A rear steer Camaro/Nova clip works better than a front steer as you don't have to hack up the sheet metal to clear the steering box and the stock Merc core support sets right on the cross piece in front of the crossmember that holds the sway bar. If you cut the frame just behind the stock crossmember the Camaro clip will slide inside the frame rails of the Merc and the back end of the stub will meet up with the Merc's X member with some simple trimming. That lets you weld the subframe at the front and at the X member and unknowing eyes look in and don't notice that it has been subframed. I put about 80K on that setup using the Merc as a daily driver most of that time with one trip to Texas and Bonneville in the process. OOPs Jean sent me to town for stuff for dinner at half time. Baylor women are ahead of Stanford. I did that subframe job in about 1984 or so and as I said before the front end on the car was shot and I think there was a crack or two where the crossmember connected to the frame. As I've said many times I don't advocate frame swaps or subframe swaps unless what you have is junk or just flat missing. Junk can mean rust, bent, previous owner did unwise mods or just flat worn out to the point where it isn't productive to try and rebuild it. Personally outside of way oversize wheels and little low profile tires, using air bags to be to Lay frame is the silliest thing I think a guy can do with a car. If I live to be 90 I'll never comprehend how having your car lay on the ground with the front end looking broken with the tires leaning at an angle is cool or good looking. Explain that one to me so I can understand it if you can.
My last merc had a fat man clip worked great,all new drove like a dream,my current merc has an art Morrison frame with rear 4 link and is bagged not on the road yet but I'm told it will be the cats meow I've never owned a bagged car but I'm looking forward to it just my 2cents and good luck.
Its coming along slow and expensive process lol lol I'm doing a frame off and hopefully will have some pics up soon Bob : )
I just don't get the airbag thing, since you are doing it please help me understand, when they are sitting on the ground they look like the cars are broken, to me that looks dumb, when you want to drive them you have to air them up, now you air them up, you are in the car so you don't really know how the car looks or do you air it up and get out and look at it to see if the car is sitting right?? I mean the way a custom sits is a huge part of the car. At different settings isn't that going to give you different front end alingnments? It seems like a lot of expense for a huge hassle, to me a big part of a custom is having the car sit right, to me as a custom car builder a big part of building my cars is making sure my car looks right whe it is sitting there, when I am driving it, and that is can be driven, that means that it has the proper ride hight for all uses and has springs and shocks, so it is a car that is aligned right all the time not just when it is at the right setting with my air ride..So help me understand why you spend all that money for it? Just seems like a waist, what is the reason for it? I am not picking on you for doing it, it is your car do whatever you want, I just want an honest answer as to why you are doing it, no argueing just a reason LOL..Jim
lol lol Jim, I'm doing the car the way I want period! no need to explain to you why the airbags and why chopping the car and adding disc brakes and a cd player not an 8 track tape, adding an ac unit, radial tires lol lmfao Jim if you pay my bills I will do the car the way you want : ) I hope you dont take it the wrong way and I dont want to argue with you, hope your having a great and bless week : ) I'm enjoying this beautiful weather in Los Angeles CA cant complain
Now see that is why I said not picking at ya or anything just wanting to know why, or maybe I should put it this way, what are the advantages of airride? Is that a better way of putting it? Jim
if you wanted to go the MII route were a fatman dealer and represent fatman here on the hamb we also sell the dropped uprights and steering arms MII is gona be the most $$ sub frame is gona be the most labor dropped up rights and steering arms is the cheepest and easyest what are you gona do with the rear we have a tail dragger kit for your car notch trianglated 4 bar ,notch ,over the axle brackets , slam bags and rear shock mounts the notch is made for your car not a universal truck notch here is a 50 were doing fatman MII NO BAGS staitic drop the rear is notched possie 3" dropped supper slide springs ( were a dealer ) we moved the hangers in board and raised them up
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