I have a 57 Chevy Bell Air 4 door, I would like to know if there are any late model cars with chassis that will fit with little to no mod needed. I am looking for a Cadillac type ride for freeway. Would be great if it was a cadi chassis that would work. I am looking to save money by looking for a donor car versus buying a brand new chassis, last resort I guess would be just use the old chassis and put a newer suspension on it. Looking for advice.
There's nothing that'll swap without hundreds of hours of sheetmetal work to mate the floorpans together. I've seen a couple done on 80's era G-body and/or Caprice/Impalas of the same era, but you can see those frames through the wheel wells and they'll ride like an 80's Impala or Monte Carlo (I.E. like shit). I wouldn't buy a new chassis either unless yours has severe rust issues. Buy a front end rebuild kit, you can get good ones with urethane bushings and all that, plus disc brake conversions and I think someone makes rack and pinion steering too. You might want to do a 4 link in the rear if you're really going for handling and ride quality, but all that you can do on your stock frame with off-the-shelf parts that doesn't require a frame swap. A frame swap is a bad idea. The best frame for that car is the stock frame. Start there.
Seriously don't try and swap on that 57. There is so much available for the 57's that you shouldn't have a problem getting the ride you want. And a hell of a lot easier than a frame swap... now go do your intro...
If the stock one is solid and in good shape they ride pretty damned good if they are set up right with the right shocks. It doesn't look like you are inclined to want to spend the bux for a Morrison chassis so that's out but there are also plenty of upgrade pieces for the stock tri-5 Chevys out there to improve ride and handling. I've done one chassis swap and swore never again even though the car turned out damned nice. The only reasons I would do it again is if the frame was rusted completely out, damaged in a wreck or by previous butchering. Other than that I would rather upgrade the stock chassis.
. . . Sounds like money is a major consideration. You could buy a '94 to '96 Caprice (not a 9c1 cop car if you want a smooth ride) and re-use everything. Cut it down leaving the firewall, entire floor and wheel wells in place. Cut out the '57 floor leaving the rockers in place and channel it down over the new floor until it looks right, then mate and weld the old sheetmetal to the new. This has been done numerous times. Photos of cutting a Caprice: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3923689#poststop Read the thread to see all the naysayers, but get down to his final pics to see it magazine-ready. BTW, a tri-Five doesn't need to be widened for this to work. Examples: http://s368.photobucket.com/albums/oo130/thaugen1/?action=view¤t=PowerTour56onCapriceframe.jpg And a coupe sitting on top of the Caprice frame: http://s368.photobucket.com/albums/...=view¤t=PowerTourNO56onCapriceframe.jpg
Don't! I am working on a '57 now that the owner just finished a nice rehab using readily available replacement bushings and ball joints. It's perfect. A good design and easily adapted to disc brakes. Ditching it for a late model is absolutely certain to destroy the value of your car, no matter how well done. Take some time to learn how to do it right and take pride in preserving history. If money is your concern, you really would be surprised at how expensive it gets to change everything in a swap. When it comes right down to it, if you can't afford to do it right the first time, you sure can't afford to do it a second time.
Yes, there are several late model chassis in salvage yards that will bolt on under your '57, you might even be able to get one for free to make the project that much sweeter. It should take no more than a few hours using basic hand tools.
I say if ya got the time, $, skills, tools, go for it. I made a '55 Chevy 4-door wagon into a 2-door wagon, removed the rear doors, cut the frame, made a rear shock mount bar, trans crossmember, new body mounts, and got a "Dare To Be Different" award at Pleasanton, Goodguys. Drove it for 12 years back in the 70's and 80's. To do it right (no frame showing & body sitting right), the floor should be totally cut out to the door sills. Will require a unique floor pan to be fabricated. The last '56 Chevy I upgraded I used CCP's lower front and rear susp with disc brakes. Huge improvement over stock ride and cornering. GOOD LUCK!
Nothing wrong with the stock one just want a good smooth soft ride, good for freeway and driving Miss Daisy...
Let's see. Buy any of dozens of bolt-on upgrades that are just a phone call and a credit card number away... or buy a rusty old frame that doesn't come close to fitting and is nowhere near as stable as the original, and start hacking until they come close to mating together, and still have a rusty old frame full of worn out parts - with the added bonus that should I get into an accident my car will fold up twice as fast as it would have before. Yeah, a frame swap is a greeeeeaaaaat idea. If you want it to ride like it has marshmallows for springs, put an air ride kit under it.
