Which front end for Ad

[52 Chevy]

I have two options either a stock Mustang 2 or a 76 Nova sub frame? I can only imagine that this has been discussed a million times but I can't seem to find it. I am building an everyday driver not a big money show truck. I can Fab up either just want opinions on the best route and why.
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[Larry Lindley]

Nova sub frame.

[52 Chevy]

I figured I would get a lot more response.se. If neither way sounds good then what do you all recommend?
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[mknittle]

I have a 70s camaro My sisters has a 71 caprice [too tall and kinda wide but rides and handles like a car. nova would be narrower.
I don't like the mustang II kits as they are designed for a pinto. I also dont like how the camber is Held/adjusted the is in a shear in a slot.

[chebyshortbox65]

I'm using a 68-72 nova rear steer subframe perfect track width its just tacked up there for now mustang two is a lot easier but outta my budget right now plus I had the subframe and i think I can make it handle way better then a mustang two with all the parts to make camaros handle like there on rails ill post pics in a bit
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[mr48chev]

I'd spring for a MII crossmember even if it was the weld it yourself one from welders series
http://www.welderseries.com/blog/online-store/ws14540/
there is also the bolt on one that works slick but does cost a bit. If you can measure and drill holes you can put that one on in a day easily.
That's not to say that the stock MII crossmember won't work as I have friends who have lost count of how many they put under cars in the past. Most of those cars are still running them 20+ years later. The big problem now is finding one that isn't rusted out or bent.

I'm not a fan of the front steer Camaro subframe under AD trucks as the track width is a bit wide and you have a lot of sheet metal fitting issues They are inexpensive and drive good though. While you save cash you end up spending a serous amount of time trimming and fitting to get it right and still end up with a lot of cut up sheet metal to make things fit.

[quigman]

I would suggest the MII. I did a camaro subframe once in my studebaker and it was just marginally cheaper adn took much longer to install. The sheet metal will never fit the same and the ability to alter the suspension at a later time is much less. The MII kits these days are built well and strong enough for what we use them for. If they were crappy they wouldn't be so prolific. I say spend the cash and do it the easy way.

[GMtrucknut!!]

I actually kicked around a nova rear steer front clip which I already had, then bought a camaro front steer clip . But in the end I didn't like the idea of cutting my frame in half so I put in a mustang II kit from TCI. The cost of either would have been nearly the same and the mustang II looks cleaner when the job is done.

[Hot Rod Todd]

I would recommend using a Series 2 XJ6 Jaguar front end and power steering. They are a solid unit with 4 pot vented disc brakes and the donor car has a similar weight to your AD.

And they are only a couple of hundred dollars so easy on the budget.

But wait theres more: If you mount them as Jaguar did, they only take about four bolts, fabricate shockmounts and some brackets to fit them and the ride is great - just like a Jag really. Width is good - mine has 15*6 US Chromies (bought from Summit) and they fit nicely in the guards.

It would have to be one of the easiest front end conversions you can do.

[Hot Rod Todd]

Heres an article on the HAMB

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...hlight=jag+ifs

Its in a F100 but it shows a lot of useful stuff.

Cheers
Todd

[Kabwe]

If it were my truck I'd much prefer an aftermarket kit that allows you to use your original frame rails such as a flatout Engineering, Hiedts, TCI, Fatman, Scotts, etc to an mustang 2. But if you are going to clip the 68-74 Nova Clips work extremely well on the Advanced Design trucks. I installed one for a buddy and he is very happy with it. Here are a couple of pics of the truck

[hopped up]

porterbuilt!!
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[Hot Rod Todd]

Heres a couple of pikkys of my truck with the Jag front end (and jag rear too)

[52 Chevy]

What year of Jaguar? Does the suspension bolt on or weld? The rear is independent, correct?
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[mknittle]

Originally Posted by Kabwe

If it were my truck I'd much prefer an aftermarket kit that allows you to use your original frame rails such as a flatout Engineering, Hiedts, TCI, Fatman, Scotts, etc to an mustang 2. But if you are going to clip the 68-74 Nova Clips work extremely well on the Advanced Design trucks. I installed one for a buddy and he is very happy with it. Here are a couple of pics of the truck

Kabwe every time you post pics of that truck I reconsider yellow
how much drop did you do on that one? it is hard to tell by the in process pics.

[Kabwe]

Originally Posted by mknittle

Kabwe every time you post pics of that truck I reconsider yellow
how much drop did you do on that one? it is hard to tell by the in process pics.

Its drop considerably. When I installed the clip I installed it with about 2 inch kick up. There are no drop spindles on that clip the stance is all in the kickup. Its nice and low but I have to tell you when I saw kustombrad's truck at the brother show his truck is even lower. Man it looks like it's bagged.lol

He has a build page where he shows his installation I believe its a g body clip. Heres the link
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...ght=kustombrad

Here are a couple of shots of the install on that yellow truck.




By the way if your heart is set on doing a clip another cool clip is the 78-88 G body clip (Monte Carlo, Grand Prix, Regal, Cutlass Supreme etc.) It's a good fit. Like I said earlier I prefer to do a Aftermarket IFS when ever possible but I know a lot of people still want to do clips.

[Hot Rod Todd]

Originally Posted by 52 Chevy

What year of Jaguar? Does the suspension bolt on or weld? The rear is independent, correct?
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Heres another how-to with a Jag front end into a 53 up F100

.http://www.how-to-build-hotrods.com/f100.html

Tho the truck is a bit different, it does have a bunch of great pictures and Im told a picture is worth a thousand words....

You are looking for an XJ6 or XJ12 from about 1973 to 1986. The XJ6 started around 1969 in Series 1 form but had a solid disc brake. Series two and series three had the vented discs. After the series three came the XJ40 with the square headlights & they are quite different & you dont want one of them.

The Jaguar XJS also has the same front end as the XJ6, but they usually cost more than the XJ6 (well down here anyhow). The XJ6 weighed around 4000lbs so its front end is ideal for the weight of our trucks.Front end is 59.5 inches wide.

The front end can be bolted in as per Jaguars original design, in which case you leave the forward mounts on the front end and fabricate brackets from the chassis to the forward mounts. The ride is nicer on a bolt in as its rubber mounted, but you do need the slip joint at the base of the Jag steering column to take up the movement.

If welding the front end in, most people remove the two forward points as they really dont need them. The ride is a little more harsh compared to a bolt in Jag, but still light years ahead of what you started with and way nicer than the other option here the GM Holden HQ front clip which is similar in design and ride to the Nova clip that you guys use.

Down here a Heidts front end is about $4800 so a Jag from the boneyard for a few hundred dollars has a LOT of appeal. Our Australian cousins, who have a whole country full of the old HQ style front ends, have also embraced the Jag front end in big numbers.

The Jag rear is IRS, and in my truck, its still in the cage and its bolted in EXACTLY as Jaguar designed. My 48 truck will be my daily driver and it rides very nicely, and will be okay for towing my drag racing T bucket to either of the two IHRA tracks in this country.

Let me know if you have any more questions

Regards
Todd

[Larry Lindley]

Now after reading this its take out the the axle go to Jag or drink a 12 pack and think about it.ha ha.

[Hot Rod Todd]

Just remember, drinking helps your thinking. And planning a project is 50% of the work

[Scottshotrods]

Here is one more option for you Scotts Hotrods and now we have our units as a Bolt in as well as a weld in unit

www.scottshotrods.com

805 485-0382

Justin