My 1957 GMC...Use a 70's-early 80's Camaro Subframe or a 1981 Monte Carlo SubFrame?

I have plans to subframe my 1957 GMC truck later this year. But I was wondering if anyone had ever used a 1981 Monte Carlo or a late 70's or early 80's Camaro as the Subframe for my model of truck before? If so, was there much difference between the Camaro and the Monte Carlo? Which Subframe is better I guess is what I want to know. I have a 1981 Monte Carlo already that I was going to use, but if the Camaro subframe is much better, then that is what I want. I read of so many people using the Camaro as a subframe. I only want to do this subframe thing one time. Any Info or knowledge on this is appreciated very much!
Thanks!

 

the camaro is the way to go. there is a tech post on here about what your doing.if you are shopping try and get a trans am same as camaro but with a bigger sway bay and a quick ratio stg gear.

 

Hey the camaro is the way to go. And yes there is a good thread on doing this.
LuxBlue put a post together that will walk you though it step by step with photos. I'm working on my 59 myself that will be having the camaro clip installed as soon as I get off my dead ass. Good luck with your project.

 

I have a 56 and the camaro would be the way to go If you can find a 68 to 72 nova or 67 to 69 camaro rear steer that would be better yet. It takes two notches on the frame and two on the stub line it up and weld it in. If you want you can leave motor and trans hooked to stub and install all at once. You can also use the nova steering column and stock truck column drop

 

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

 

if your gonna use a camaro jimmy atleast get one new enough to have disc brakes and stuff, so when we cuttin on it???

 

I had a metric Gbody in my 55 Chevy PU. I couldn't be happier. It rode super, it fit great, the tires and rims fit great, even the front steer worked super. Whacked the front frame horns off and added the '55 horns and still retained the front bumper.

 

Im Partial To The Early Camaro Nova Clips With The Rear Steering My Self.thats What I Run And Am Totally Happy.

 

they are both a good choice! check out www.stovebolt.com do a tech search for the monte carlo install as i seem to remember a tech article about doing it. for that matter use the entire frame.

 

i put one under my 50 chevy i just posted pics a few weeks ago,it was a 75 front steer,rear steer whould be much easer if your going to run a front bumper,just more room up front with a rear steer

 

i had a 55 a few years ago that had a 79 Z-28 clip. it fit fine, but was front steer so the steering linkage got a little funky. a rear steer would have been better.

 

i just looked a lux blues thread again. mine looked exactly like that.

 

The rear steer sub is a bit spendy to buy disc brake kits for.
Nova,Omega,Ventura,Apollo and Camaros.
Just about every Ventura I looked at had discs?

It seems all the front steers have them with the only down side being the ugly box hanging out in the breeze.But your front sheetmetal should cover it?

Good luck with your project!
This is the right place for information!

 

The G-Body clip is a little narrower. With the camaro clip, your tires may rub on the fenders if you slam the truck.

That being said, a Mustang II crossmember make a lot more sense to me. It's an easier and cleaner install, and the parts are impossibly cheap.... I rebuilt the G-Body clip in my '54 truck, and the price was close to 2/3 of the cost of an MII kit. For the time savings, factory looking installation, better disc brakes, better rack and pinion steering, etc etc, I'd defnitely go MII.

 

I can for sure see how a MII would fit better in a 54- it's a completely different truck (A.D. versus tri five) I have seen it done both nicely and very..very poorly. G body would have been a bit of a pain as well. (specially if it was lowered to a decent level...sheesh!)

but the Camaro in the 57 won't rub tires. Heck, we did a 57 pick up with cut coils and dropped spindles with 8 inch wide rally's on it and it wasn't even close. it did get awful close on the back of the truck, though. (camaro rear, over axle with no tubs and the same big-ass tires he had up front.) Truck certianly rode nice though...

a note on the rear steer thing-the only reason I prefer the front steer set up is for exhaust routing and maintanence.(sp) either one is a good option. Nova clips can get spendy, but don't forget about the orphans- Apollo, Ventura and Omega. 99 percent of those had disc brakes, and the only major difference was sway bar size-which either doesn't matter to most folks, or is easily upgraded . (easier than changing spark plugs.)the options for really great handling x body stuff has really caught up to f body in the last 5 years. the only thing that would make me wary of it is if I were going to stuff a big block between the rails ( oil pan issues.) but that's a bit of a rarity.


You CAN do this.

 

all most all 1971 to early 73 nova rear steer stubs have disc brakes that is your best bet I use 15x4 five spokes or et gassers with the stub it has big block springs and sits about 3 1/2 inches off the ground and does not rub tires frame etc ride great . My buddy has a volare it looks to be an easy install , has disc brakes and ride ok.good luck

 

i would have to disagree on most novas having disc brakes. disc brakes were a afterthought on novas that why they are bolt on not built in like the 70-81 camaros. if your just going to go to the local cruise night you might not notice the difference from a from steer to a rear steer sub. but if you going to hammer it a little in the curves you will notice a big difference like i said earler the front steer has the big sway bars and fast stg gear.

 

lol hes goin from a 6 banger and a straight axle to what ever he decides to go with so anything is an improvement, if i was him i would just use the g body clip just for the simple fact he already has it.

 

My white '58 that now belongs to "Techy" on here.
'71 Camaro Front clip
It now has 20's on it, and it doens't hit the fenders.



My current silver '58 with an '85 Monte Carlo clip


No difference, the G-body is a little bit narrower but the arms still put the spindle in almost the same place.

Use whatcha got. If you can find the Camaro cheaper, by all means. They both work.

 

does anybody know if the subframe off a 81 firebird will work ? everyone is talking about 70's - early 80's camaro's to drop there classic trucks . I have a '57 gmc 100 and im planning to drop it but the only subframe that I've come across so far is an 81 firebird, can anyone give this virgin truck dropper a hand I'd greatly appreciate all the help I can get .

 

I am in the same boat....can source an 81 trans am front lip but was hoping to know it would work the same as earlier models before I buy it. Does anyone know for sure it might NOT work for whatever reason.

 

The Firebird is the same subframe, and will work just fine on your TF - you may just need to get different engine mounts.

 

70-81 Camaro/Firebird is the same second gen chassis. 82 is the start for third gen

 

With the Trans Am clip you get quicker steering ratio and a hellacious beefy sway bar.

Definitely the better way to go.

 

lots of ideas. just got real nice org. 55 came with heits front crossmember and a arms spindles and brakes. will that work as well as sub frame with same results. thanks

 

Thanks guys. The clip in question has almost no surface rust on it amazingly and although I don't see much of a sway bar in the one crappy pic I was sent of it, I think its a good buy at $250. Cheers!

 

I have a 79 Trans am clip on my 55 Chevy truck. Worked out great. I think the later front steer version is the better choice.

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Check out this website: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/ They have a section for 55-59 task force trucks that should have a bunch of info on this topic.

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I used a 81 camaro clip in my 59. they didnt come
out with a bbc in them...kind of messing around w pulleys and such. if u put a 454 in it use a subframe that come out originally in the make of subframe. just sayin

 

Good point fleetsidejeff. txturbo - I like that green color a lot