I know most of you guys favor a traditional ride... but I just got a hold of front and rear suspension from an'85 'vette and would like to use it on my '31 Model A project Fordor. Is this possible? Have any of you guys ever done this? I will be using the A bone frame. **Any suggestions/ideas/advice would be gratly appreciated since I am learning as I go along (NOVICE HERE). ***By the way I have the front and rear suspensions of the '31 that I don't have any use for, so I figure I'll sell them and apply the funds to the project. The problem is I don't know what the going /fair price for these is. Any suggestions?
you better have fenders if you are putting a vette front clip under it. i would stay the hell away from the vette stuff, especially that late model. but that is just my opinion. i think that it should be totally buildable.
I remember a very cool 35 Chevy coupe from a magazine feature in the early 80s....he ran a Vette IRS on his fenderless coupe, and it looked right! His was a 60s era Vette axle, and I think he may have shortened the half shafts or something to fit it in there just right, but I'll have to see if I still have that issue laying around to be sure. Lots of rods were built in the 60s and early 70s using Jag and Vette IRS out back. The 85 stuff might look too 'modern' for a dedicated "traditional" car (if you equate 'traditional' with "period correct" rather than an old-school, 'build it with what you have' mentality!), but if it suits your tastes and abilities...go for it!
I am using 1995 Corvette ZR-1 front and rear suspensions on my 50 Merc. 1985 was the last year of the C3 vette so I am not sure how much your suspensions differ from mine. To the average person they look pretty much the same. I am not at home right now so I don't have access to all my files but as I recall the Vette rear end is just about as wide as the stock Jag which is in the neighborhood of 62". On my Merc the suspensions fit perfectly with no modification. On a Model A you would have to do some narrowing to get the suspensions setup correctly, either that or buy some wide fenders (not a good option). If you need any further info send me a PM or an email CharlieLed@cox.net.
Independent suspensions on a fenderless rod look out of place, with few exceptions. The Aluma Coupe's front end was clean and smoothe, but when people stuff MII's on fenderless rides, it looks cobbled together. But I'll help you out, and take that Vette stuff off your hands. I have a DEFINATELY full fendered car that stuff would work great on. Edit: Charlie, I'm pretty sure C4's came out in '84.
I've been wanting to run the rear suspension on one, but not the front... I think it would ride like even more crap if I did that though, but whatta I know? And yeah, coil springs on the front of a fenderless look "odd"...IMO
Here's that 35 Chevy I mentioned...from a 1978 magazine feature. <img src=http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid79/pe6b6ee9851e8d57ff848fc840cb7ada0/fb12a71f.jpg> This car is one of those rods that I keep going back to so I can look at it over and over...one of the coolest early Chevy coupes I've ever seen! The car is built on a rectangular tube frame with a CAE sprint car front suspension, and a 1974 Corvette IRS axle out back. Steering is via a 65 VW bus box and column, and power comes from a bad-ass blown 350 Chev! One of the coolest IRS installations I've ever seen...especially in a fenderless rod!
85 was the second year of the C4 body style first year of TPI.Most if not all of the suspension was aluminum so it should work out good if you get the spring rates right...that could be hard as the springs are fiberglass to.
Here's the rear suspension on my 50 Merc frame. I decided that it was easier to cut off the rear section of the Merc frame and fabricate the frame for the Vette IRS. As soon as I finish the differential "bat wing" mountings I'll graft the original rear section of the Merc frame back on. Thanks for the heads up on the C4, sometimes I get the years backwards, should be 84-96 instead of 86...duh
Most Model A's use a rear end with a overall width of 56" (early Maverick V8) or 58" (57-59 Ford passenger car). The Vette is way wider........ Bad idea..... .
