Camaro clip?Will I still be welcome here?

[Shiny]

So I've been building hot rods for ever now.And I wanna clip my 66 merc crew cab.I've been pondering what clip to use.Heres my choices......

Volare,
pros...easy to install,easy and cheap to find.I've done dozens upon dozens of em.
cons...although they drive nice and have a really quick box in em they are sometimes kinda wishy washy in the suspension.you can't buy every single replacement bushing to rebuild em and they're a pain to airbag too.

Mustang II or pinto,
pros...you can buy everything you can think of for these things
cons...yeah you can buy everything you can think of but by the time I get the stuff here in Canada it costs a mint.I'm not into having a pinto frontend hold up my crew cab cuz it is big.

Dakota,
pros...nice setup from ElPolacko.Drives great so I've heard.
cons...by the time I get the x-member here I'll be broke.And the rebuild kits are expensive here too.

Camaro,
pros...easy to get and cheap to by the whole rebuild kit for,Aftermarkets parts like dropped a-arms are cheap and easy to get here too.They drive really nice,steers nice and quick and a really easy install.Very simple to airbag.
cons...I might get ousted out of here cuz its a bowtie part

Crown Vic,
pros...drives nice
cons...expensive still in these parts to find.Haven't seen a good tech article or read much feedback if any about them.

I'm building my truck so it sits really low,I will bag it at a later date.I wanna drive it everyday and will do the odd tow with it.
I want nice quick steering and good brakes in it.It will get clipped and no I'm not spending the time or huge money on replacing and updating the ancient straight axle and dropping it in my jig.

So without a major floggin/bashin whats your guys opinion.BTW,I don't need opinions by the web fabbers.You know the guys who know how to read but haven't welded ever. I wouldn't mind opinions from guys who have built a buncha trucks or maybe even one or the guys who have had a clip installed by someone else and what they think of it.

TIA,

-Shiny

[Garbz]

So I've been building hot rods for ever now.And I wanna clip my 66 merc crew cab.I've been pondering what clip to use.Heres my choices......

Volare,
pros...easy to install,easy and cheap to find.I've done dozens upon dozens of em.
cons...although they drive nice and have a really quick box in em they are sometimes kinda wishy washy in the suspension.you can't buy every single replacement bushing to rebuild em and they're a pain to airbag too.

Not technically a clip, fairly easy to do but bugger for steering and mushy ride.

Mustang II or pinto,
pros...you can buy everything you can think of for these things
cons...yeah you can buy everything you can think of but by the time I get the stuff here in Canada it costs a mint.I'm not into having a pinto frontend hold up my crew cab cuz it is big.

Crew What ya NUTZ!

Dakota,
pros...nice setup from ElPolacko.Drives great so I've heard.
cons...by the time I get the x-member here I'll be broke.And the rebuild kits are expensive here too.

We ship to Canuckland. We need to build the Dakota as an dedicated air bag kit. No later convert unless you change out the hats.....

Camaro,
pros...easy to get and cheap to by the whole rebuild kit for,Aftermarkets parts like dropped a-arms are cheap and easy to get here too.They drive really nice,steers nice and quick and a really easy install.Very simple to airbag.
cons...I might get ousted out of here cuz its a bowtie part

This is a CLIP where you actually chop off the frame and add that godawfull too wide and way to soft gm junk. Its your truck....

Crown Vic,
pros...drives nice
cons...expensive still in these parts to find.Haven't seen a good tech article or read much feedback if any about them.

There are 2 CCrown Vic swaps. The new aluminum subframe type or the clip type with the older version. It will keep it ford but may or may not meet the crews weight requirememnts?

I'm building my truck so it sits really low,I will bag it at a later date.I wanna drive it everyday and will do the odd tow with it.
I want nice quick steering and good brakes in it.It will get clipped and no I'm not spending the time or huge money on replacing and updating the ancient straight axle and dropping it in my jig.



So without a major floggin/bashin whats your guys opinion.BTW,I don't need opinions by the web fabbers.You know the guys who know how to read but haven't welded ever.( why thank you ) I wouldn't mind opinions from guys who have built a buncha trucks or maybe even one or the guys who have had a clip installed by someone else and what they think of it.

If you are going to do a crew, what frame does it all ready have? the F350 frame differs from the 100/250. With wanting a daily driver and towing capicity you will need to reingineer the frame and suspension systems. It almost sounds like a new custom frame is in order. Look up Dan, Frankenford He built a new frame for his crew project for ideas.

TIA,

-Shiny

Garbz
Master Web Fabricator

[Johnny Canuck]

Only thing I fabricate are stories about my life, and bent beer caps. Can't help. Shouldn't have even replied according to the rules, but I have to keep the post count up. Slick fan is catching me.

[Greg D]

Let me put it this way Volare, Mustang II, & Camaro/Nova are all compact class cars. Why would you put that on a full size truck especially a crew cab?

[Shiny]

I've actually thought of putting the merc crew body on a 87 GM crew cab chassis
They drive decent and are cheap and easy to get aftermarket and rebuild parts for.And are easy to bag too.
Plus my brother has one sitting at his place that is a good truck but the body is getting beat.

-Shiny

[jakdad]

Sounds like you ought to just get the GM crew cab and to hell with all that work. I do have a friend that put a 88 T-Bird front clip under his Effie. He has a Granada front clip under another one. I don't think it's healthy supressing these feelings you have for GM junk.........................

[Garbz]

Yep

We have a one ton here under a 48 COE CHEVY. It will do the trick. Its a custom, so its fair game. And you are correct there is a shitload more parts avalible to weed them.

