Hi, I am new here .I have had a 52 chevy 3100 for several months and have been slowly gathering parts to start construction on it. I am getting ready to install a 1985 el camino front frame clip. I have been searching and looking at as many pictures as I can on this however I cant find any good info or pictures on what needs to be done to make the radiator support clear the steering box. If anyone can point me in the right direction I would greatly appreciate it.
Use the search and find "hotrod49"s threads. He did an entire thread on his '49 chev and used the A or G body clip with lots of install details.
Thanks for the fast reply! I have looked over his build several times before. That is actually what made me decide to go with a g body clip. However I did not see any info on what was done about mounting the rad suppt.
There's some good info in Lux blue's thread: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=148978 Just change where it says Camaro to El camino and play it by ear.
I think most guys are changing to a different radiator and building a new core support setup. As Chopped51 said, there is a lot of triming the inner fender panels and the apron under and behind the grill most likely will have to be modified. You will honestly spend more time getting the sheet metal to fit than you have in putting the front stub on the AD frame. That's the easy part. The big problem is that that blasted front steer steering box gets in the way every time you turn around.
You could pick up a copy "How to Build Hot Rod Ch***is" By Tex Smith There are a couple pages with some good pictures showing how to put a G-body clip on a 1947 Chevy truck. Might help.
Look at my build thread.....while the clip job was done years ago and the how too isn't in the build thread the photos of the core support and various stuff you have questions with is... That said....they're a pain in the *** to get lined up.....if your not too committed I would re-evaluate your clip job....a weld in MII suspension is much more straight forward and with the cost of aftermarket components falling (as well as the availability expanding) the cost comparison is neck and neck once you add up all of the rebuild parts to straighten out your worn clip. Furthermore unless you narrow the track width it doesn't ever quit fit visually the way it should......in today's day and age I won't ever do another clip.....only reason I'm keeping mine the way it is is cause all the bugs are already worked out and everything is brand new.....
I was just going to say, did you ever take a tape measure and check for width? If the G-body is too wide for the cars it's probably too wide for the trucks too. That's why they end up on S10 frames instead.
The g body track is not too wide for the truck. It's actually a couple/ few inches narrower than the truck wms to wms. But I tend to agree with SALTY's statements above, there is a better choice for little or no more money. And especially if time is any consideration at all. And even more important, in my view, the least amount of " hacking " original sheet metal. Ray
Yea, count me in for the no clip job. I have a 74 Camaro clip on my 50 I am building and so far so good but I would give anything to have started with a stock frame. Matter of fact I may have even gone the drop axle route 1st, MII second, clip 59th. But look towards the end of my thread for how I mounted the radiator support. Honestly the easiest thing I did on the whole truck. Still havent completely re***embled the front end though so we will see how it all lines up.
I have a 52 panel. 1 does any one have dimensions of the stock frame? 2. Is there some other frame other then an s10 that works without a total rebuild. Unlike the pick up you cant shorten or lengthen a panel or move the fenders like you do a pu.
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