Starting on a 56 Chevy p/u and have a 82 Camaro clip available for peanuts. Have read other threads about the 70-81 being the preferred clip but will the 82 work at all?? is it worth it?? Thanks for your help
There is no "clip" on a '82 Camaro, just a stamped and rolled sheetmetal unibody. So I'd say, No, it won't work.
Dont do a GM Clip. I have been told they never come out 100% right. Save your $$ and get a mustang II or keep it old school, with dropped spindels, lowering coils,and/ or bags. Go ask Rick Garza at Metal Werks Garage about them. He can give you all the info about those trucks and different front-ends you will ever need.
Do a search here and see quite a few trucks done with the GM clip. Do another search and check out the issues that folks have with MII's. EDIT: heck, I'll do the search for you: Threads with successful camaro clips: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=148978&highlight=subframing+your http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=549907&highlight=camaro+clip http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=468713&highlight=camaro+clip Heck, I'll even throw in a thread with a whole bunch of '55-'59 Chevy's to look at: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=219014&highlight=camaro+clip ...and finally, threads that discuss MII's (both good and bad): http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=250137&highlight=mii+in+chevy+pickup http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=115209&highlight=mii+in+chevy+pickup http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=127153&highlight=mii+in+chevy+pickup
The GM clip is the only way to go if you decide to clip it. Otherwise a dropped axle would be Ideal. It just depends on what your direction in the build is. I myself like the early GM clips from novas or camaros & venturas. They are very clean and easy to install.
I clipped a 55 with a 76 camaro subframe, it fit nice,wheel track width was great only problem is mounting your sheet metal back on.
No worries. There was a Truckin' magazine issue a few years ago where they put a Camaro clip in one of these, the guy used a really simple jig to align the frame, I know I found it before, I'll check and see if I can find it again... it's around here somewhere.
Everything from the firewall to the front bumper is a frame section.....hence the term "CLIP", we are not talking about a frame swap here.
That's correct for 81 and prior F bodies, but NOT on an 82 (or newer) - which is what the OP asked about. There is no 'frame section' as they are unibody with struts.
No, I have never done one. I am a Ford man and don't like Chevrolets. I really don't like two Chevrolets welded together.
You can't have a suspension discussion without mentioning Steve Sysmanski. (El Polacko here on the HAMB) Get with him first. He will steer you right (pun intended) <<<<<<<<<<------ THIS has one of his front end kits. Perfect. He doesn't do the kits as often as before, may have something in stock.
So, in other words you don't really "know" personally this swap don't work and you don't like Chevys. Why are you posting on this thread?
81 and earlier is what you want. It will work just fine, but you have to really know what you are doing.
I have installed quite a few Corvette Front suspension on the early Chevy trucks. You get an 84-96 Vette front end from the wreckers for about $500.00 complete and the kit from Flat Out Engineering http://www.flatout-engineering.com/index.html With this you get far superior handling, modern suspension design, BIG brakes, lightweight Aluminum Control arms - and you don't cut the structural integrity of your original chassis and have to mess with all the crap of making core support brackets, bumper brackets, Body mounts etc that you do with a clip. Here is an article I wrote on doing the install http://www.customclassictrucks.com/techarticles/0509cct_1955_chevy_series_2_truck/index.html
Metalman, the reason I posted that was to keep a hometown boy from making a potential mistake and to refer him to someone who is very good at custom suspension and fabrication. I'm not saying they won't work, I am saying I have seen a lot of them that are not 100% on the money and have problems. What will "work" and what is correct are two different things. I don't have to do a GM front clip myself, or like Chevrolet for that matter, to know that cutting my car in half and welding another one onto it may not be the best way to go or that it can be prone to problems.
The whole clipping one is kind of a street rod cure for what ails you. Those old chebbies weren't a bad driving truck. The thing that you have to remember is that they were a truck and not a fox bodied mustang. if you want something that handles and feels late model then what you really want is something late model. You will never be satisfied with your old truck that kinda feels late model but not quite. If you want to get it down in the dirt channeling, dropped axles and spring changes are the way to go. it will retain its flavor and still get you down low. They can actually be made to handle real well with the "old stuff" and not be a modern day rendition of a hot rod. if it were me I would stay with the old world out dated stuff and begin a lifelong love afair with all things obsolete. At least thats my own personal opinion on the subject.
The "I've been told" nonsense doesn't fly here. Go find Lux Blue's thread on sticking the Camaro/Firebird stub under the panel and read it and look the photos a dozen times and then have at it. There are hundreds if not thousands of these trucks running around with these stubs under them. I'll agree with you 100% in that the guy doing the swap or any front suspension changes of any magnitude has to know what the hell he is doing or have someone who does do it for him. In this case if he want's a Camaro stub it might be more prudent to get a good stub. Strip the truck down so that the front clip and engine are off and out and make an appoint with Lux Blue to have him do the stub install. A quick road trip up I 35 to drop it off and a road trip a few days later to pick it up all done and done right. It would take a hand full of cash but not near as big a hand full as having a full custom front suspension installed.
In my neck of the woods,the insurance company will void insurance if you weld in a clip. stupid really but thats what it is in British Columbia. You must have insurance and you must but it from the Government. We weld `em in anyway.There are easier ways to lower the front end and keep the original frame intact.
I did one by just setting the cab and bed on a 73 to 87 truck rolling chassis, it drove and stopped great, and it was still a truck when it was done. Best part about it, was you can get parts anywhere, and the roller was a freebee...
if i remember right the 73 - 87 truck suspension will almost bolt under the 55-59 frames. that way there is no cutting up the original frame
We used to adapt the early C-10 (say 63-66) front suspension to them if we felt that we really had to have independent. I know its not as high tech as a camero or late model truck front but that was how we did it when that the early C-10 was still considered late model.
Thanks to everyone. Found a 79 camaro donor on Craigslist; going to pick up a complete subframe and a 10 bolt rear for less than 375. Once i get it home it going to read up on more of the threads, some mag articles and get going. really excited to started and i'm sure i'll ask some dumb questions as I go through the build. Thanks again.
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