Projects 63 buick skylark or special gasser altered replica

my 63 skylark gasser project. Although there have been pontiacs turned out for the drags, I've never seen a buick or an f85 straight axled and lifted before. There are some problems I need to work out. Please go to my profile where I have more pictures for reference.

1- the subframe rails are not substantial. the rear appears to be similar in quality to any first or second generation f-body and should take leaf spring mounts but they don't run straight front to back, they wander. they also taper to nothing in the middle of the floor.

fix(a) cut into the floor running straight tube front to rear

fix(b) cut the bottoms off the sub rails between where I want them tied in stronger and cut into the floor. Run the tubing through a bender to follow the existing meander.

fix(c) do the same as in (b) but removing the bottom of the sub rails without cutting into the floor.
Work the subframe connector further so that the tubing follows the bottom of the floor AND the sides of the factory sub rails which become flanges to weld to. Use either rectangular, square or rould tubing????? 2x4 might be too big 2x3 might work out right. Keep in mind I am tying in the top with an 8 point cage. and I want the floors to appear as stock as possible this is supposed to be a modified stock body like they built back then and not look like a full tube professional race chassis but it needs to be nhra legal and safe

fix(d) Hide them so they don't hang too low.
Cut the floorpans from the rockers. Cut them back and flange them. Run the 3x3 or 3x4 along the backside of the rockers welding the floor pans into them and covering them with the original style carpet kit for a stock appearance. Fab torque boxes tying the new rocker channels into the existing sub rails. Weld the cage tubes to the top of the torque boxes. build mounts into the side rails for my tranny crossmember to bolt to before welding them in. utilize the tranny crossmember as a mounting point for rear suspension components like control arms. If using leaf springs, torque arms could be fabbed from the axle to the tranny crossmember or tie into the sub rails like addco torque bars. or I could just run slapperbars. Theres a pic in my profile of how I want it to sit.

2- I'm running a 9"rear no surprises there. For a front axle I was wembling between using my disc brake 46 chevy pickup axle or an aftermarket tube axle setup. The front subframe rails don't look to me like they'd be easy to setup paralell leafs under. The high arch of the rails might be a good place to attatch coilovers to. This is where the front of the cage will tie in. Setting the coilovers out wider on the axle than the frame channels will triangulate suspension forces on the axle better with less chance of bending. I was considering fabbing a front crossmember/ towbar mount for a transverse leaf arrangement. I'm also wondering about radius arms. I want something robust. I'm considering using 76 f150 4x4 radius arms and diamond bushings. the antirotation bushings (diamond) uses the axle tube as an antisway bar and the poly bushings would be tough enough for off road, no maintenance, and quiet. I can use 3" moly tube for the axle. use f1504x4 dana44 yokes, steering, hubs and big brakes then the front would match my rear wheel stud pattern.

3- I'm thinking of mounting a driveshaft clamp underneath so I can routinely secure the driveshaft after pulling the ujoint straps for flat towing.

4- Altered wheelbase. I'm leaving the rear tires where they are because I don't have any wheelbase restrictions to consider when I push the front out. I'm pushing the front 6" foreward to have a better center of gravity and to avoid digging the engine into the firewall. I'm sectioning the front wheelwells and moving them foreward. it's going to have a little forward rake because the nose high isn't going to gain me any traction with better design and modern tires and I just don't like driving like that. I'm creating within a style but I hold strong to form follows function and I don't see the nose up as better.

5-I'm stripping the factory heater from the firewall and installing an aftermarket unit under the dash

6-I'm running steel 15x8 rims and setting up for 9"-10"slicks in the rearand 15x6 or 15x7 steel wheels in the front.

 

Cage it... Easiest way out and a good safety feature to boot.

Since your looking at replacing the transmission tunnel anyway, I'd consider screwing it down so it can be removed to service or R&R the trans.

 

My skylark has a trans and driveshaft tunnel where the pontiac had a little bump to clear the torque tube.
some cars have bigger tunnels. I'm going to have to see how the th400 fits by blocking in the engine and tranny to see how it fits. I do have the option of having the engine and tranny sit a litttle lower than stock. heres a pic of the little skylark tranny and of the floors.


10-4 on the cage. thats probably the singlemost thing i can do to keep from pretzling the body. I remember a guy had a hot 350 in a monza without a cage and once when it hooked up real good on a launch it twisted and ripped seams.

 

Never seen one. I'll try and post up a pic of my 61. Same sub structure pretty much. Straight axle up front is great. Fitting a leafs out back is hard though so you may want a newer coil setup.

 

Also if you try and cut into the top of the subframe connector hat channels it isn't that easy. There are tons of steps and bends in there. Also a 2x2 box tube fits in perfect. I plan on putting a new floor in mine. Under the rear seat there is also some gusseting type stuff inside the hat channel. Also like you mentioned the frame isn't parallel on the drivers rear. I ended up making a crossmember to weld the suspension to. Have fun man, make sure to post pics as you get done.

 

Here are the last of the pics I have on the body, I have the car buried in the garage right now. the junction or seams where the subrails are pieced together, is that what your talking about as far as having trouble getting in there or is there something else inside the channel? the rear channels are pretty much in the right spot for leaf springs I would think. I might need to cut into the subframe a little but keeping the floor primarilly stock is a firm decision. I doubt I'll ever have the car in the 9's so I don't need 12" slicks I'll be running 265/15's on the street and I want it to look right with those on. I wonder if i even need to tie anything together in the middle since it will be caged 8-10 points. main hoop at the front of the quarters/back of the seats, windshield posts, dash bar,rear downbars and bars from the winshield bars at the dashbar to the high point of the front subframe arches. I'm going to have to bolt and weld plates to the floor for the cage. the front rails might take leaf springs but I was considering a round tube axle, radius arms and coilovers so I wouldn't have leaf springs sticking out the front bumper after I push the axle foreward. what do you think about these subframe rails and rockers? do they look tied in ans strong enough to cage without further subframe connection?
About coils in the rear, I don't know if the factory suspension mounts will take the torque from a 430 unless they could be tabbed and ties into the cage. Oh, also I think With the car sitting up 4-6 inches higher the factory rear arms would be at bad angles. If I was going to mustangII the front end rear coils would be best but that's not the way I'm going on it. any Idea how the th400 will sit in the firewall?

 

Thats pretty much what I meant about cutting open the hatchannels. They are pieced together where one slides into the other. The main portions fit a 2" wide box tube perfectly. The stagered parts don't. As far as other stuff in the channels there is some sleve/gusset type bracket up front about a foot before it sweeps up. In back under the rear seat right before it sweeps there is another box support inside the channel. The reason I know this is I planned to run 2x2 inside it and have it look pretty well stock from underneath.

Also unless you want the back way high fitting leafs under there is hard. I was trying to keep it relativally low and ended up using super short leafs out back to fit them in. I also used the speedway straight axle kit up front and just added plates to the rails so I don't punch through them. But my wheels are only like 2 or 3 inches forward and it sounds like you want more.

As for a th400 fitting? Don't know as I tubbed the firewall, I know my th350 would fit the tunnel "ok" but it had to sit a little low, still way off the ground as the car is nowhere near the ground anyways. If you do hairpins up front you might be able to mount them to where the trans crossmember bolts in? but on the outside as I think those holes go all the way through. Just make it double sheer.