I am about to start a 56 vette build, and I`m wondering if anybody has used a Mustang 11 type front crossmember in one of these and who makes the best one? It would be nice to have it original but it was a drag car at some time in its life and of course somebody butchered the front end, any help is appreciated, Thanks Clarence
The front suspension on those is 53-54 car stuff. Really nothing special. If your frame has not been cut up too bad you should be able to put stock stuff in pretty easily. The cross member is bolt in. It is a good suspension, parts are available as well as upgrades.
A straight axle nose high stance is in order unless your thinking street rod then you on the wrong site. But serious lets see some pics and whatd the plans for it now ?
As above, check Jim Meyer's bolt in front suspension with rack and pinion and disk brakes. Great set up.
It's a '56 Corvette....to me the holy grail. Anything besides stock 56 stuff is just burning the value and doing a disservice to the car. I'd kill for one.... I totally understand that it might not be in the cars to restore it though and it is YOUR car so let's compromise and put a straight axle and spindle mounts up front!!! Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
I have a friend who closed a Corvette repair/restoration shop a few years ago and has two complete front ends... a 58 and a 61 I believe.. both never cleaned up. drum to drum. includes the third member, tie rods etc.. either would be very inexpensive except for shipping..PM me if interested. If you dont know, there is virtually no difference in the front ends year to year on the C1 cars.. a few holes for the fan shroud etc..
S-t-o-c-k! I take that back since it was a ex drag car just go with a straight axle and make a old timey vette gasser. G-O G-A-S-S-E-R
Stock for sure, maybe with a disc brake upgrade. Too many hunters for these old cars, value is way up there even for the rough ones.
I recently did mine with jim meyer suspension and it was great, i thought about rebuilding my stock one but really it just looks like a truck front suspension back in the day, the stock suspension has a bad reputation for being not very good at handling, there may be some tricks to make them better. Buddy of mine converted his 56 from an 80s parts car corvette, he did all his own fabrication and it was alot of work but it came out really good. The jim meyer is adjustable in height. Try to find vetrod62 on this site he has alot of great tech information on these cars. Pictures would be nice. jp
They are only worth something when your kids sell them and your drooling from the pablum they feed you at the nursing home and what memories you have are of asking every ones opinion about what to do with "YOUR" corvette Pat
Because of what it would do to the value, you might want to bring it back to stock. Remember, the corvette didn't have a special front end. It's the same as my '54. I would look around and find someone who converted theirs and find one I could buy. You're car though. You can certainly improve on the front end but the stock one is good and it will keep the value up more.
stock suspension handled well enough to steer with the accelerator and that is fun---it is not possible to restore a car that is too far gone , with too many parts missing ,and make money unless it is a highly optioned car (rare performance options ) build something you will enjoy ---fun is supposed to cost money...
My 59 has a shortened S/truck frame with 9"Ford and ladders,it is narrow enough to use 8"by15"s on all four corners..... My '61 has an 84 Malibu chassis complete under it. I used to drive these as orig cars when I was a kid.....the wheel hoppin leaf spring rear end setup with anti-roll "catch straps" was awful and the 54 chevy car steering with bellcrank was just as worthless,and brakes were insufficient..... Not All cars are better left completely stock.
To the OP, First it is your car, do what you want. Beyond that, If it was a real race car, restore it as it was. If it was raced as a no name racer, I would restore it back to it's glory years. My car does not have any track history because it was a Midnight street racer for $$. I did that until I got married. Made double my day job wages. In my opinion, there are enough Museum examples of these old cars to the point of not even looking at them when I see one. I bought my vette in 1966. Although these cars were faster than other cars at the time, It was too slow, did not stop and had no traction. That is why the many corvettes of the era were modified. Mine included. All those deficiencies are easily corrected now. 56/57 vettes are really good to race because they are hundreds of pounds less than the later cars of the first generation. I run the stock front suspension now because I do not want to install a full cage. ( you should have seen the stuff I used to do back in the day, like full circles on one front wheel back then) The stock front suspension will corner, but you have to "muscle it" , not finesse it like a newer car. ReSale, give me a break. To go all stock, major $$. You will never recover. Buy a new car, 30-40 Gs, 3 years later worth, half valve is lost. Eight years later the car is worthless. You own one of these vettes because you love it. Not for dollar value. If you are really going use the Vette as it was designed, to be raced, I know how to do that with out breaking it every time you go to the track. Jim
I agree with others about moving back to a stock style setup. I am not a restorer and I am not mentally built to be one. I can't leave anything alone. A 56/57 vette in my possession would end up being a 50's style road racer. Do you have any pictures, before and now? What is the history on the car?
At first I said Stock but I reread the OP's post and thought that since it was a ex racer and since there is a overflow of restored Vettes, I changed my mind. Straight axle Gasser all the way with fat ass tires out back. Go for it.
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