I've read, heard, and discussed all the pros and cons of bagged suspensions. I'm familiar with all the "traditional vs. non-traditional" arguments. It's all a blur at this point. What I want to know is what you guys think of the car as it sits now and whether or not the overall look would greatly improve if I completely re-worked the suspension(linked, notched, & bagged). It's a big job and it's the last big thing I would do to my Olds before I called it "done". I just don't know if I want to go there or not. I can't decide if sitting on the ground would take away from the look I've put together or if it will take the car to another level in a good way. I tend to belong to the lower-is-better crowd. My car is about as low as it can go without major surgery right now. Leafs have no arch, blocks added, coils cut in front. It rides decent. Bottoms out kinda nasty every now and then. Normally i wouldn't think twice about adjustable suspension and just go for it. But I've gone to great lengths to give a nod to a particular style and era with this build. I just want to finish it correctly. I need other opinions. Thanks.
Eryk, looking at your stance, i'd do up the rear only (air, notch, link) and perhaps just natually lower the front just a small touch more. Your car looks great. I expect somebody may try to throw the "bags arent traditional custom" line out... I disagree with that, as it was done in the 60's. -scott noteboom
Looks completly bad*** right now! I'm currently trying to decide on weather or not to lower my '55 Olds, and if so, how much. Looking at your car I'm thinking THAT much. Sweet ride! Later- John
That car is close to being perfect just the way it sits..............take out half a coil in the front and call it done.
Who cares about tradition or non tradition. its about what you want and what you like. Who cares what others think.
it's perfect. leave it alone and get going on the cutl***, the galaxie, or the.....? Call it done, it looks great. Seriously.
WOW!!!! That car is unreal. The only thing I might do is lower the front just a tad more and call it done! Beautiful car!
Slamming the car will not improve the look you have worked to achieve. Go back and look in your "little pages" again - were those cars slammed? You can, however, install air or hydraulics to improve the driveability and ride - just resist the temptation to park it on the rockers. Park it about an inch lower all around and know that those of us that were "there" appreciate and respect your efforts. vic ps: damn good lookin' car.
Man I really love this car so...I dont know if I would bag it. I mean if NOTHING else, it can be a little lower than it is now, and with bags it will give you adjustability (if thats even a word) over what you have now. Slamming the back would make it look different, and without skirts would look really wierd. With skirts might kill what you have now. In response to the cars not being slammed in the day ideas...I think Larry Watson's "G****vine" was super low, and with that stance, no skirts and wild paint, you would be on the money. That would be easier to attain with bags IMO.
I would not bag it. It looks good as is - I agree with the rest, maybe lower it just a little bit more if anything.
bag it, you can still have this look and adjust it back where it doesn't bottom out. Its not like you're putting billet wheels and an Art Morrison chasis...are people going to go up to your car and look underneath and say "aw man...he messed it up...its bagged..." if they did they're idiots. I love the paint job on that thing man...beautiful. Adding bags isn't going to take away from the beautiful paint job, clean white interior or shiny chrome.
I dig your car as it sits, I could call it done and move on to another project. Bags do add another component that needs maintenance, keep that in mind. With that said, I would bag it !
Your car looks great as is, but i remember how my car rode before i bagged the rear and that bottoming out ****s. It made a huge difference in my car just bagging the rear, it rides a lot nicer, its adjustable for when i load the car up for trips, and it can be kinda fun. And by the way, the car still amazes me. The paint, the interior, its absolutely perfect.
What I wouldn't give to be in your predicament, I was like that 5 years ago then I started tearing into it. I'm going to bag mine..eventually, but i just want to drive it, as good as your car looks just drive it, I would suggest bagging it in steps, do the rear first then figure out what you want to do the front. As you know, you have 2 options, keep the original suspension or clip it, to alot of you it sounds easier said than done, these cars dont have "kits", it goes from one end of the spectrum to the other, rebuild or clip and with knee action shocks, it only complicates things. Good luck and keep us posted.
well, there are as many opinions on this board as there are ***hole [wink wink, nudge nudge]. ...but in all seriousness. i'm a huge fan of bags and i make a little hot rod cash sellin kits but i have to tell you that your car looks realy friggin *****in right now, the way it sits. now, i don't think baggin it would take anything away from it but i don't know how much it would realy add either. i'm not sure if it would look dramaticaly "cooler" in my opinion... but in the end the opinion that matters most is your own. perhaps talk someone into photoshopping it on the ground or do it the old fashioned way and print off some pics and go at it with the X-acto knife. then hang it were you will see it often along with the same pic of it at it's current stance. note which one you gravitate towards most. not just at first but over a week or two (or longer) of looking at them. most often i would say "BAG IT!!" without a second thought but in this case it does look realy good as-is. if you do decide to bag it drop me a line and i'll hook you up real good on a kit (SPAM!! lol). i'd suggest putting ALOT of thought into it first though (as it seems you are doing). oh, and if you put hydros on it i swear i'll buy a plane ticket to where ever the hell it is you live (i did'nt look) and ***** slap you upside the head!! ...ok, i won't realy but you get the point.
Thanks for the responses. I really value all the input. You guys brought up a some issues I didn't think about. There's alot to consider. I'm going to cut a little more out of the coils and drop the nose a bit for sure. I'll probably do that right after christmas. Then I'll weigh the options again. Thanks so much everyone.
You need to look at your little pages a bit more... Many of those cars were as low or lower than cars today... Larry Watson, the Conway brothers, Bailon, etc all built cars that s****ed the ground with no adjustability... But most of those guys were in the LA area at a time when the roads were fairly new... I don't think the Olds NEEDS to be any lower, but if it were mine, I'd bring the front down to where the top of the wheel arch sat even with the top of the white of the white-wall... And then bring the back down and equal ammount. I think you could do that without airbags but it would ride better with bags. It might make the lake pipes s****e too much though... It's up to you... Your car looks perfect as it sits... It might look a little more sinister a little lower, but not really 'better.'
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