62 Comet wagon full-frame swap?

I have a 62 Comet 4-dr wagon. I want to upgrade to a better front suspension and all that good stuff. What should I be looking for? Suggestions? I want this to be a reliable family cruiser and I don't like the stock front suspension. I am dropping in a 347 stroker, so I want it to be stable with the added weight. I would prefer a Ford frame to keep it simple, but I will do a GM frame and convert it to SBF mounts. Ideas?

 

Isn't the Comet a unibody? Swapping any kind of full frame into it will involve a lot of cutting.

 

The entire floor is shot. I have new floor pans. There is going to be a lot of cutting anyway and I have a plasma cutter. The floor pans hold the car together. They are COMPLETELY gone on this car. I am a little leary of trusting aftermarket sheetmetal to hold the entire car together.

 

Yep subframe design. My 62 Comet 2 dr was subframe.
A 347 should be ok. Install some 67 mustang torque boxes. That should do the job and if not install 2 x 2 tubing connecting the front sub and the rear.
I did that in my 65 mustang...no problems with twisting the body. I did have a problem with motor mounts shearing in half when I hooked. That problem was fixed with a set of Ron morris solid motor mounts. After that....WHOAAAA! The horizon disappeared on launch.

Sorry fast response...Alston may be able to make a frame for you.

 

Isn't one of these more or less the same as a Mustang underneath anyways?

You just have to get out a book, see what's close in the wheelbase department that you can find cheap - like 1985-1995 RWD cars, then go find some real ones and measure. Maybe you can fit the shell of yours on the pans of the later car.

 

Aftermarket floor pans, properly installed will hold your car together. I have installed alot of floor pans on Mustangs and Falcons and they holt the car together just fine.

 

I just wanted to get it set up to handle 500hp and a loaded car with my kids.

 

I would think if you were going to go to all this work and trouble with a 500HP motor etc you wouldn't want to be adapting some crappy old used frame. That Comet is pretty narrow and most later cars with a frame are going to be wider i would guess. And if someone suggests S-10 I'm gonna go postal.
I would do it right and contact Art Morrison if you really want to do a new frame, but man thats gonna be a ton of work.
Personally I would replace the bad floor pans properly, add some sub frame connectors and use Global West or Total Control Products front suspension. Much better design than Mustang II and doesn't upset the integrity of the original chassis/body design.
JMHO

 

I concur with advice also. Replace the pans. Add a few extra spot welds. About on every 1/2 inch.
The GW and TCP front suspensions are really worth the coin.
Also look at Ron Morris also. TCP should have a air ride/ coil over set up for the comet.
I had my stang fitted with RM in the front Tubular upper control arms and a 4 link TCP in the rear. No leafs just a 4 link a coil overs. At 140 mph (@ Willow Spring) the car felt like it was doing only 70 mph. That is also with the stock manual steering box. Then it was drag raced the very next weekend with only a change in the damping on the shocks.

 

I would actually look into a Mustang II suspension. I'm not sure if this works on the comet though. This would allow you to cut out your shock towers and make room for a bigger motor, or least have more workable space in the engine compartment. Im looking into this myself for my falcon. I want to be able to airbag my wagon and also it will allow me to correct my camber and bump steer easier.

 

MII suspension would work, but the geometry sucks. I wanted to do something a little more out there.