HELP! Anyone out there with experience in Camaro subframe installation for 49 - 54 Chevy? Budget won't allow Mustang II, already have the Camaro subframe from driveline donor car. Any advice / sugestions appreciated!

Hi Sleeper, Are you building a car or a truck? Also what year Camaro sub frame do you plan on using? Are you a good welder and a good metal fabricator? Does the camaro front suspenshion need rebuilding? How many miles on the camaro? Just need a lot of info. Before i can give any advise. Regards,HonestFrank
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"VEO DINDICE"

Frank,
It's a '50 sedan. The subframe is a 77 - appears to have had a recent front end job with urethane replacement bushings.
I believe my welding / fab skills are OK, it's been a while, but I worked in a fab. shop that built crane bodies and frames and we did a little hot rod fab then. I have a big wire feeder and plasma cutter plus the usual buzz box,press, etc.
I'd appreciate any tips you could pass my way. THANKS!

Best tip: Measure before cutting, then measure again. Write all dims. down. Most of the subs I have done I was able to slip the sub into the frame rails. The more overlap, the stronger the assembly. Pay attention to the attitude of the sub. Most are level at the front crossmember. Hope this helps.
Bob

If you are paying to have the front end put in and it takes as long as it does to put in with all the fab work to make the front end fit again and also the width you come out cheaper with a mustang,there is no fitting .
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A GOODGUYS REP

Make sure you measure the tread with, I'll check but it seems that i remember the '77 is wider then the eairly Cameros. The 1950 car is a real snap to install a fatmans crossmember, I put one in a 1954 (same frame as your '50)with out removing a V-8 engine and without removing the front sheetmetal. To install a camaro you have to remove everything. If you are determined to use the Camero ,then the best tip i can give is put a 1/2" threaded rod thru the front springs (where the shocks go) and tighten up before you remove any thing off the camaro. (ride height).If you have already removed the sub, then tighten rods until lower control arm is parrallel with the floor, this should be ride height. Lots of nice cars get messed up with subs, installed to low or to high. I myself prefer Mustang 2, and its almost always cheeper in the long run. Just my opinion. Good luck, HonestFrank
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"VEO DINDICE"

Good advice Frank. Generally the hat crosssection frame on an early Chevy like this is more difficult to work with than a rectangular tube crosssection frame but do-able nonetheless. When I do a sub I build cradle out of 2"x4"'s, 1 in front and 1 behind both the front and rear tires, then I tie those together outside of the tires with a long 2x4, then when you put the sub in the cradle with tires on it it automatically meets the wheelbase dimension. With the front suspension pulled down to ride heigth you know where the front of the car will set. If you are going to lower the rear I suggest you do it first. You will need to block up your old frame at ride heigth after you cut off the old front frame stub. This is the part that definitely takes some good planning. Best bet on your first one is to leave the old chassis a little long - you can keep trimmimg it till it fits. Diagonal cuts also give more welding surface. Shove as much of the sub as you can inside your old frame. Plate the joint in some way after it's welded together.

Not for the faint of heart first time out..

Charlie
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da chopper sez so

Look in classiccar.com chev/gmc forum--Sleepy & ChrisB have just both done a camero clip swap.
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Jerry