1948 Plymouth coupe looking for chassis ideas.

No, never driven a Plymouth with stock front suspension and Jag IRS...you got me there.

I did spend way too much time trying to figure out ways to get the front geometry right on my 51. Camber curve? Uhhh...no.

Then I cut it off and put a Camaro stub on it.

Have you SEEN the new Kias?

 

So do we have a concensus yet? It won't be a sports car no matter what. For that type of handling build a tube chassis or buy another project. But with the above mentioned upgrades R&P, shock relocation, disc brakes front, rear axle and then a stout engine and tranny combo per your own preference will give you a fun drive. My vote goes to stroked LA 360 -> 408cid and TH700 mating with cherokee or explorer rear. That combo saves weight, has plenty of ooomph, are easy and quite cheap to get, fit in perfectly etc. BBM ain't desperate idea either.

 

Well drag sure,,everything else really not gonna happen ,if thats what you wanna do get a BMW,,not trying to be a bitch,,just being realistic..The body size then whatever motor,,it's just not gonna happen they are in no way sports cars,,nor would they handle as such,,even on a vette frame,,that suspension is not designed for that body weight.

 

There are alot of build threads with these cars, just do a search. Everyone here is right, the stock suspension is good, you can just do the upgrades like shock mount, dropped uprights and R&P, since the steering box is the biggest prob in getting an engine to fit. If thats what you want, check out shadowcustoms, he has a 318 with a 273 curved exhaust I believe. Those 60 year old leafs won't handle like a sports car either, and for the cost of new ones, you can fab up ladder bar or a 4 link setup. Tight room under back seat for a triangulated 4 link. I would forget the S10 stuff. I have a Dakota front end on mine, and installing a 440. I had to recess the firewall, and move the engine back to fit. Lots of work. I would go with a stroked 360. A mopar 8 3/4 will fit and is comparable to a ford 9". If the frame on a 48 is close to a 49, you don't have to C'notch either, unless you really need it to lay frame. It can get pretty low as is, and would be alot more work to do so. Check out tank wilson, he did lots of work to his and it sits low. Do a search on here and the P15-D24, lots of guys who already did the homework, lots of info, but these aren't sportscars.

 

Just how do we think putting an S10 frame under it will make it handle like a sports car? did I miss something here?

 

it is a misconception that im sure comes from all the "modern suspension " type posts. When you really look at it conversions like that really don't work. Yes they can improve and older ride ( though most have no clue as they never have the car on the road with the OG suspension in good working order )..so hard to say...but, The s-10 is designed for the truck,,it's front weight,,and the back ( loaded un loaded ),,the front is not designed for a v8 or the weight of a good old fashion all steel front end. So right out of the gate after any conversion..you would need to start altering the new stuff to work with the old. A Camaro or Nova sub would be more suited I think,,but then again after all teh time and $$ spent restoring the OG suspension I think would be teh best idea

 

This year marks 20 years of One Lap for Glen Dodd. This year, he and friend Mike Stein and Charles Lovelady champion a 1948 Plymouth Coupe with serious Corvette underpinnings. The engine is a supercharged LS1 mated to a six-speed manual, the brakes are from a C5 Corvette, and the suspension is ZR-1 material. HRP

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/one_lap_o...ein_charles_lovelady/index.html#ixzz0qYgQvYo4

 

X2!

The post quoted above (50Dodge4x4) comes from a person with an adult real-world perspective on car building, not just a bunch of bench racing BS.

You'd be doing yourself a big favor by printing it out and posting it on the inside lid of your tool box.

You sound young and inexperienced. If there's a sure-fire way to ruin your Dad's car, it would be to cut it up in search of the impossible.

Don't stop asking questions, just keep in mind that most of what you hear will be pure-D crap from people who don't know any more about it than you do.

Hold off and talk to the guys who've actually built cars like the one you seek. Listen to what they have to say and ignore the rest.



This one is mine and it's pure custom underneath.

Good luck!

