62-67 Nova front clip?

Anyone on here build their own? I'm setting up a 62 for drag racing duty and I want to get away from the factory shock towers and open up some room in the engine compartment. I haven't brought the car in the shop yet, but I figured I'd start some research now. Doesn't look too involved, but I'd like to know what others have done. Gracias

 

My buddy has one that someone put a straight axle under, they didn't cut the towers out, but it might be worth a look at. All they did was add some leaf springs - and the tie rod and steering linkage almost has to be seen to be believed, it's spliced together and braced with angle iron welded the entire length of it -

 

I thought about doing this on a big block project I had but I just ended up notching the towers. I guess it could be done, the thing is, the A arms sit high off the frame (making new A arm tabs complicated) and with the towers gone there would be too much flex. Most people tend to just opt for Mustang II or an axle at this point.

 

The front subframe bolts on to plates at the bottom of the firewall. A handful of bolts, and the whole front comes off. There are a number of aftermarket bolt-on tubular front clips to choose from, or if you're handy with a welder, it is a pretty straightforward to make your own.

Not sure what style you are going for, but here's a g***er buildup to read: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=502355

MII doesn't really give you great geometry for racing, but...that's an option.

For a bunch of Nova info, check out the discussion boards on http://www.stevesnovasite.com

 

^Or that too, if you have a few grand in the bank.^

 

I've seen some of them like the Heidts ***embly and "patman" is right, there isn't much to them. The cost can be as low as $1900.00 and as high as $5000.00. My suggestion to you is look at some of them and, if you're a damn good welder, copy it! But you had better be a "damn good" welder (preferably certified) because there is a BIG safety factor here and I sure don't want to be the one in the other lane if something lets go!!!!!!!!!

 

My old website had some good pics of the conversion I did from the stock front end to a Heidt's weld in kit. Check out the pics but here are a couple high lights.

http://www-act.ucsd.edu/staff/mschwart/novapics.html









Wish I would have kept and finished that car. Oh well...

 

Thank you for the responses. I should have specified that I am looking to keep an independent front suspension, not a straight axle. I don't really want to spend thousands of dollars to swap the suspension, I'd like to stay away from aftermarket kits.