[ QUOTE ] I know most of you guys favor a traditional ride... but I just got a hold of front and rear suspension from an'85 'vette and would like to use it on my '31 Model A project Fordor. Is this possible? Have any of you guys ever done this? I will be using the A bone frame. **Any suggestions/ideas/advice would be gratly appreciated since I am learning as I go along (NOVICE HERE). [/ QUOTE ] If you're a beginner... there's a slim chance that you'll be able to pull the swap off and make it look good... in fact, I don't think there is anyone that can put a vette suspension under the front of an early car and make it look good. If I were in your shoes, I'd stick to the basics for now... and leave the Vette-suspension-under-anything-must-be-good fabrication to the guys who have cars that can hide that sort of abortion... Sam.
Thanks for the info guys... **Hey Charlieled...thanks for the pics, that project of yours looks really cool...I'll drop you a line... *** Samiam, You mentioned that you didn't think you had ever seen someone put a 'vette suspension on somthing and made it look good....Well I got the Idea from a pic in The Rodders Journal #22 to be exact. On page 31 there is a pic showing a '32 Chevy Roadster that was the NSRA giveaway prize in the '80s it belonged to Chuck Lombardo. I'll try my best and see what I can do with this project kinda just weigh my options or I'll just save the suspension for a '56 Ford I've been eyeballing in town.
I'd wrap the vette stuff in plastic and hang onto it. One day you might want to build a 50's custom and then it'd be killer. A 53' chev that handles like a vette? COOOOL. I think all that high tech aluminum looks odd under a 30's ride.
I think I would skip the C4 Vette suspension on an early car, works pretty good on 50's cars. You may get away with it in the rear but the front would have some problems. The front crossmember is designed for a much wider frame than a Model A. The giveaway car you mentioned was a nice piece of work but I think they only used the Vette spindles and brakes up front. I do not remember if the crossmember was modified Vette or all custom, but it is narrowed to fit the 32 Chevy frame. The upper and lower arms were custom made to make up the difference between the new crossmember and the spindle locations. I need to dig it out of the stack and reread it. There are several Tri-5 Chevies running this suspension so it should work in the 56 Ford you mention. I have plans to do it myself.
[ QUOTE ] .... A 53' chev that handles like a vette? COOOOL. I think all that high tech aluminum looks odd under a 30's ride. [/ QUOTE ] '53 Vette's handled like '53 Chevys...
IRS andIFS for that matter, only work "better" than te beam axle if the frame is made inflexible by triangulation by eithr a roll cage or an "X" member. If you just leave it a ladder frame, the independent suspension i only as good as it looks, and is only here for looks. As far as looks go, since the back of a Model A is open, it's a good candidate for showing off a shiny IRS. If that's thelook you want, go for it!
One thing you'll fight with on the 63-82 vette IRS setups is wild camber change while driving... The other is they like to have the diff mounted low in the chassis with the half shafts as close to level as possible. When the hubs on the housing are being twisted they chew in with the C clamps and oval out the hole... some of them you can grab on to the half shaft (disconnected from rear bearing assembly) and move 2+ inches. If you truly want to do it, set up a 6 link setup with a custom trailing arm and mount it for performance, If your just going for the looks... the price justification isnt there in my opinion. check out www.corvetteforum.com the C3 section has some wild information about the rear ends on the 68-82's. Good luck!
The 85 vette rear has to be narrowed approx 7 in the carrier support ends are to wide they are as wide as your frame Progressive engineering makes a kit to install the late model vette rears he z's the frame so you can install the rear I put a c-4 in my 35 coupe narrowed the carrier by 7in you can do it it's quality aluminum (alco) shortened the cross shafts and narrowed the caster adjustment rod same amount had new camber rods made from vette brake and suspension in Tampa Fla. 110.00 I have approx 350.00 in the install the progressive kit I believe the quote was 2600.00
Thanks for all the advice guys... After your recommendations and the more I think about it and after comparing the widths of the suspensions and the the Model A frame. I'm just gonna save the suspension for a '51 or '54 F-1 I've been wanting to build. Thanks again guys....
Fathack, There is a big difference in looks between a early independant vetter and a later.. I would love to find a early model so much nicer looking in my opinion Texas, what is the width of your set up?
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