 

I have to second missysdad1 above. His car was built in a step by step manner in the pages of Rod Action about twenty years ago. His writing inspired me to do the same with my car about 18 years ago. He started with a good basic upgrade of the front suspension, a 318/904 combo, added on disc brakes, Chrysler rear end, all the basic stuff you do to one of these cars. Then, He did something weird - HE DROVE IT! Allot. I followed suite and basically did the same. By the mid nineties he left the publishing world, and the articles stopped. Funny thing, about the same time, and not knowing each other at all, (still don't), we both tore our cars down and got serious about the suspension systems. Next time I caught word of his car, like mine, it was wearing a Mustang 11 front suspension, and a number of other things that are a MASSIVE upgrade to these cars. My cars front clip is a hand built deal that Elpolacko from here on the board and I made many years ago. It is a stock Pinto front suspension (same as Mustang 11 after '74) on a "subframe" made of 2"x4" tubing that has been z'd about three inches to drop the car. I worked very hard to set up the suspension so that every thing is EXACTLY where it should be, and went with much larger brakes and a manual rack. In the center, I built a round tube x member to help stiffen the platform so the suspension can do it's job out at the corners. My rear suspension is a pair of custom leafs that have been pocketed up into the frame rails, are wider than the stock leafs, and once again set up so that everything is exactly where it should be.I might add that it took three shots at getting these made to be where I wanted them to be. I topped this off with a rather deep C-notch in the rails, and a custom trunk floor to give it all room to work. Both ends wear fairly large sway bars. I set the engine back in the frame about three inches and built a custom firewall, ( aluminum headed 360), and put a tremac five speed behind that. My car wears 12" disc brakes all around. The result is a car that can, and has gone stupid fast, is reliable to fault, (it truly has been my only transport for many years), and has been driven everywhere at one time or another. It weighs 3188# with me and all of my over the road stuff on board ( I got bored in Elma WA. one night and weighed it) with a 55/45 balance. So lots of tech garble, but here is the point - My car Is as quick, and dare I say handles as well as my neighbors BMW, and I'm sure missysdad1's car is too. But that did not happen overnight, and by no means was any of this stuff cheap! I have always characterized my car as a 20,000.00 dollar chassis and drivetrain with a five hundred dollar body on top. That's what I want it to be . Why don't you follow his lead, and do the same as we both did. Don't worry about beating your friends tuner cars yet. Dig up Erics articles from the late eighties that I mentioned earlier, ( they were partially reprinted in Tex Smiths Mopar book, But I'm told that's hard to find now too) and build a nice dependable, surprisingly quick driveable car to enjoy - drive it. Later when you know what you need to improve, make it the car you want it to be. Oh and one last quick opinion before I shut up, In the long run you'll the last laugh on your tuner buddies when if someday you sell your completed car, and they're strung out endlessly on credit trying to pay for the latest and greatest thing. The young guy from a couple of doors down that repeatedly tried to hang with me in one of those silly Hi -po Subaru thingies just lost his house awhile back...

 

Anyone remember when the Camaro came out with the revolutionary "SLA" front suspension geometry?

Ya' know, the one with the short upper arm, long lower one, and tall spindle?

Well, the P15 had that geometry (along with a number of other cars of that era); even called the same thing.

I logged a LOT of miles on a '49 P18 (same chassis); used a set of KYB gas adjust shocks from a friend's '66 Chev van on the front. No, it didn't take any mods. bolted right on. How fuckin' cool is that? The only reason guys put different shock mounts on is that the stock MoPile shocks are short. Hell, there are only about ten thousand shops that cater to lowered cars who can find short shocks for ya' - that will bolt on without doing ANYTHING.

I just rebuilt the stock drums; stopped great. But discs would be easier to get service parts for and be a reasonable thing to do.

That car steered and stopped really well. Gas shocks and radial tires... nothing else done. Rode real smooth. I'd always wanted to stick some big swaybars under her and see what she'd corner like.