Garbz

[didgeytrucker]

Ah, another Mustang II mis-underatanding. A good Mustang II kit will have NO Mustang II/Pinto parts in it.

The only thing Mustang II about the good kits is the GEOMETRY. It worked very well on the cars and works well on rods and trucks. That's why the kits still sell. You can upgrade to 11" rotors. Compare wheel bearing sizes.

Tracy

[Greg D]

1956 F-100 Panel w/429 (3.50 9")
1966 F-100 SWB w/351C (3.25 9" - 3.70 posi for Saturday nights)
Music City F-100's,
1965 GT-350 S/C (2.78 1st & 3.70 TracLok 9")
Music City Mustang Club

Tracy, you need to post some pics - please?

[Uncle Skip]

Just my two centavos worth, but why don't you try to find a good used 1-ton step van with a little Cummin's turbo diesel (or the like) and all the good stuff. For example, Frito Lay sells their delivery fleet every so often and these trucks, abet high mileage, are kept in excellent condition. They have automatics, power steering, air conditioning, and they have a rail type frame suitable for all manner of bodies.
Lots of companies use these trucks so they are available.
Best of all, they are relatively cheap.
A guy here in Houston bought one and put a really nice '46 Ford COE with a flat bed on it and he runs around at 65 mph and gets 22 mpg.
IT IS COOL.
He paid $2700 American dollars at auction. Check them out.
Tio Skip
But yes, if you must put the brandX clip on, we'll still talk to you; as long as you don't sell out completely with the ubiquitous chebby motor. I can only stand so much.

[Uncle Skip]

.....and you can use the left over body for parts storage.
U@ss

[Truckfarmer]

I have done the Camaro subframe on my 56 panel truck. It is WAY much better than the stock I-beam but I would never do another one. You have to be a skilled fabricator to cut off the front of a truck and weld in a car suspension correctly. I commend you, you have done some homework. But, I strongly disagree that it is a really easy conversion. We basically cut my frame off even with the firewall, added 22" of the Camaro, and then had to hang the truck's front frame rails again. All the sheetmetal is bolted to that piece and it will determine how your body parts fit again.
Have you read the 11 articles abiout front suspensions on FTE? www.ford-trucks.com/article/idx/10/0/
How can it be that 1980 and older Camaros are available but Crown Vics are not? When I had a 71 Crew Cab, I was going to use an Aerostar IFS in it.
BTW, you are still very welcome here.

[Greg D]

Your best bet although not the cheapest is the 03 up Crown Vic aluminum crossmember. You measure the location & squareness, Box the rails, drill the holes and bolt it on. You have a truly heavy duty front suspension with tubular upper & lower A arms, close to race car stuff. Other best option is the Dakota setup that Steve & Garbz make.

[didgeytrucker]

1956 F-100 Panel w/429 (3.50 9")
1966 F-100 SWB w/351C (3.25 9" - 3.70 posi for Saturday nights)
Music City F-100's,
1965 GT-350 S/C (2.78 1st & 3.70 TracLok 9")
Music City Mustang Club

Tracy, you need to post some pics - please?

They're all projects right now. But 66KIXX is driveable (until the '56 is on the road).

http://home.earthlink.net/~threynolds2/ ... index.html

http://www.hotrodjohnnyshow.com/

Tracy

[Trukcrazy]

Use the Crown Vic setup if you must clip it.

[The Big M]

You have an axle dropping jig, Shiny? How much drop do you figure you can put into your straight axle?

I'm not saying you shouldn't clip it. Just curious.

[Slick Fan]

Only thing I fabricate are stories about my life, and bent beer caps. Can't help. Shouldn't have even replied according to the rules, but I have to keep the post count up. Slick fan is catching me.

There's rules?

I didn't know '03 & up CV's had aluminum crossmembers & tubular A-arms! Geez, I need to hang out in the 'new car' boneyards more often, I guess.

[Johnny Canuck]

I don't need opinions by the web fabbers.You know the guys who know how to read but haven't welded ever. -Shiny

This is the rule to which I refer, Slick. I have welded, but not in a long time. If i can find someone who does it better than me I do. had a pro install my Aerostar, my volare was bolted on.

TF Crown Vics are in short supply in Canada as they only exist as fleet vehicles, mostly cop cars and Taxis. If you find one it's usually thoroughly thrashed. Camaros were a BIG hit with the Asians on the left coast in the 70's and 80's they are literally dime a dozen in the junkyards.

[Garbz]

How much drop do you figure you can put into your straight axle?

We get an average of three to thee and a half inches to a drop on a 61 to 64 F100 F250 Axle. The F350 axle we have never done. as they are larger in profile.

Garbz

[Shiny]

Garbz,about that,anymore and its starts "stretching"
I've done a bunch of hot rod axles and some of the guys want the stretched look.

JC,your right about the CV not being to plentiful around here.

I might measure up a torino clip too,we had one in our modified racer and it was tough as hell.We switched some parts around with other makes to get our roll center where we wanted it and it worked gooder.

I've wacked a few frames in my time and can install a camaro,S-10 or nova clip no problem,its tough as hell too the way I plate em.I'm not to thrilled about it and usually try to talk the customer into something else where I don't have to cut their truck in half

Might go measure up my bros GM crew frame,I know its the exact width I need in the rails,just might be too wide in the track width to get the crew in the weeds.

I'm not gonna be towing all the time with it,maybe a few times a year.And usually I tow model A hot rods around.I have a Jerridan rollback to use when I want to also.

Just thought I'd check on some pros/cons with you guys to see what you guys have had good luck with in the past and present.

Anyone done a GM metric clip.....oh here we go again

-Shiny