"Clipping It" subframe on a full frame car

[CTX-SLPR]

Howdy,

I know the tittle is bad but without getting long on it it's the best I could do. Basic question is you here the idea of putting an 2nd Gen F-body front clip on a lot of customs and and some street rods. What goes on with adding a subframe off of a unibody car as the front piece of the frame on a full frame car? Throw in the kit cars for a moment, would you bolt a subframe on intact or would you weld it to the tube chassis on a kit car?

Thanks,

[squirrel]

Re: "Clipping It" subframe on a full frame car

It's really hard to say without knowing exactly what the donor and recipient cars are.

[Caddyman]

Re: "Clipping It" subframe on a full frame car

The only stuff I've seen is streetrods.
There are several ways to attach them.

Some "kits" use brackets to connect the sub with bolts after (optional) welding of the brackets.
Other's use just weld-on "adapters" for both sides.

I know a couple guys that just rolled one under the front-end after measuring the C/L stock, and just kept cutting off chunks of rail till it was at the C/L. They then notched the sub and frame to match (kinda like a z shaped notch looking from the outside rail inward) to allow more weldable surface. They centered it on the old rails for the best fit and correct chassis center, then made small metal gussets/patches to fill in the missing areas on the back of the frame-rail (inside the C channel).

It looked almost like a "formed" section of rail when they were done filling in the overlapped and inside metal. After making the "critical" welds directly to the sub and frame and gusseting with 1/4" metal for strength, they "prettied" it up by making some light sheetmetal "covers" welded over the other stuff, and ground down all the welds. With some chassis paint, it looked amazingly like stock rail...with a tumored section.
Its pretty simple.

Remember though, most people utilizing a Chevy sub, are also LOWERING the car. The subs height in relationship to the rails WILL lower the front end dramatically compared to most old, stock railed, stock axled stuff. Just think how low a 2nd gen rail is when viewed from the sides. Now think how high stock rails are.......it'll drop a front end at least 3-4" over stock, full-framed rails.

[JeffMcKC]

Re: "Clipping It" subframe on a full frame car

This is one of the easiest things to do and all the acc's you can just bolt right on. Most cars would be nicer than the full frames I see if they did this with a a-arm and front steer rack kit from TRZ or the like.

[jays67]

Re: "Clipping It" subframe on a full frame car

easy answer
cut SQUARE and weld reinforce welded seam
more time then science

[CTX-SLPR]

Re: "Clipping It" subframe on a full frame car

For me? 2 things here, one isn't really a "clip" since it would be a later B-body front suspension on the Riviera to increase clearance side to side.

The second is I am sorta scheming to put a Daytona coupe together with the suspension and drivetrain off of my DEW98 LS, with some upgrades of course, and was thinking of how to put it on like a Factory 5 or other kit car type frame instead of the Fox setup.