Ya' know, I just don't understand why so many guys are so quick to get out the hotwrench and do a bunch of work to end up with something not much better than they started with. If I'm gonna' light the torch, I want to make enough difference that it's worth buying the acetylene.

Edit: while I was typing this, the post just above snuck in. Now THAT sounds like a swap worth doing. And, of course, it was a lot more involved than simply clipping the car... X2 to every word of the post immediately above!

-Bill

 

ok i\'ll dmit this is defenitely out of my realm but you guys and i mean all of you are bringing good ideas and arguments to the table. i mean it is something i am shooting for and i know it canbe done i am just looking for the best route to get it done.

though i will make it clear i refuce to buy a beamer just to handlle or perform like one and i refuse to accept the fact that this chassis can noit be mae to handle as good as modern suspension and chiassis cars.

though i will take everything everyone has mentioned into consideration and do my homewrok on each adn every set up. it is a realistic goal i have set in my mind and i aim to get there.

the pic that was previously postee of the 48 on this page is one i have seen around and if they did it and made it road and track worthy im right there in regards to following those steps. im just looking for the best and least cost effective way to achieve all that.

guys i appreciate the back and forth with different ideas please bring more to the table and explain why your set up is the best.


thansk you all so much for contributing to my thread.


twin

 

Let's see, stock chassis except for relocated shocks, 500lbs in the trunk, bias ply tires and a little 218 flat-6;






I must have ran that course about 20 times. I couldn't get enough of it. My lake pipes were ground flat from sliding the car around the corners. My best time was a 13.4 which wasn't far from the 11.5 the $100,000, vendor sponsored cars were doing.

I guess it's what you put into it is what you'll get out.


Have fun.



BloodyKnuckles

 

Well, I still think your average subframe/clip swap is going to end up being weak sauce, and your beemer buddies might still waltz right around you in the corners. So then, you're talking about putting some other frame or frame clip under it, and then putting spindles, springs, swaybars, brakes, etc. on that. Unless you go full-tilt like a couple guys here describe having done. And, that is a fairly involved process.

Basically, you'd be sticking a lot of race car shit under your old P15. Which would be cool, but then comparing that to your buddys' warmed-over street cars isn't really fair, either.

IMO, if you simply put better springs (the stockers are real soft), and shocks on the car, rebuilt everything, and put big discs and huge swaybaras under it, you'd probably handle well enough that you could use some horsepower to even up the difference.

And guess what? Your car would still be a REAL old car. Just hopped up. Could it be made to handle better than your buddies' cars? Not unless you're real skilled. But, you could probably make it good enough that with some driving time at a track school, you'd have a pretty good chance, and they'd at least have to make their cars work to beat a SIXTY-SOMETHING YEAR OLD CAR. If your GSXR Suzuki beat a Yugo in a drag race, you probably wouldn't be happy if it was only by a couple tenths...

Make the car drive consistently, make it handle predictably. Get comfortable with it. Tune things and dial them in. These are things that don't show up as a performance number in a magazine road test. But these things win real-world races against theoretically 'superior' cars.

BTW, a 360 block with aftermarket heads and a 4.25" crank can make enough wheaties to outrun any but the strongest running N/A 5.0 or 3-series BMW in the straights. No need to bolt in the weight of a big block when you can build 400+ inch LA engines with shelf parts.

You might find that you could end up with a car that'll give a number of guys fits, kinda' like comparing a Cad/Allard vs. a Jag. On a track with long straights, that Jag is going to be hard pressed to corner well enough to compensate for that big 331 Caddy's acceleration.

There's another .02...

-Bill

 

the main reason i did an s10 chassis swap was because i was saving a ton of money from it being super cheap and already setup for bags and that the stock frame was rusting in half everywhere i could see. i think it wouldve been a better idea to keep the stock chassis if it had been in better condition. i pretty much just want this car to be a pure lowrider but im gonna get an early hot rod that im gonna make a track car.

