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

one thing about putting a camaro subframe in a AD truck is "it's easier to lower the truck later than raise it up" when your dragging and tearing up the underside of your truck when you hit "potholes" you will hate life. they look cool but ripping up my oil pan ain't!

 

Lux, thanks for all the info !!
My neighbor just asked me to finish his 55 mII swap ( he has cancer pretty bad ) Well thanks to you I have talked him into the camaro instead !
The problem is somebody already stripped the axle,springs, bump stops,box and crossmember from the truck. Now I have no reference for the axle centerline ( of course they did not mark it, that would be too easy...)
Can you come up with a measurement from the leafspring mounting holes to the cut for me ? Your pics show very clearly the passenger side, but i cannot trust my old eyes working just from that. Not an exact # but close enough so that I can slide the clip in and check the fender opening ? I know this is a 55 so maybe I only need an inch or so longer ( unlike the 57) This # could make a great template with reference for the different years IE; plus 1 for 55, plus 2 1/4 for 57/8 or something like that..
Any help will be greatly apreciated !
Dave Lewis ;-)

 

dave the wb of a shortbox 55' is 116" and longbox is 122" measure from center of rear wheel to front of truck and mark frame, that should get you close enough for a start.

 

awesome thread Lux, hahahahaha i wasnt gonna clip my apache, was gonna just drop axle it but hell you made it look so dammmm easy......... Next up
apache sub framed and a severe drop

thanks Lux

 

Guess you haven't driven a good one then - they are out there but cost HEAPS to maintain ( I've got one)

When you TIG cast iron, how do you stop the puddle from blowing up and fucking your electrode??? Or do you just keep going?

 

55 Dude, Thanks for the wb info ! When I get this thing cut and fit I will make a template from the spring mount and post it .
The HAMB rules !
Dave Lewis ;-)

 

I preheated the hell out of this particular peice. I just waited for it to stop "sparkling" before I started. (I am pretty sure that was sand burning out.) I also used a peice of the original cast material as a filler here. I am still unsure what the nickel content of these type of cast parts are...I doubt it is the same mix of Iron used in Cylinder heads and engine blocks.

I used a 1/8 thoriated tungsten...they seem to "shake off" contamination a bit better. but mostly, I used it because it was already in the machine.

and really, I just worked really, really slow. this was neccecary, because I was holding a sliver of damn hot cast iron with pliers in my fill hand. kinda like giving surgical stitches...

 

and there you go!

 

Huh?
the oil pan sits at stock height for the Camaro...which you could damn near drive a cinderblock over. the front bumper on the other hand....yeah.

 

. Yeah, me too.

 

This is a great thread, I just cut the frame on my 59 apache and am ready to weld on the camaro clip. Should I leave the camaro clip entirely how it is and weld it on or could i shorten its rear extending rails by cutting the last 8 inches or so off?

 

I leave it on. It makes it easier to do some fun stuff-You can use that extra 8 inches to route Your fueal and brake lines through, and it makes a damn fine spot to stick a jack.

The f-body e-brake stuff hangs from there also.

It never hurts to have an extra 32 inches of combined weld, either. (8 inches, inside and out=16, times 2 sides.)

Really, so long as You have enough room for the crossmember, It's up to you.

 

Actually drove it around today, sits right... drives right... ready to go back to the owner at the end of the week...





Just got to fix the $60 tranny that was put in it...

.

 

Finally welded the clip onto the frame a couple days ago. I still need to put a couple more passes on the outside of the frame rail and mount the trans mount so I can box in the inner frame rail. This thread made it pretty easy.

 

Lookin good!

 

I'm picking up a Camaro clip this weekend! It's going underneath a 53 Plymouth but, I'm using this Thread as a guide. I hope it goes in just as easy.

 

Document it well!
Those little plymouths are Custom fodder for sure- such cool lines!

 

Yes, pass on what you learn, so the next guy can benefit.

 

great tech pictures an description for clip instal i enjoyed this thread , is the panel truck painted yet ?

 

Nope. Firedome isn't in too big of a hurry in that department.

It is, however, getting closer and closer to being 1 consistent color of Primer, though.

 

This install looks so easy. Can it be done on a 52 GMC truck.
I have a 1981 Z-28 clip ready to go.
Thanks.

 

It is, however, getting closer and closer to being 1 consistent color of Primer, though. [/quote]

LOL...Step 1:make it live again, Step 2: Drive it, tweek it to fit expected use, Step 3: Drive it & enjoy, Step 4:body work, Step 5: Drive it more...

I think its at about Step 3 now. Step 4 is coming after it cools down a bit outside...

 

I did this to my '50 Chevy truck last month. Found a '79 TA junker for $150 and sold off some of the pieces on Craigs List for $200, swapped the drum brake rear end and 50 bucks for a posi disc one out of a Camaro and ended up with this. I also put a triangulated 4 bar in the rear of it (the coils overs in it now are presently there just to hold it up, I need to find some shorter ones) because the whole ass end had been screwed up by someone else.

Everything fell together perfectly. I only wish I would have seen this thread when it started, but only because it would have bolstered my confidence level.

 

Ghosttown-
Looks really good so far!

I imagine You're gonna have to c-notch the rear end a little, but aside from that, the only thing I would change would be to complete the welds down the subrails. (it will add strength and stiffness.)

as far as confidence...Yeah, when I did my first one, I had nothing to go on other than I knew it had been done before, by a complete dumbass. I figured that if He could pull it off, I had at least a 50/50 chance.

 

When the floor boards are level (ass end dropped down to level the thing out I mean) I have six inches of travel before the axle hits the frame. Do you think I'll still need more?

Also, I was told to only weld 4 inch beads along the bottom so that it can flex a little and not break the welds. You obviously have more experience at this than I do, is that not a problem?

 

I welded the clip on with the added 2 inches, took your word for it, and unfortunetly never threw the body on the frame. just put the body on today and mounted the front sheetmetal and the added two inches on the wheels seemed too far forward. Yes.. I know... measure, measure, measure, measure... weld. I'll never make that mistake again. Should i try and tackle cuting the entire weld out and cut out 2 more inches of the truck frame and weld the 2 back together or should i try and cut 2 inches out of the camaro clip behind the suspension? Damn I feel like an idiot..

 

I'm in the middle of my swap now . I think we have a about 4 hours in meausuring everything and coming up with a attack plan.
P.S I said earlier it was a Camaro clip but it's a Nova clip.

 

Nope. weld it all the way up.

 

make sure You add the weight of the engine before You cut ANYTHING.
You may be right on the money.