Installing a nova subframe on a '55 caddy coupe

I put a 74 Nova clip under a 51 Chevy Fleetline. I rebuilt everything under the 40,000 mile Nova hatchback and then cut it up. Boy, Did I pi++ off a lot of muscle car guys! I sold off almost all the rust-free body panels.
Anyway, look at the pic through the floor. I notched the 51 framerails and slid the whole Nova clip (minus the bdy mounts ) inside it. I adjusted the wheelbase 1" back to look better in the front wheel openings. On top of the Nova clip where it joins the 51 frame, I welded in a 1"x1" angle the length of the joint for strength. I was able to use the Nova trans crossmember. I used the 350 sbc and the exhaust fit with no trouble. I fit the hanging pedals under the 51 dash and modified the column mount, too.
I did not need to modify the column and didn't even have to adjust the trans linkage! I took out the unnecessary wires and used the fuse-block and loom, too. It had four-way flashers.
I cut and fit the Nova radiator support, too. That car rides and drives great.

 

1"x1" angle for strength!! I looked at the pics and that sub job is the kind that makes people curse and and shy from a subbed car.

 

The 1x1 angle is 14" long and layed along the angle formed where the frames meet on top of the nova sub. front to back. The nova sub is slid inside of the 51. Bill Lucky liked it. Google him if you don't know who he is. There is about 40" of weld joining the 2 frames on each rail. Way more solid than a butt-welded sub. That car has been on the street with a blower motor for 11 years. It's been driven from Chicago to Phoenix and back. It gets inspected on a rack every spring. No cracks, ever. I am a certified welder and fabricator of structural iron since 1966.

 

I subframed two Chevy pickups and a '39 Olds and they worked out fine in each case--but you need two things. 1. Ya gotta know how to weld. 2. Ya gotta know how to fabricate.

Rebuilding and using the stock front end is fine if you're not going to drive it very far. Bend a tie rod end in Resume Speed, Nebraska and you're going to have a wait for parts! Autozone, et al, still stock 40 year old front steer Camaro/Nova front end parts...

Rockettruck

 

Amen brothers!, some good tips and advice to help with the decisions....I hope to take lots of pics......whatever I end up doin....the more info I gather the better

 

hey guys let me fill you in on my brother-in-law,for one he's a perfectionest,two he's gonna do what hes gonna do,and three if he chooses to build the front out of wood you can believe me,it will not break;;;hey bro dont forget about me,Imite have 5 projects going on but you know my mind and garage is always open to you,last thing guys,fill him in dont knock him down.....talk to you tommarrow,,,p.s.sure am glaaaaad your moms out of the hospital.

 

I agree that butt welded isn't great. My car is also subbed the original frame is tucked into the Nova sub welded and then everything was plated over with 3/16' plate besides. Looking at it you don't even see where it was done as it's all blended in. Its been on the road for just over 73,000 mi. without problems. Never heard of Bill Lucky and it doesn't matter. I do know that the looks of many subbing jobs is one reason why many people are against subbing. While it may be strong the look of it doesn't inspire great confidence. IMHO

 

Damn- I'm wonderin' WTF I was thinking when I did my '54- I bought a complete, running '74 SDV and used the front frame clip, discs, axle, engine & trans. Mounted a '70 Dodge D300 booster for the brakes under the floor outside the frame rails. Don't even know it's there. I did a stock rebuild of the front end, using '74 Cad coil springs minus 2 coils. The car appears bone stock like GM built it, except the Edlebrock intake, and the radiator mounted in front of the core support. Cleaned all the brackets off the rear axle, and bolted it to '54 leaf springs. I ended up having to run some mid '70's Eldo steelies (for the offset) but everthing worked out fine and you can't ever feel the road at 80+mph. Everything turned out real nice, and I wasn't violently ass-raped buying dropped spindles and all the rest of that expensive BS. Hopefully someday I'll wise up- *EDIT* The '74 Sedan DeVille clip I used is rear steer...

 

Are you going to airbag it yourself? If so, and your gonna do it over a weekend, invite me up from Tampa...I'd love to watch and learn. i can't weld for crap though

 

Wood????.........Ass-raped????..........I laughed out loud at 5:15am!.....hmm how much are 2x4's?