 

great stuff. this has to be the site ive been to with the most helpful posts and mambers. thanks for all the great different ideas.

from everything i have read off of here for now i'll go with a 4 link rear which i will try to fit my grand national rear i already have under it. if it is to wide or i need something different an explorer one will do as well.

i did want to add some kind of x bracing in the frame to make it a bit more rigid and use the stock front suspension with bags, relocated shock mounts, and dual adjustable qa-1 shocks along with rack and pinion steering. all four corners will have bags and fully adjustable shocks.

i woud like to find some good sway bard for it and a good disk brake kit to bring it all together.


im trying to use some parts i already have and i know some peope will not agree with me putting a chevy small block into the car but its what i got.


the engine is being put together as of now and will sport a 200 shot. i do want a manua trans and will spot for that even though it is ore expensive than a conventional auto trans.

i think if i get it to that point and can keep it close to 3000lbs give or take i'll have something enjoyable and can start dialing in the car leaving me room in the future to do a front subframe swap or irs suspension later on in the future if i feel the need to.

 

yeah u should be really happy with the setup and it should be able to compete with most late model cars. im doing a small block chevy that i got for free in mine but its only temporary until i can get money for a mopar!!

 

You sound a bit new to all this, with big dreams. Good for you, now listen to missydad and needlouvers!
As for beating a modern performance car with a 70 year old high center of gravity vehicle with budget chassis changes, I'd suggest spending half the budget on the car (per the advice of the guys mentioned) and the other half on driving lessons. If the guys you are trying to impress/beat have similar experience and abilities, you will be able to learn enough in a good driving course to be able to spank them in a rental.
Oh, and can you name a single racing series where air suspension is even an offbeat consideration?

 

You should continue along the path that you believe will do what you want. We too were all young once and thought we all knew better then those that came before us. There has been some rock solid advice given here from guys that have the paper backed results (not BS). You may indeed be able to come up with something none of us have ever thought of and will be able to do what you say, that is how hot rodding evolves, but you can not do the same things we have already done and expect different results. Sorry.

After all that, I repeat, nearly anything involving air, other then tires, does not belong in a performance suspension. Air in any suspension increases flex. Today, everything in the performance world is doing everything possible to reduce or eliminate flex. Ever wonder why all the new performance stuff has short sidewall tires? To reduce flex, tall tire sidewalls flex more then short tire sidewall. On hard corning, tire sidewall flex increases the time it takes a tire to change direction and allows the sidewall to roll over more then a short sidewall does. Reduce the flex, increase the ability to corner, and you think adding in air bags over a steel coil spring is going to give you better cornering ability? Sorry, but no. There may be some trick air tech shocks that may do wonderful things, I haven't kept up with the latest tech. I'm betting those trick shocks look nothing like air bags, nor are they used for the same purpose. I suspect those shocks are used in addition to stiff springs, or are a Mcpherson strut set up, which is an entirely different suspension system. Air bags and the old school air adjustable shocks are simple ways of adjusting the ride hight. The bags replace the coil springs and the air pressure is added or removed to adjust hight of a specific amount of weight. The very nature of them is performance counterproductive. The only way they can be stiffer then a coil spring is under a high air pressure, and the high pressure expands the hight. Adding hight increases the the body roll and reduces the ability to handle in a curve.

Bloodyknuckles, Dude, 1.9 seconds longer in an 11.5 second race is a huge difference, ask anyone that does any drag racing. Then again, maybe it tells this guy what the difference between his modified stock suspension Plymouth is going to look like next to his buddies BMW. Hes going to do the course in 13.4 and his buddy is doing the same course in 11.5 If he can live with that, thats cool (it would be OK with me), but if its not what he has in mind, he won't be happy. Gene

 

