need suggestion for bodydropping "CHANELING" 54' chevy

welp, ive installed an MII and c-notched the rear, my avatar shows where it currently sits.. ive decided thats not the look i was after and need to bodydrop it...

question. ive seen a couple around here already done, are they traditional or stock floor. i cant seem to find more info, i was thinking of doing the stock floor but havnt done this before. im not afraid to cut and got lots of time. i bought this car specifically to learn and perform all mods necessary to create the look i want.
-most info i find online is just generalization of how its done but i'd like to find someone who has done this before and talk to them.

-if anyone knows the best way already for this paticular vehicle and what works, please advise!
-and is there anyone local maybe willing to help out? i'll buy the beer!!

 

Show us some more pics of your car. It looks plenty low but since your not looking for opinions I will shut up. Two things I can offer are, pick out your tires first and have them as a starting point for where you need to start cutting. 6.70s are the most popular choice so get on the phone with coker and get some of those. Oh, and it's called channeling.

 

The car in your avatar looks like the rockers are already on the concrete? Are you trying to get the hood ornament below the scrub line?

 

I checked your build thread http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=273750
I can't see any advantage to doing a body drop unless you want the rockers to lay flat on the ground and be even with or below the frame rail.

That laying the frame on the ground with the tires cambered in isn't my thing in the least so I'll keep my opinons to my self.

 

Did you make a custom trans member and tuck everything up? Did you relocate the front body mount? There are plenty of tricks to get these car insanely low without channeling? got a full profile pic of the car?

 

heres a link to my build process....i thought it was good when writing it but im just not satisfied: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=273750


As you can see, im still too high... theres a shadow just under the car. the MII bottoms out on the bags createing a terrible raked look that im not diggin. would like to be level when layed out.

 

i have made a new xmember thats tucked well above the frame! what is this trick with the front body mounts??

 

Its called "CHANNELING" And I see no need for it on that car.

 

thanks for putting the link, i guess you posted while i was typing. but yep, thats what im after, putting the rockers on the ground. as for camber, i found its not too diffucult to adjust and there is hardly any neg camber when layed out

 

so you want to channel a car 3/4 of an inch?


I say only take it to shows where you can park on the grass. that should fix it right up.

 

not if theres "other" ways of getting this to look level or appear lower. waiting to see what rustypipes is talking bout..

 

Glad to hear the garage cooled down enough to work..

 

It would have to be channeled (body dropped to mini truckers) to get the look you are after but that is a lot of work to get that 3/4 inch and probably end up destroying the rockers a few times after you do it.

 

If I could ever get the rear of a car that low, Id be happy! Insane someone could want it lower, but I see what you are looking for. No room from rocker to ground, correct?

 

if you had used a Fat Man Fabrications "ultralow" front crossmember you would be 2" lower. too late for you, but it might help someone else

 

That thing looks LOW to me. There are tricks to get the car to lay flat. I will let someone more knowledgable then I explain.

Cool project you got. Looks like its moving right along.

Are you running drop spindles?

 

If the front is the only area keeping you from being completely "grounded", why don't you just do a mild "Z" just in front of the firewall like the Model "A" guys? Maybe 2-3" would do it?

I know the frames of the '49-'54 Chevies aren't as easy to do it on as an open "C" channel, but a hell of a lot easier than gutting the inside of you car...

 

Rossco you from the Visalia area also?

 

-laying body, yes...grass would work but, i dont want to be able to stick a ruler under the trim.

-fatmans get 2" lower?? i only have bout 3/4" to go. doesnt that go against engineering safety. (flat tire, bad news) i thought any setup would have to modified to go past safety issues at your own risk?? so please tell me more.

-yep, 2" drop spindles

-these frames curve upwards as they go to the front, fact is, its actually rocking. like a rocking chair in the middle of the frame. if i stand on the back it will rock back, so im worried the weight of the engine will raise the back a lot when all air out. and im after getting a very level look. im certain its bottoming out on the bags only in the front, i had to move the shock as it bottomed out on that first and gave me bout another 1/2" lower. and with the tranny xmember tucked the next to hit is the MII, hence why i want to lower the body to level this thing out.

 

I have never pulled the body off one of these,

BUT...

How is the body mounted? Donut's on top of the frame, or are there mounts attached to the side of the frame? You might be able to gain your 3/4" by just reworking the mounts rather than channeling the whole car...

 

Im in Lemoore, still doin the Navy thing

 

ok, are these the body mounts that everyone is referring to? (front passenger side)i can see how cutting this one would lower the front but in the next photo i would still be channeling it into the floor right??



-another body mount just behind the fender, but looks like if the body goes down then i have no choice but to cut to make room for frame anyways.
-this one shows how curved the fram gets, the stock body mount, which "was" part of the tranny xmember isnt even touching the ground. but with engine weight it will be and the rear will be lifted.





As for the rear, i found these.. can i assume its feesible to just cut these flat, recap'em and set bolt back on?

 

Dude, think outside the box.

just extend the rockers down an inch.

would be about a fifth of the work of a channel, and the car would be on the ground.

the other advantage is the deeper body will make your roof appear more chopped.

Form follows Function!

 

Body drop your mini truck.


Channel your '54 Chevy 4 door about 4 inches and cut off the rockers. Engine might have to come through the hood though, no biggy.

 

right, got it. channel not bodydrop! as mentioned many times before! i just didnt feel i needed to change the title...


dude, we have thought of that indeed!! but i figured that would be highly noticable and more or less not respected. but i do realize that would be MUCH easier. however that still wont solve the ride issue with bags. with the body lower i can have just enough air in the bags to cruise a hair off the ground. and only park it on the the rocker.

im sure a lot of you know who this is, but this video is what im trying to do. clearly he is level and mustve modified something to do so. can anyone direct me to this resolve!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAP4iOUhsM4

 

Try checking with the vendors/installation shops for bags on this site-like Gambino Kustoms.

 

If you are worried that your car might or might not be respected, then don't put bags on it. Lower it and drive it that way. Cars with bags are such posers, "look at me, look how low I am" and then raise it up to drive away.

Fuck that shit. Lower it and drive it that way.

 

It seems like more work then it's worth to me, but have you looked into how difficult it would be to do a stock floor channeling? I did that in a 67 C-10 but it was easy because I just built a whole new frame.

 

yeah sure, I don't think a traditional lowerd car can ride this low without getting stuck somewhere.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAP4iOUhsM4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynA0aSB6nco&feature=related

 

good lookin out bazooka! so what do you do kustompoop, "look at me, look how low i am" then drag ur fenders off...brave, i'll give you that, but stupid. i'll do bodywork one time thank you.
everyone to their own and to their own a different kind of respect.
thanks for your input.

-yep, ive been asking around and the shops that i bought my setup from. but i know their busy so just waitin on some possible input.

-switchblade, yep, im still a little blind on the stock floor process and thats what im looking for, the best way to get the desired look of level or lower. wether that be, sfbd, channel, or body mount cutting. time is on my side and i just wouldnt be satisfied with it if i didnt go for it..ive done many google searches and only can find generalizations of the process. i understand im not going to get a step by step and every car will need its own mods, but a starting point would be great!