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

Well, the only advise I can give is to trial and error. On my 46 chevy I had some aftermarket frame engine mounts. When I redid it I hung the engine in there and spaced it up until it sat where I wanted it too. Far better approach than going with predetermined mounts.

If it looks like everything will clear and it sits in the frame right and you can get your angles for the driveline correct, then I would say that would be the best spot for it.

 

I am still on the fence about this one. It being my first clip and all. I have decided that i want to do it, just the confidence part of diving head first into shallow water. I am going to be dropping a 500 caddy motor in it as well. Any thoughts? Also are there any dfw guys who might want to help with this? I have a great welder who will weld it all together once everything is in place. Just want someone to help set it up. Who wants to help and drink my beer? Ok fine, the beer will be after the measurements lól

 

Dude, that looks perfect. The gap above the left and right top of the tire is dead tits on where the fender arch is symmetric. Good job!


Got me a 78 T/A clip this last weekend for my '59. Surgery is this Friday at my shop. Should go real quick with 3 fellow workers doing it! It's amazing what people will do for beer! I was going to invite any local Dallas folks to come out to the shop if they want to see one first hand. Just shoot me a message!

 

I wish I was close, I would love to help.

As far as the caddy goes, it's only 75 pounds heavier than a stock sbc. Something about the sump or pan comes to mind, but not clearly.

Did one in a 68 elcamino years ago......one tire frier

 

Caddy is heavier than sbc, lighter than bbc, you'll need a front driver oil pan and pickup, (I think) or you can modify your pan to fit but you'll still need the pickup.

I helped put a 514 in a 79 malibu wagon long time ago and thats what I remember.

Oh yeah, if using stock exhaust you'll have to clearence the drivers side for steering shaft, not much IIRC.

 

Thanks Wheelie....wish I could come out, but I gotta work today.

 

I finally got around to working on the wife's truck again. Went to my local auto parts store (one of those mythical REAL ones without computers, LOL) and bought a replacement for every wearable part on the clip. We're talking ball joints, bearings, races, brake pads, sway bar ends, A arm brushings, tie rod ends... the list keeps going.

I'm posting so you all will know what to expect, but everything came in just over $600. If it were going to be my personal truck I probably wouldn't have gone to this extent, but for the wife its worth the peace of mind knowing she'll be as safe as possible, and that the suspension will last forever.

 

I am just wondering if you feel the engine sits too low? I was thinking of raising mine a little. Just from my rough measurements anyways. Do you have pics of how it sits from the top?

 

Question on setting the ride height: I understand that the lower A-arms should be level at ride height, but where on the stock arms do I need to measure? I saw that there is a raised and kind of flat area on the rear side of the A-arm...is that the place?

 

I am about to start my son's 57 short bed, thank you LUX BLUE and all the others for your info. I would like to pull an old V-Drive boat with the truck when completed. Has anyone added a trailer hitch after C-channeling the frame and if so did you do any more reinforcing to the frame?

 

Who are you asking Wheelie???

 

And is this you wheelie???

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?t=423680

 

hey man are you in the dfw area?

 

I have a late 70s TA clip that i want to use in my 58. I would like to retain the 235 and 3 speed just because it works good. I was thinking of using a manual 525 box. I would have to fab a front mount for the 235. Would the 235 clear the cross member okay?
Is this doable?
thanks

 

I am sure it could be done as some of those cars came with inlines in them in the earlier models...but it sounds like a total pain in the butt.

 

Austin.

 

the truck in the photos routinely runs around with a pair of motorcycles in the back. I would probably add some overload bags for trailering, though...

 

nope. but I demand you try to pat your head and rub your belly at the same time.

honestly, this thread was geared towards one thing...showing how it's done in a reasonably timely manner, with easily available parts. throwing other front end swaps into the mix doesn't hurt my feelings at all...I simply consider this one the best "bang for your buck". it's an opinion on a free message board, meaning that sooner or later, someone elses opinion will be voiced.