Carfarmer, with that second to the last paragraph you hit the whole philosophy of my car! Well done! I did toy with putting a big block in my car at one time, even going so far as to buy a 383 and 440 crank to stroke it with. Then I thought about all the time I spent making the thing go around turns, and what it would take to compensate the extra weight, sold it all off and went with the stout small block option... Never have I regretted it. Soon after I started with mine, I too saw the other one posted earlier with the Corvette underpinnings and I have to acknowledge that car as well. Too cool! As for the BMW connection in this deal, Ironically I was driving to a club breakfast today down Glendale here in Phoenix, when a persistent throaty buzzing noise kept haunting me in the form of a black 5 series romping through traffic trying to catch me. At the light at I17 west, glances were exchanged, revs thrown at me... light turned green - let's just say it didn't end well for Bavaria's favorite son! Now that was just a quick harmless stoplight bash, but I wouldn't think twice about letting him chase me down a curvy road as well! It can be done - it just isn't going to be cheap and easy! Keep it simple for now, make it better later...

 

well like i said i appreciate all the input. though i think for all the information i am recieving i should share more about my reasoning if it even makes sense to anyone..

im not going into this project completely ignorant to it and that is thanks to you guys adding your input keeping my imagination grounded. i truely appreciate and value all the input regardless of its favoring or not.

i have been fortunate enough to have worked 10 short years in the automotive industry and attended gm schooling along with working on road racing track cars, drag racing hondas, road racing hondas, lamborghini, lotus, lowriders, street cars, street beast kit cars, hot rods and even diesel rigs.

now please do not take this as me bragging or trying to come off like i know it all becasue all i do know is that i do not know shit. i guess its just to say that im not going into this completely blind.

i know some mechanics and the dynamics of making cars perform better so i can understand where you all are coming from and like the diversity of the different ideas thrown around.

i do not want to come off like some young dumb know it all becasue i respect the old schoolers that have been probably doing this since i was a twinkle in my dads eye and yet again even though i may know something about cars i know exactly nothing about this one.

now this thread has turned out excellent and has helped me understand and ground myself better on this project i am trying to take on. i guess if i can at least pull on my buddies from a light on a straighaway i wont feel too bad by them passing me up on turns. at least i could claim one of the other.


the reason i originally mentioned the idea of an s10 chassis is because those frames are so common and theres a plethora of aftermarket parts that can be swapped up between other chevy modes like buick regals and corvettes. tubular arms are plentiful and even chassis engineering along with many other companies offer back half 4 or 5 link chassis bolt up and ride. it was mostly for the easibility of building a better chassis than what i would think it would be over a stock one.


now after reading and following up on some other threads i see i can get a good base chassis set up with the one i mentioned previously and if it gets to a point later on down the line where i want more i can then take the next step with subframes, front halfs, and so on.


now in regards to the air suspension opinions i can see where you stand with it. though i personally believe it is a better alternative and can be set up well enough to out perform other kinds of suspension set ups.

i mean like isaid i grew up around diesel trucks and all heavy duty machinery uses air suspensions and i guess thats where my interest in it stemmed from.

i guess i can also say ive been sucked in by ridetechs webiste and even already have a kit with level sensors and corners that are electronically controlled and compensated for within the controller.


they clearly have cars that have been set up with their basic bolt on kits and have gained a significant performance advantage that its enough to make me a believer.

i do believe flex and a bouncy ride can come from airbags set ups but i believe those are due to the types of bags or air shocks being used and suspension geometry.


i want my car to be a well rounded perfoming vehicle so the easibility of adujsting the supension by a touch of a button and a turn of a knob on the shock is easier than a coilover set up that requires a bit more elbow grease.

its pretty much jack up the front or rear with air and turn the knobs compensating dampning and rebound. i believe if you have those adjustments with the right type of rigid bag or even a mcpherson strut type air shock like the shock waves. you can fine tune the car to perform however you want wherever you take it.


once again i appreciate every addition to this post thats keeping the brain juices flowing and i respect and appreciate the veterans knocking me over the head with the knowledge theyve acquired themselves


like i said im a performance guy that recently fell in love with this vehicle so all opinions are valued in here.


for now my focus is the drivetrain and chassis.

so far what i have from before i inherited this beauty i will try to use. as the project progresses i am positive things will and may change so do not hold my feet to the fire please.


