Body off the frame and trying to get as much as possible done before the cold weather sets in. My garage is heated but I like to work with the doors wide open when I can. The car was originally from California so the frame had little rust, just needed some wire brushing and an application of POR15. After much second guessing I decided to go with the buggy spring and triangulated 4-link rear. I found a rear end from a 1968 Ford F100 that is within 1/2 inch of the width of the original banjo rear. The picture shows the original spring but after I put the body back on the frame I had a new main leaf made with reverse eye to lower the ride height a bit. Before the body went back on I plumbed the rear brakes and also ran a wiring harness to the back. I'm not real happy with the angle of the upper links but if I have to I'll install a panhard rod as well.
Engine is a 1981 Buick 350 with a TH350 trans. I chose it because it was available and I wanted to be different. No plans to tear the engine down but I have ordered new timing gear and chain set, water pump and timing chain cover. The picture shows the original timing cover which I had plans to use but it has too much corrosion. Headers are ******, they came with the engine/trans deal but I had to modify them. The right side not so much but on the left I had to cut three of the pipes and re-route them to clear the steering box.
Sorry I'm no good at build threads or updates. Here's a picture of my paint job which I'm doing in sections.
Am not an expert but I'm wondering what will happen with the tri-4 bars and the transverse spring. Short bars may want to twist the spring with the up/down motion. The original torque tube, with it's long length, minimized the "arc" at the diff and didn't twist the springs a lot. Usually with a 4-bar coils/coilovers are used.Good luck
Trianglulted four links are nothing new and will work ok with a cross leaf spring. Ideal would have been a Pete&Jakes style traction bar set up because its length mimics the original torque tubes suspension arc, but what you have will work just fine. You shouldn't need a panhard rod with the way you have stuff set up. Just keep an eye on the shackle angle. Ideal is 45 degrees, shallower isn't as good.
Thanks, actually when I installed the new main leaf it fixed that shackle angle problem. Now I have 45 degrees with the body back on.
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