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f100 with camaro subframe.. wrong way to do it

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by fosheezie, Mar 20, 2011.

  1. fosheezie
    Joined: Nov 11, 2010
    Posts: 72

    fosheezie
    Member
    from las vegas

    how it goin fellas, ive got a quick question that hopefully someone can shed some light on..

    ive got a buddy with a 54 f100 that he is wanting to get rid of, i went and looked at it today and the thing needs work but overall is pretty solid, the truck has a camaro front subframe installed in it, with power disc and a chevy 350, little interior but runs and drives down the road just fine.. the question that i had is there a wrong way to graft a camaro front subframe to one of these trucks.. ive actually never seen one that has been done before and know there are far better ways to have ifs (mustang 2 or aftermarket) or to just leave the stock solid axle in it like i did in mine... but the fella that set this up actually welded the camaro front subframe underneath the stock ford frame... he sectioned it a bit but basically looks like the subframe was rolled underneath the factory frame then welded, and i thought the right way to do is was to butt weld the frames together then brace on both sides... before i bought this truck i wanted to know if this is something i should totally stay away from or not... (ps i can get the truck pretty cheap)
     
  2. chillywilly
    Joined: Jul 28, 2009
    Posts: 274

    chillywilly
    Member

    I had a 55 with a camaro clip... drove the sh!t out of it for about 4 years or so... I did not butt weld the frame - rather slid the two together and reinforced the heck out of it with some serious plate. The higher the subframe is mounted the lower the truck will be ... mine was this ride height always.. no bags or lifts. just a lot of cracked and bent running boards!!!! cant locate a pic now - of course
     
  3. chillywilly
    Joined: Jul 28, 2009
    Posts: 274

    chillywilly
    Member

    found pic
     

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  4. chaddilac
    Joined: Mar 21, 2006
    Posts: 14,021

    chaddilac
    Member

    Dang Chilly!! that looks slick!!
     

  5. Doesn't sound right if I am envisioning it correctly.
     
  6. Larry T
    Joined: Nov 24, 2004
    Posts: 7,875

    Larry T
    Member

    I've seen the Ford frame "stacked" on a Camaro frame before. It doesn't look very professional. On one of them, the owner went back in and tied the Camaro frame into the pickup frame where they butted together and cut the rest of the Camaro clip off. It still ended up looking pretty shadetree.
    Larry T
     
    Last edited: Mar 20, 2011
  7. fosheezie
    Joined: Nov 11, 2010
    Posts: 72

    fosheezie
    Member
    from las vegas

    i guess something like this can always be fixed but that definately puts a dampner on the purchase right off the bat knowing im gonna have to do frame surgery... truck is lowered from stock but nothing drastic... sick truck chilly by the way.. do you have any frame pics close by... ill see if i can take a pic and post tomorrow
     
  8. chillywilly
    Joined: Jul 28, 2009
    Posts: 274

    chillywilly
    Member

    you posted a pic of this truck before when it was light blue and black...
     
  9. chillywilly
    Joined: Jul 28, 2009
    Posts: 274

    chillywilly
    Member

    i dont have a pic of the frame work... if memory serves i slid the clip into the stock frame and boxed it all up... was pretty straight forward .. tracked beautifully
     
  10. fosheezie
    Joined: Nov 11, 2010
    Posts: 72

    fosheezie
    Member
    from las vegas

    i know than anything can be fixed with a plasma cutter and a welder but would something like this be a deal breaker for one of you guys looking for a project .. you cant see it from the side of the truck ( because of the running boards) but it does look like a little peice of hell underneath.. i jujst didnt know if they were all done like that.. guess not
     
  11. chillywilly
    Joined: Jul 28, 2009
    Posts: 274

    chillywilly
    Member

    i personally love these trucks... had a few ... if you don't want it and it's cheap lemme know!
     
  12. Do you know what the radiator came out of? My buddy is doing something similar with a 52 F1 and a 73 Trans Am and doesn't have room for a radiator?
     
  13. chopolds
    Joined: Oct 22, 2001
    Posts: 6,208

    chopolds
    Member
    from howell, nj
    1. Kustom Painters

    I've subbed a lot of cars in my time (yeah, I know it's not popular here, but if done right, it WORKS). I've never done one like that, though I've seen them. Someone took the easy way out.
    I like to splice them is, so they are not so blatently "subframed". Fish plates, and reinforcements make them safe and strong, and blend them inot the existing chassis.
    By welding the new sub in, higher up into the stock frame, you also effectively lower thte car quite a bit.
    So if I was to get a car like you mentioned, I would change it, for safety, asthetic, and height reasons. If paying someone else to do it....it would cost a bunch, so you'd have to get the car pretty cheap!
     
  14. bonez
    Joined: Jul 16, 2007
    Posts: 3,487

    bonez
    Member
    from Slow lane

    If you can do the work your self and its reallycheap and the rest is as nice as you describe it go for it. i would.
     
  15. this has worked for decades,last one I did I bought a 69 camaro sub for about $100 with the power steering and brakes,and like has been said they track and work great if boxed and made strong,just kinda uglly sometimes,we ended up spliting my rails open some and tried to make it look more blended..I would still do it this way over a mustang two ....their damn near bullet proof!
     