what i have so far is.

chassis.

air ride ride pro system which is everything except the bag/shocks. with level sensors and electronic control unit.

i have a g-body grand national 8.5 inch posi diff with 3.08 gears. on this diff i will be using f body camamro disk brakes set up.

ive got two sets of wheels with a 5x4.75 bolt pattern that fits the rea diff so i would like to use that bolt pattern to be able to use both sets of wheels.


a four link system will be installed in the rear and the front suspension will remain stock with relocated longer dual adjustable shocks and bags

hopefully someone can send me n the direction of a good sway bar for the front and a good disk brake kit as well along with rack and pinion steering (maybe manual maybe power)


for the drivetrain so far i already have

a small block 350 4 bolt main chevy bored .30 over with a forged eagle rotating assembly 10.5:1 compression ratio.

spanking new ported dart 2.02 heads with stainless valves, 1.5 aluminum rocker arms, arps bolts for every single piece that bolts onto the engine and a edelbrock rpm air gap port matched intake manifold.

the heads, manifold, piston skirts and dome will be heat coated.


what i need for the engine still is a nitrous kit, electric water pump, serpentine kit and dress up kit and 750 holley.

i plan on using a t56 transmission with a lieghtweight flywheel and kevlar disk sprung hub clutch (if i can find one theres a japanese company that makes them for some chevies)



now ive gotten the notion this site is catered mostly to the original o.g. styling and performance. which i respect and admire this is just the direction i would like to go with my own personal car.


anyways enough with the novel.


thanks again guys, keep this thread alive with some more knowledge for a newbie

 

What's "o.g. styling and performance?" "Oh, God!", "Other Guy's"...or worse, "Old Guys?"

Seriously, I'm right there with ya'...right up to the point where you cut up your Dad's car.

How 'bout this: put his car into storage and get another Plymouth coupe to experiment on.

Then, when you get it right, transfer all your knowledge and experience to his car.

I guess I just don't have much faith that you'll get it right the first time around, judging by what you've written in this post. I was full of piss and vinegar once too, and probably sounded just like you do.

Ruining his car might not seem like such a big thing right now, but believe me you'll come to regret it later, when you're my age.

Just my $.02

 

i was hoping for cunstructive criticism but not to be bashed though.

i re-read your post and the one you quoted and im curious to know how what i plan to do will not make the car handle better than stock?

with a tunable suspension and me out there dialing it in little by little 3000lbs give or take with 350 hp and a 200 shot in a staight line run im not looking bad against 3500 plus lbs cars with 300-315 hp. thats not even taking into consideration rev limits, gearbox ratio and final drive with wheel size.

fortunately like you said there are books out there and fortunately for me i have one that gives me the formula to be able to know what rpm's i'll be at in any certain speed in any certain gear. thats the formula we'd use to gear the lowriders with the small 13x7's with long ass gears.


its almost like if i do not follow a certain procedure to building my car that is popular here its destined to fail.

like i said no disrespect to anyones style or preference and it would be great if that reciprocated.

thanks for the input guys.


oh and o.g. is original equipment a term i learned from the world of lowriders, didnt mean to offend anyone here with it.

 

No offense intended or taken, but when you start a thread and ask for opinions and input that's probably what you're going to get.

When an old fart like me gets a strong feeling that you are in over your head, I'm probably going to say so. You may be offended, but at least you'll slow down and do a lot more homework before picking up the torch and making what might be a very big, very permanent mistake.

The point I'm making is that you only get one chance with your Dad's car. You can build it responsibly or you can botch it up and ruin it.

I am at an age when I've seen more than a few "proudly passed down" projects mangled beyond shame by enthusiastic sons and grandsons who didn't have a clue what they were doing.

As far as I'm concerned you can build it as a low rider, a street rod, a pro touring, a restoration or a rat rod. I don't care.

What I do care about is that you don't, in all your enthusiasm, dive in over your head and ruin that which your late Dad valued and entrusted to your care.

