif


Just a suggestion.... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif



The stock crossmember is still there. That means you could cut ALL the ugly junk off and start back with a straight axle and a transverse spring.


http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

[Grumpy]

yeah, it's 4.5 x 5. The rims are rollers off my buddies dad's barracuda.

And from what HammerHank told me, the car was a driver until they took it down to go 32 chassis.

He lost a box with some parts, including the tie-rods.

He said he always thought his grandpa said it was MII, but.....

[ELpolacko]

Not Pacer, they had disc brakes and a spindle that had a removeable spindle stud. I think you are correct about them not being Corvair then.

These are not the correct spindles for this front end I am pretty sure of it. The more I look at this front end it looks like 71-73 first generation Pinto/Bobcat. The correct spindles for it look alot like a shrunken version of the later Mustang II/Pinto/Bobcat front end. What ever it is I like the suggestion of cutting it off,, http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Grumpy]

since I have willing contestants, here's a couple more pics.

[Charlie Chops 1940]

Yup, cut it off and forget that it was ever there...

[Grumpy]

1 moew

[choprods]

EL-P' was right its a 71-72 Pinto....clamped on rack gives it away.
those are the stock steering arms too.....
almost every peice of that front end is commn to only that two years....the first pintos were a carryover of a German auto that Ford had made...Capri maybe?
If you remember the first engines were of German origin also -BEFORE the mainstay 2300 that was prevelant from 1974 on .......

[Grumpy]

so that's it?!

I hope. I was told not, because of 5-lug, and drums. But I don't know if the guy telling me that is worth listening to.
That's why I came here.
Thanks

[Bigcheese327]

Trying to be polite here... It's going to look "odd" to have a steering rack hanging out where the front splash apron belongs. I'd say trash it or Ebay it once you know what it is.

[38Chevy454]

Just a wild ass guess, but could the spindles be from another Ford, such as a Maverick or Mustang? Those would have drum brakes and might have been swapped to get the 5-lug pattern? I agree the control arms look like Pinto/Must II style.