  16. Voodoofire1
    Joined: Mar 20, 2011
    Posts: 6

    Voodoofire1
    Member

    Well my cousin Brad had his neighbor clip his 53, and they welded it under the existing frame, doesn't look to bad.........I did my 67 truck myself with a WS6 clip, and grafted it in 19 years ago, never had a problem then, and haven't had a problem since, sits great, rides great, no body roll and corners like you wouldn't believe... best thing I ever did to it, and I use to drive it everyday...... and will be again soon as the facelift is done..... for myself, I wouldn't trade my clip for a mustang II if you paid me and my trucks a ford...... built ford tough, with better chevy stuff...
     
  17. chevyshack
    Joined: Dec 28, 2008
    Posts: 950

    chevyshack
    Member

    Damn chillywilly! That truck looks great snow white. It just pops. As for the clip welded under the fram id buy it anyways if its cheap. You could always redo it. Just make sure you keep that in mind with the price.
     
  18. coupe man
    Joined: Sep 1, 2007
    Posts: 284

    coupe man
    Member

    I did my 41 ply this way.Been driving it for 15 yrs and no problems.I agree its not the nicest looking way to do it but it's safe if its done right and it does handle well
     
  19. oldolds
    Joined: Oct 18, 2010
    Posts: 3,407

    oldolds
    Member

    With the frame butted together you only have the welds around the frame holding it together, (maybe 15 inches on each frame rail) which is all the factory uses.
    If you lay the one on top of the other You will have over 4 foot of weld on each frame rail. You will also have less problems with correct caster angle.
    It mostly depends on how much you trust your welds
     
  20. 42 chevy
    Joined: Nov 1, 2006
    Posts: 623

    42 chevy
    Member

    Isn't there a thread by Luxblue on here that did it like that? I think it was how to subframe a '58 Chevy truck in a day or some title like that. I think it is Camaro clip in your '58 Chevy in one day, I found it in a search. It looks like it was done just as you describe that one. I have seen several done this way and never heard of any trouble. My '42 Chevy has a '74 Nova clip butt welded and fish plated and it handles amazingly well and is low as well.
     
    Last edited: Mar 21, 2011
  21. dodored
    Joined: Feb 5, 2007
    Posts: 641

    dodored
    Member
    from Concord NC

    If the truck is cheap enough why not buy it? You can always find another stock frame, build it the way you want, and swap the body out. I have a fat man MII under mine, but I would have preferred a chevelle clip that I had on the previous truck. Camaro is too wide for the F100 and you have to fix it will wheel offset.
     

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  22. Paul Y
    Joined: Dec 29, 2006
    Posts: 633

    Paul Y
    Member

  23. octobeak
    Joined: Jun 30, 2010
    Posts: 154

    octobeak
    Member

    I bought a 46 ford with a 1971 f-body subframe butted up against the ford frame with a funky looking graft. I ended up cutting it all out and placing new rails beneath the subframe and running it back behind the cab. This lowered the cab about 6".
     

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  24. octobeak
    Joined: Jun 30, 2010
    Posts: 154

    octobeak
    Member

    oh yeah, you can get shortened control arms for the camaro clip if the wheel fitment looks weird.
     
  25. aerocolor
    Joined: Oct 7, 2009
    Posts: 1,209

    aerocolor
    Member
    from dayton

    80 Camaro clip with no issues. 17x7 w/4" backspacing wheel works perfect.

    I have trucks with GM. Volare and Heidt(Mustang II) and the Gm front always drives the best.
     

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  26. Sonny48
    Joined: Jan 12, 2011
    Posts: 131

    Sonny48
    Member
    from Mo.

    I did my 48 chevy 1/2 ton with a 75 nova subframe and it worked perfect. I made a cardboard template of the subframe and cut the original frame to match it and set the original frame on top of the sub, then boxed the inside back to the bed, and plated the out side top to bottom. The front bumper sits even with the top of a beer can. Rides good...runs straight at any speed. Just check it out and make sure it was installed correctly..and enjoy it.
     
  27. Left Turn
    Joined: Nov 13, 2009
    Posts: 634

    Left Turn
    Member Emeritus
    from Omaha, NE

    we've got a '53 F100 in here with a 73 or so Olds 88 or 98 clip... fits pretty good... rides really nice.. has a built 455 and an olds rear that might not last after the new engine gets fired...
     
  28. hustlinhillbilly
    Joined: Jun 17, 2008
    Posts: 184

    hustlinhillbilly
    Member
    from ohio

    Back when the magazines still had "How To" articles, instead of "Here's what to buy", I think it was Street Rodder that did a pretty good article on clipping a car.

    It was essentially get the measurements of the stock wheel base, chop off the old front, hollow out the insides of the frame rails and slide the clip inside, get it positioned right and weld it up. Some splitting of the outer rail was sometimes necessary, but it didn't look too bad. You have more structural support than a butt weld, with the clip sleeved inside the old frame rails, plus it dropped the nose a bunch. Did it on my 40 Chevy and drove it for over 10 years with no problems.
     
  29. I meant they way the OP was done. I always liked your truck.
     
  30. Ranunculous
    Joined: Nov 30, 2007
    Posts: 2,465

    Ranunculous
    Member

    chillywilly is right.Be sure to check how far up into the curve of the sub rails you're cutting!
    You can always lower em but raising a front end is a bear! I swapped coils and am in the process of looking for a 29" front runner tire to bring the snoot of mine up a bit.
    Road grading ain't fun...

    Camaro/Nova sub swaps were all the rage back in the late 80's when we swapped mine on,now NAPA and the parts houses call them antique cars? Buy extra parts when you can!
     

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