Sorry if I hurt your feelings.

 

not at all bud. actually thanks for taking time out to add to this thread and help school a young lad like myself. you said yours was pure custom underneath id love to hear about it and your rhyme of reason behind the set up you have. im trying to be realistic here and im sure i can achieve a better rie with the air suspension. i know i do not need that and can probably achieve a good suspension with a leaf spring or coil but like i said im bent on the air suspension. so that being the case there is no way i can see me achieving that with the factory leaf spring set up in the rear. please fill me in on what i may be missing. i myself want to do it right the first time and am still taking in anything thrown my way. like i said as the project progresses i can see myself adapting to others suggestions that can provide a good rhyme for reason.


thanks

 

I have a 49 with an 80 Trans Am front clip, took forever to find wheels that would sit in far enough and not rub the tie rod ends. Had to use front wheel drive aftermarket wheels.
A mopar B-body 8-3/4 fits the 49 with no mods, I would think your 48 would be close to the same.

 

I see a couple of problems with your thoughts on setup at this point. I have a couple of objections to air bags, They are not a progressive spring, therefore leaving you with a breakaway point at the very extremes of they're movement which is quite abrupt. There is the problems of pinion angle change in varying ride heights at the rear end. It sounds like you have an entire controling system so we can rule out (if properly plumbed) the bags on shared line crosspumping. The last thing that has always been a buggaboo with air bags has been alignment. Each ride height, if you want to get technical, requires it's own set of camber, caster, toe in adjustments. If these are not optimized at a stable baseline - everything is off as far as handling. My honest opinion - I never understood the whys of air bags, other than the shock value end of thing being able to go up and down. As witness my car has covered about 200,000 mi. with the lowest point of my framerails about 31/2"off the ground. I'd say Missysdads car is about the same. I do acknowledge that some of the air ride companies have done some very impressive things with their products, and tuning could be the key. You will find that space beneath the rear end of this car is not very well used, so a four link is not going to be an easy deal with one of these. My next big change in chassis is going to be a three link with a long torque arm running parallel to the driveshaft, so that I can leave the crossmember just in front of the rear suspension intact. You can get some ideas about how this is done by going to Elpolacko's web sight, www.industrialchassisinc.com. He has been using this set up for years, and done right, it's unbeatable. I would strongly caution against a rack and pinion on this particular front suspension, There are none that I have seen ( and I looked!) that are a good match for the somewhat offbeat geometry of this front end. I would rather see you do a bit of studying and devise an idler arm type setup with this. Last thing, and very minor you mention a 3:08 geared rear end and a T56 - your gonna need to substantially "up" that rear gear ratio. The beauty of the six speed is compound overdrives. Fifth is somewhere in the range of .75, sixth is a super beefy .50! That means your final drive if you had something in the range of a 4:00 final gear, that get cut in half in sixth gear. A 4:56 would probably return killer long distance driving manners, incredible acceleration. Just for example, my Tremac has a .68 overdrive, and a 3:23 rear gear, leaving me with a 2:19 final drive. Seventy five happens in my car at about 2150 rpm, and it's way too comfortable at ninety to ninety-five to be comfortable anywhere but out here where speed limits were very much a wink, wink,nudge, nudge, kinda thing. That leads to one last thing, aerodynamics - there are none!! Counter intuitive counter steering becomes norm at about 135, and deep fear sets in at about 140 or so... Just some food for thought.

 

Oh, sway bar. Check out the front of any mid seventies to late eighties Chysler cross torsion style car. I adapted mine when I did the stock front end, and it's the only part of the original build left from the chassis.

 

Hey now their is something i have not tried; jag ifs on bags! gonna have to do one and see what difference their is over the coilovers. keep your perspective and follow through with it, sounds like you are doing plenty of research before diving in head first. if all the mods are to the frame and later down the road you want it back to where it was when pops had it, just get another frame.

 

to fix this and get better aerodynamics and a lower center of gravity u can chop and section it.

 

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