TECH: Camaro Clip in your 58 chevy-in one day!

29/31 model A pickup/coupe, with 1955 331 cadillac engine.

Nope he doesn't. He's just being a troll. Dude has no clue...

 

Lux Great info, thanks. Any experence with the Jag Front in the 50's ford P.U.? It seems to be all the talk now.

 

Hey Lux.....just read the whole thread. GREAT stuff!!! Good pics and explainations....
Had to bookmark it.....I'd like to do this if I ever find a descent '56 F-100.....

 

That's a negatory, Ghostrider.

I prefer my metal from stateside. easier to find parts when I break the hell out of them.

I worked at a eurocar shop for a while-pulling v12's out of xj's and installing lt1's. the jag design is pretty well thought out, but they're kind of "boaty" for my tastes.

 

Great thread -- brought back a lot of memories from "back in the day" when you could pick up Novas for $200-$300 and part 'em out. Those front clips were a breeze to remove -- you got IFS, modern brakes, Chevy motor mounts & tranny mount, power steering, etc.

I parted out early '70s Novas for money in college. I put a subframe under a 47 Chevy -- piece of cake. Put some under race cars, too. Sure as hell can't get all that for three bills anymore!

 

This is a great thread, thank you LUX! I will use it as a reference when I do mine. I have a 1959 Apache that sits way too high....

 

lux, what years work? i found a 75 trans am with blown motor but good suspension. is that similar to yours? also, do any nova or malibus have the same type front clip that could be used as easily. if so, anybody know what years? i am ready to pull my old motor so good time to do that suspension stuff. thanks

 

Lux,

You mentioned before that you had notched the rear chassis, any details or shots? I am just about to notch the frame on my 56 3100 and would like, to see how others have tackled the job.

Great post, look forward to your reply.

P.

 

You're pretty safe with a trans am, firebird, nova (and the Buick and Pontiac versions), camaro from '70-'81... they're all pretty much the same... small differences with some of the brakes and a-arms but they'll all work

 

zman - thanks for the info. that is kinda what i was finding on the web but just someone smarter to tell me.

 

I am picking up my clip tomarrow and will be doing this swap on my 56 short step. This thread has been a ton of help. Thanks for putting forth the effort to document your swap.

I have been reading this over the last week and dont recall any thing about the master cylinder.

Did you buy a kit and keep it on the frame or did you convert to a firewall setup.

 

bought the CPP kit for the original position under floor.

 

Just scored a '79 Trans Am front clip in primo shape.... $150 already out of the car...

 

and so far it has been a collossal pain in the ass. Buy the speedway kit instead. MUCH easier to deal with.

 

hey thanks for posting all the pics. this post has been great and has given a lot of insight.

does PST sell individual front-end bushings or did you spring for the whole front-end kit? i have a late 2nd gen camaro clip.

laters.

 

Try a Z28 or Trans Am with swaybars the size of your arm, you'll change your mind! I'd love to have a fendered old car with handling and braking like that.

 

can you link me to the speedway kit you got? because cpp seams to make several bolt on kits made ready to fit.

 

Dunno...I have always just done the "full meal deal"- I figure if the bushings needed replacing, the balljoints were probably a little worn,too.

besides, you've got the darn thing in your hand...why not replace the stuff at the other end,too?

 

err...compooter illeterate.

however, going to the archives...

it is part number 916-31948. it uses a modern master. typically, we don't use the power brakes function, but it can be easily adapted.

the big thing is, it fits tight to the rail.

 

thanks lux, that kit is cheap too, did you have to modify it at all or does the pedal position match up pretty good?

 

you have to heat and tweak the pedal over pretty good, but nothing too dramatic. the cpp pedal assy...well, lets just say I'm real glad I know how to tig weld Cast Iron. none of the positions avalible would work with the power booster and the original pedal arm, and since I can't do alot of changes to the booster, I made the changes to the pedal.

apparently photobucket is hosed...I will post photos of the modified cpp set up tomorrow.

don't get me wrong, it's nice enough stuff, and I use them all the time, but I cannot see everyone being able to pull this off in thier home garage. the speedway kit is sooo much easier to work with (especially if you don't mind not having power disc.)

another thing to keep in mind is I am running a 700 with a short tail. if i were running (for example) a "mid length" 400, the crosmember would have been a heck of alot easier to deal with. I will also post pics of our header selection, and take you guys with me as I build the exhaust, (y'all need to know how this gets done without a bender- it will save you TONS of cash, and after you do one, you will leave Midas alone forever.) and some of the other simple chassis tweaks that I do along the way.

stay tuned!

 

When you put the clip in did the bottom of the camaro clip mount flush with the fram rails of the panel or below the fram rails? Going to put one in friday. If you could do it again would you do anything different or are you happy with how it turned out? Keep the panels alive thanks for the info

 

not to be a shithead, but...

dude. in the pics, you can see all the bidness.
yes, it is mounted flat to the bottom.

and post an intro.

 

Lux,

Bitchin' job of showing 'how to'!

Got a question... how well do the Volare swaps in early trucks compare as far as cornering, braking, noise/vibration, and smoothness?

It's been so long since I rode in a 2nd gen Camaro or an Aspen/Mirada/etc. that I can't remember either of them for squat.

Toyed with the idea of a Volare swap for my '54 Dodge, but am still bogged down with the financial realities of rebuilding the wounded 383...

-bill

 

Volare works nice for getting it freakishly low...but not as good when it comes to handeling. the crossed torsion bar front end just isn't as stable. If I were trying to keep my dodge "all dodge" I would probably use a dakota clip. they're niiice.


one last thing...how to remember your last ride in a camaro.

picture a warm summer day, your sleeveless shirt is torn open almost all the way down to your baggy shorts, mullet flowing in the wind, freebird on the 8-track....T-Tops open, your cousin gazing lovingly at you from the passenger bucket seat, your 4 kids in the back seat...and the dog.
then you hit a dip and spilled warm Ol Milwaukee in your crotch.

 

one last thing...how to remember your last ride in a camaro.

picture a warm summer day, your sleeveless shirt is torn open almost all the way down to your baggy shorts, mullet flowing in the wind, freebird on the 8-track....T-Tops open, your cousin gazing lovingly at you from the passenger bucket seat, your 4 kids in the back seat...and the dog.
then you hit a dip and spilled warm Ol Milwaukee in your crotch


As Hank Hill would say...."that boy ain't right"

Gotta admit, you make it look a whole lot easier then I remember doing the Camaro sub on my 59 (my avatar ). I guess when I was doing mine I should have stayed away from the Ol Milwaukee's.

 

A little worried at the start. The swap went very easy. Lots of measuring and The clip is in. The 2" more centered the tire great. The info was great. Still got more work to do though. Have to tackle the rear now. Thanks for all the tips.

 

Wow...that's scary. It's like you instantly transported me back to my childhood, the exceptions being my parents are only related by marriage and the music was The Eagles

 

if ya edit out the winer this should go inthe tech o mat