anybody ever tech an 1980 camaro front clip in a 49-51 merc. is there any specific threads on this subject. im about to do one and want to get all the info i can to do this. any info is appreciated.
Mrecuryland in MI has a video on installation of them, about $44 bucks for the tape. They have a website. Good Luck!! Dave
Isnt that WAY wide for a Merc? Thats like 62" or something, no? Look around before you do it, at how many ill subframed Mercs now look like 4x4s with the wheels sticking out. God awful..
camaro is too wide for a merc. you can use it, but, you'll have to use off set wheels to clear. way better to go with a nova, ventura, omega clip. get an older one that is rear steer, meaning the steering box is behind the crossmember.
im installing 54 ford fender lips on the 51 mec and am willing to buy the shorter tubular control arms if need be.
well, like i said, you can use it. but, it's going to be more work and it will limit your front wheel choice and tire size. also, that 80 camaro is a front steer, so, you'll have to buy borgeson joints and extensions to snake the steering between the exhaust and the motormounts. seems like with buying all the couplers and a-arms, besides selling the camaro clip. you could go get a nova and save yourself some trouble. i'll go out and get pics of mine in a minute and show you. be right back.
Before you cut it...why are you doing it? I ask as Im pretty familiar with Mercs...its going to be easier to upgrade the stock stuff to discs/ps and lower it nicely than to subframe AND it will look right. Subframing then dealing with reworking teh fenders and swapping control arms doesnt seem to make sense.
I've done a front steer Nova in a 50 Merc, went in easy, sat low and stock size rims/ tires fit fine. The fit was easy between the two frame. Hooked up the steering with stock GM componants (we used a GM tilt column). Toughest part was mounting bumper brackets. If I remember right I had to modify the air boxes under the fenders for A-arm clearance. Camaro would work the same other then track width, narrowed control arms would probaby be nessesary. Been on the road for 12 years, customer loves how it sits and drives.
50mercfan, man those are hard to see. thanks for the pics and going out of your way to get them. do you have any while in progress? im doing the fender lips anyway as i want the same lip on the front as the skirts on the back.
yea, i know. hard to tell anything from them. no i don't have any in progress. i think the fenderlips are a good idea. i might end up with something like that myself. got any pics of the car?
I think the video that Mercuryland sells was done by Tommy Steadman. He prefers rear-steer Nova's Ventura's etc and narrows them so they fit into the Mercury frame. He says that it makes for an easier radiator fit. I think he moves the radiator forward 1.5 inches. He welds the old frame horns onto the Nova subframe so the stock Merc bumpers and brackets will bolt on. If you want to go with a big-block Chevy he uses front steer then, but doesn't like the wide stance. He welds a bar inside the fender lip so when the tire hits the fender when turning it doesn't bend the fender lip. Ol Blue
Ive heard Chevelle was a good choice. But wouldnt it be wider tan a Nova? What about other motors besides a SBC in those clips? Ford - Cad - Olds- Mopar. FEDER
Chevelle-bad choice. Frame rails turn out making transition tough. The one I did with the ft steer nova had a 289 Ford, can't remember for sure but don't think I had to even change the ft sump pan out. I've put 455 Olds and a 390 Cad in Nova clips (Ft steer) without problems. A Hemi would probably be tight, thats the only Mopar you'd consider in a Merc, right?
i've thought long and hard about an engine swap. early cad being my first choice. i even found a 472 cad once that was tempting. but, i plan on driving the snot out of it when done so i'm pussin' out and going sbc. mostly because 8 mpg would take a lot of the fun out of it.
I agree why dont you just upgrade? its a ford it should stay ford. plus run a 302 or a 351 = ) frankenmercs are scary haha j/k
Of sorts....it wasnt a Ford thing...upgrading will most likely lead you to an Isuzu steering box and GM brake components...and at which point Id put a SBC between the rails. My last Merc had a 302, which was nice, but IMO a dollar to dollar Ford will never make the power a Chevy will.
the merc is going to get a fuel injected 5.0L gt40 and an aod or aode. gas mileage and reliability is a concern. hopefully a year from june, my family and i are going to drive cross country in the merc. georgia-north dakota-california-georgia. i have the same powerplant in my dailydriver 64 galaxie and get 21 MPG with the air blowin like its snowin. im going to drive the wheels off the merc and need the milage with gas prices going up. no offence but isnt the whole idea of a kustom is to use **** off all cars to make it your own, or even use ideas from all others to make one different? merc shell, desoto grill and bumpers, ford fender lips, caddy hubcaps, etc, etc, so back to the thread, anyone got any hard core tech on the subject of using a front steer camaro clip in a merc?
by the way dollar to dollar i can do a efi 5.0L with an overdrive install for the price of a good carberator!!!!!!!!!!!!ALL PARTS INCLUDED! (MOTOR, TRANS, HARNESS, COMPUTER, ACCESSORIES, HV/HP FUEL PUMP, ETC, ETC, INCLUDED) DEPENDABLE, STARTS IN COLD OR HOT WEATHER, ADJUSTS TO AL***UDE, PARTS AND PERFORMANCE SUPPORT GROUP FRIENDLY, CHEAP, OH AND DID I MENTION GREAT GAS MILEAGE
i agree, if your restoring mustangs. "put a ford in your ford" was an add a few years ago so ford could sell crate engines because chevrolet was kicking there *** in crate engine sales. it absolutely dose not apply to hot rodding. do some research. if you like ford engines you should use one, who cares. the hirohata had a cadillac engine. i don't think that frankenmerc is scary at all. if your going to use a ford though, the 351 cleavland is the way to go. i think unionville meant that if you were going to build a performance engine. not stock to stock. i am thinking of a tbi sbc out of a mid 90's chevy truck. similar to your ford deal it's hard to beat.
So how much narrower is the Nova/Ventura/Omega than the f-body clips? I want to clip my sons Hudson and it seems that the F-bodys may be pushing it a little, (restricted to wheel offset and tire height and all).
Sorry "Custom54", i did'nt look at that site you posted before i shot my mouth off. Thanks for it, pretty informative.
Dag man, chill. Dunno if its by accident or you are yelling at us haha. Anywho, if you can make a reliable car out of $300, go for it. I doubt it, highly...very highly, but thats what Pep boys charges for a good carb (Edelbrock) fresh out of the box. Agreed, when I finally make a daily I want to go EFI, but we shall see. Anywho, go for the Camaro thing, but I guess the point with the width was its a shame to see another Merc look like a 4x4 just to have the ps/pdb when there are better alternatives out there. At the end of the day its your ride, do it how you want. Good luck and post some pics.
i can do it for just under 300.00 but just under that, and thats with a roller cam motor. let me know if you decide to go ford efi and i will let you in on my secret. secret, secret, i got a secret!!
I put a front steer Trans Am subframe in a 51- works good, and not too wide for "traditional" tires and wheels. Leave the subframe long - it snugs right along Merc inner frame members up to the crossmember , then weld the outer frame members onto the subframe further forward - great structure !!! Don't have pictures, but when you look at the two parts you'll see what I'm talking about. Biggest issue is radiator to steering box, but its solvable by using a short radiator or moving it fore or aft. Cobble front of subframe for bumper mounts and you're done !!! Go for it !!
it's a cakewalk. if you don't have it done inside of 2 days, I will be shocked. (the sub mounting, that is.) I will try to get you some pics pretty quick like. it can be done and done pretty,too.
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