 

ah! on the th400, it sits straight down the middle, I just read an article on a 4l60 swap into a first gen camaro, and they had to cut the "duckbill" off the back of the crossmember and make a longer one. and I seem to recall it moved to one side a bit. when all else fails, remeber this- on the frone half of the clip, the motor favors the drivers side of the clip by about 2 inches. (to make room for the steering)- so it will look all kinds of funky with the sheetmetal off.

 

wanna know a secret? 78-79 caddy sevilles- the fugly ones with a 2 foot trunk and a 10 foot hood- those are f-bodies, and alot of them had caddy power. meaning the mounts, oil pan, exhaust manifolds, etc,etc,etc- there are stock parts that exist for this swap!

 

this is one of the better tech threads IMHO
The more i drive the stock 58 the more I hate the steering. it is half worn out. Before i spend more rebuilding it I figure I already have the clip. The 235 works good and I figured it wouldn't be another clipped truck with a sbc. What would be the biggest pain in the butt, the front motor mount?
thanks

 

well, that, and the gigantic oil pan. by the time it was all said and done...the v8 would be the better choice.

 

Help, Lux Blue, Jaws or anyone that has clipped a 55-57 GMC.

I stripped down my 56 GMC today to begin a camaro clip install only to discover that the radiator support mounts totally different then a chevy, it has a cradle that mounts in the forward center of the front crossmember not on top of the frame rails like a chevy??

Question is has anyone clipped a GMC & if so how do you get around this?
would there be room in the front of the Fbody frame to fit a crossbrace or is the sway bar in the way??

Help would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

Awesome thread, thanks to all that contributed!

I had a Camaro clip under a 67 C-10 with a 396 back in the early 90's. Damn truck drove like a Vette and rode like a Caddy.

IMO, the Camaro clip is one of God's gifts to Hot Rodders.

 

It is doable just takes a little more work. You will need the original rad crossmember, a lot of measuring, a little fab work, and patience...oh it helps if you have a friend or to to assist.
Lets begin, once all of the frame swap work has been completed you will need to hang the front sheet metal in line with where needs to sit.


This requires some struggle, extra hands, and patience as all of the sheet metal is aligned with the rad support. Now measure, measure, measure, and mark the alignment of the support in conjunction with the crossmember and new frame stub. To get the height correct, the bottom of the rad carriage will need to be bobbed. This is not a problem as there is a great deal of dead space between the bottom of the radiator and the frame mount.


This is what you will wind up with after a lot of grinding fitting, refitting, and welding. Everything fits! You will need to notch the driver's side for steering box clearance.




You will find there is a lot of adjustment and trimming to the piles of sheet metal GMC used to create the rad support, talk about over engineered! Theres like 30 bolts just holding the radiator in!



Have fun! I'll see if I can find more pictures...hmm I was planning on doing a build post on this truck....damn you procastination!

 

Duffman, more pictures please!!! with the countless amounts of camaro clip installs I scowered through various forums, your rad support mount was exactly what I needed to see. What do you plan on doing for bumper brackets?

Also did you slide your subframe under like Lux blue or grafted parallel? I'm thinking it may make a difference height wise on where the radiator crossmember goes??

 

I'll dig up more pics. I did the frame exactly as Lux did, whole unit slid under factory frame. been working on the body, have not scienced out the bumper mount yet.

 

Lux, I may have not said this in my original post, but I think this is a great tech article. Most clip jobs I have ever seen...Camaro, Mustang II, etc...were pretty scary...but you did it the right way, and I hope plenty of people will follow along. Some may have thought I have an issue with clips in general, but that is not the case. Its all about what the customer wants, and is willing to pay for.

 

no worries!

 

heh. so much for "chevrolet and g.m.c. are exactly the same truck" Eh?

firedome installed a g.m.c. bumper in his (it's actually a g.m.c. panel with chevy fenders...which makes big differences everywhere...the hoods, for example, taper differently!) and as I recall, it wasn't as much fun as it should have been....