 

Well, in the first place you asked for opinions on clipping your mid 50's GM car, and I responded by telling you I've done three, I've also clipped dozens of "totalled" cars and trucks, including the Silverado I've driven for the past 9 years, and that there are pitfalls you can avoid by not using the particular clip you have just because you have it. I and others also pointed out it's no more expensive to rebuild what you have, and way less work. Add in that it doesn't sound as if you've done one before, and it looks like you've got a decent start on a car. Sorry if you took offense, but cutting the frame off at the firewall is pretty much whacking it in two.

I didn't insult you personally, although you've chosen to do that about me, my car, where I and lots of other folks live. You asked for alternatives to the (poor choice for your car) Nova clip, and I and others did so. Obviously, you're ready to proceed simply because you have it. Go ahead, it'll work, it'll be hard, and it won't be as good as it could have been if you'd picked the right one, or rebuilt the original one. Period. Ultimately the cost will be roughly equal if you include your time and the end result. Again, the nova clip will put the steering box in the same place it lives now, so you're still going to have that issue to deal with as opposed to a front steer clip. A front steer clip fits in a '41 Chev behind the fender and grill, and clears the rad. support, and your Caddy has WAY more car out in front than my little Chebbie did.

Cars laying on the rocker panels look broken to me. Sorry, but they do. The primary goal you've stated for this is to do that, so "lay'n frame" is your goal. Bags break, lines leak, fittings crack or loosen, and your Caddy lay'n frame on the highway with no bump stops to support the suspension and keep the hard parts off the ground is poor engineering, simply put. Ignoring safety and driveability are poor reasons to cut up a car, changes made to improve handling and braking aren't, so if you get opinions based on wanting to make changes that ignore those factors for "style points" at a car show and impress kids who don't know any better, then you are welcome to do so and ignore us old guys who point out otherwise when you ask us to.

I've fucked up a couple of cars that I wish now someone advised me not to, but like you, I knew better. It's never fun to be told that an idea is a bad one, and it's stupid to argue with someone or get into a flame war. That's not what this about. Just think hard and ask yourself if you're headed down the right path before you take the sawzall to that Caddy.

 

Brian,

I tell some of my best friends where to stick there heads...and make fun of where they live......so anyway.....Check out "40studedudes" 55 caddy build thread. The box sticks thru the front support, I was ready to do just that,(talked with him several times... he lives in the tundra too) Several people suggested I use a rear steer set-up up, I finally bought one (completly rebuilt-$400-box&new discs included) The
front steer stuff is plentiful and cheap! I wanted to use one....... and as I said I also considered taking apart the original caddy stuff, coating and rebuilding it(bushings etc.) out to the discs. min. $1500 with a pieced together disc kit, add another $600 for dropped uprights and steering arms(theyre to short to heat and bend). That's all before I get to the broken airbag stuff. I know you've got to pay to play, but damn. I'll take any advice that's given, especially from the experienced. Tell me if you see what I see on studes caddy.

 

I have looked as Studedudes build, and yes, the box and frame horn protrudes thru the core support, as it does on my '51 and the '48. However, it works, it's easy to trim the core support, doesn't interfere with mounting the bumpers, exterior sheet metal and it gets the box out of the way of your exhaust manifolds. I have the stock radiator in the '48, a Honda Odesyee (sp?) in the '51 turned on end, but the stock core support with a notch in the lower left corner. The stock radiator would still fit.

Again, I'm not saying it can't be done, but really, that Nova clip isn't the one I'd pick if I were doing another Caddy. Sorry to have ruffled your feathers, and again, it is your car, but there are better ways around this than the Nova clip. I'd measure up a Caprice/Roadmaster/Fleetwood. If they're too wide to tuck the tires in with it slammed, it's easy to narrow one. I just narrowed the Chev van crossmember going under my Diamond T 3". You'll have bigger brakes and the same bolt pattern as your rear axle.

A buddy of mine told me many years ago when I put a Ford 200 six in a full fendered '27 T that it was a mistake to use an engine just because you have it. He was right, the car would have been way better, and way more saleable with a popular (read SBC or small block Ford) than the six.

 

my 50 caddy with the rear steer clip put the box to close and tight angles.if i was to do it again i would use a 77-87 jaguar xjs or xj6. lots of less fab better brakes rack steering and no worry on cutting the frame besides the stock crossmember out.


rear steer clip can be used with the off set steering that will drop the shaft.

 

54cruzer, how did your 55 caddy turn out? I bought a 55 caddy that already had the nova subframe installed except for the steering. The front wheels are not out wide enough in my opinion. No drivetrain in the car so if I'm going to make a change, now is the time. What did you end up doing? Just trying to get more advise. Thanks, Jack