Im just about ready to drop my motor and trans in my 50 fleetline and was wondering what some of you were doing for your drive shaft. did you have one built or is there a donor that will work that is easy to get ahold of? also if you had a donor shaft out of another car did you have to buy 2 u joints and build one?
I'm running a SBC with a 700R4 in mine going to a 78 Camaro rear end. I found out that a driveshaft from an Astro van is the perfect length does not need any alteration. I had to get a conversion Ujoint for the rear to the camaro rear and I picked that up at Napa.
I had to remove the original trans crossmember and make up one. I'm eventually going to go with the chassis engineering trans member as it gives slightly more clearance for exhaust.
I run a th350 behind the 327. I think the driveshaft was out of an early 80s G-body. Memory might not be accurate though.
51 Chevrolet Business Coupe, 350 SBC with Chassis Engineering mounts placed right where they suggested, 28" long aluminum Powerglide, 56 Chevrolet rear end with 4.88's on a Positraction. My tri-fives shafts I had on hand were'nt long enough, they're 54 1/2 inches on centers, we needed 3 more inches. Found a GTO/Lemans shaft that was 57 1/2 inches, but I don't know what year it is. It is an "elastomer" shaft; one tube inside another with a rubber material between for vibration and shock loading. Swapped the yoke is all. Butch/56sedandelivery.
My 50 was my first build, and since I wasn't going to take any chances on having an existing one modified, I had one made. I thought it was well worth the cash. I used Walton Fabrication motor mounts (premeasured so you just use the existing front clip bolts, then weld) along with their transmission crossmember...hell, I even bought their firewall power brake****embly. Couldn't be happier.
Best bet is to get it mounted up and just measure what you need. Put a yoke in the trans until it bottoms out and then move it out an inch. Measure center to center on where the u-joint caps are located. Shop for one that is correct length or too long. It is cheaper to shorten than to re-tube. Summit and Speedway sell different length yokes too, but they may be more spendy than cutting one down.
Unless you get real lucky it is best to have a new shaft made. A local shop made mine for a little less than $200 with all new yokes and joints and balanced. Way better than spending a day laying under cars at the pick-a-part with a tape measure.
X2^ I had mine built for right at $300 in 2hrs and it fit perfect. They gave me the yoke and painted it for me aswell.
Mine was built and balanced including yoke for $150 at a local shop by professionals. In at 0900 and out by 1400 on the same day. Shop used*****er components. Excellent driveshaft and well worth the $.
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