I assume you mean you want your car to ride like an old Cadillac rather rather than the newer sporty ones? Old Cadillacs were heavy, had soft springs, moderate rebound damping on the shocks, and even lighter jounce(compression) damping on the shocks. By today's standards all old cars had narrow tires. That helps ride quality and detracts from handling/cornering potential. To help ride quality, old Cadillacs used wheels that were on the narrow side of what was acceptable for their tires. Again, good for comfort, bad for handling. Old Cadillacs rode soft, but handled like a Walrus. I wouldn't be willing to make that trade-off on your Chevy, but that's me. Per what others have said, the original Chevy chassis isn't bad. Unless you have Jay Leno's money I suggest you either work with what you have, or get a car that's closer to what you want.
"...handled like a Walrus". Now that's way funeeeee! I inhereted my dads '78 Lincoln Town Car when he passed couple years back. Yeah, it rides like a cloud but it handles like the Walrus! I keep it for sentimental reasons I guess - otherwise I'd cut it up for parts or swap it. Your Chevy could be such a great car without going to all the trouble just to get a Walrus! Like the others said - plenty upgrade parts out there now. Keep us posted!!
Well I was thinking since it is a 4 door and my Mom wanted to dressup in her poodle skirt and take her lady friends down the freeway to the casino they would want a good comfortable ride. My ex wife had a 70,s Cadilac Saville I think it was, and it was the size of and Aircraft Carrier and road like it was on a cloud. that is the kind of ride I was thinking of. If it was a 2 door that would be a different story.
If I really, really wanted a nice ride for a 57 Chevy I'd find a 70s or 80s XJ6 and swap the whole suspension onto the Chevy frame. The front suspension unbolts off a jag and I've seen it employed on many different vehicles with good success. The parts aren't as expensive as you'd think and the ride can't be beat. I've had an XJ6 and my buddy drove one for years as a daily driver. Just about the best riding cars ever. There has been a few threads on the HAMB where people swapped the entire XJ suspension on to their mid 50s GM car. I'd suggest doing a search. Your quest for a good ride should be satisfied plus blown up Jags are usually pretty cheap so it'll be easy on the budget.
Yeah I'd say it's way easier than doing a frame swap. I'd only consider one if the vehicle was extremely rotted out. I've seen so many half done frame swaps, it's sad, because in the end the car usually gets scrapped as the builder realizes they don't have the skills or motivation to finish the swap. A few links to give you some ideas what is possible using Jag suspension: http://66.154.44.164/forum/showthread.php?t=571296&showall=1 http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=77729
I've done a similar swap with a much newer Caddy and am very happy with the results so far(Wife's driven it 5000 miles since April). I have over 100 hours in the sheetmetal work already and I still have a lot of body work ahead of me. It should be noted that my project car had a poorly done frame swap under it when I got it. Broken welds, missing rear floor section, front end welded to a hinge that was welded to the frame, etc. It was definitely a "guilt free" solution for my car.
I say go for the Jag swap. I have one under my '57 Suburban. Suspension is built like a tank, big disc brakes with chevy bolt pattern and power rack and pinion. I am putting air ride on it and it should float down the road. Sent from my iPhone using TJJ
Just rebuild the stock stuff. Fresh springs all-way-round. Stay with rubber bushings, not poly ones, and put some good, modern gas shocks in it, like Bilstiens. You will be surprised how good it will ride, and you will have spent WAY less time and money than most of these other suggestions.
bingo... we have a winner... again as cheap as the Jag stuff can be to do, the amount of work involved and the nickels and dimes, just redo the stock stuff... Maybe add power steering if it doesn't have it.
No sounds like the smart thing to do in his situation. And it keeps it more traditional than the late model stuff. I'm guilty of using late model stuff every now and then. Hell I did the Jag swap on here long before most of you even knew what the HAMB was. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24785 Would I do it again? Not on that car.
Yeah, but it also comes down to, "do I change it, just to change it?" Why do something that's a lot of work, for minor outcome? The 55-7 Chevies have a relativley modern chassis (modern for me is 1970). It has ball joints, not kingpins, a more modern steering arrangement than the pre55's, easily updated, brakes, too. The leaf springs are a bit old, but still work well if redone. Unequal A frame front end, same as used up to the 90's. For a dude on a budget, it makes much more sense to update the orignal components, than to swap over a completely different frame or suspension. Sounds like he might not be a good fabricator, or welder, either...as he asked if it will basically "bolt in". For someone with the right tools, welders, talent and time, yeah, swaps can be rewarding, impressive, and better ride and handling. But for a young guy, without a full shop, or tools, or experience, or a full checking account........
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