Clever Idiot

Coil-overs are out of my price range. I'm aiming to get this beast on the road in a little over a year. Plus I think their capabilities are beyond what I need out of the car. Truthfully I'm not sure what advantages coil-overs have. I just know that I see them on cars that see way more track time than I plan on, and they're far more expensive. Judging by the El Camino, I think I'll stick with my original plan of 2" drop front springs, 1" drop rear springs. That's a heck of a suspension difference on the El C, and it doesn't look drastic in reality to me. The lower wheel well lip in the rear almost makes the MC seem like it sits lower in back (even though it's actually level), at least to my eyes. Not judging by that picture, but others I've seen that I know are level, with the pic taken more from the side. Pro-Touring '72 on the forum

Hey folks, Looking at getting my suspension pieces. For a long time I've been planning on a 2" drop springs in the front, 1" drop springs in the rear. Stock front spindles, but I'm getting new upper and lower control arms from BMR with the tall ball joint. I can't remember if those tall ball joints will lower the front at all; I'll have to look back through my emails. I've always pictured a slight rake to the stance, but now I'm wondering if I might like it better with both front and rear lowered evenly. The tires I'm planning on have a 0.8" difference in diameter according to their website (Nitto NT450, 255/50R17 front, 275/50R17 rear, 17x8 wheels all around), so less than half an inch difference in ride height. I'm starting to wonder if it might be more rake than I want with the 1" difference between springs and we'll call it 1/2" difference between tires, plus the tall ball joint might add more difference. Anybody have any pictures of setups with different front/rear heights, and what those height differences are? I'd rather not buy more than I need to, and it'll be a while before the car's fully loaded down on the suspension to see what my results are so I wouldn't imagine the spring place would let me do an even swap if I didn't like the look. Also, just give me some opinions on what y'all think of raked vs flat stance. Flat seems to be more modern pro-touring, which I like. But raked gives it a classic muscle intimidation sometimes. I'm totally on the fence. Hell, I might just end up buying both sets of rear springs. It's really a drop in the bucket compared to everything else going in!

Well, after looking into a few different avenues I've decided to stick with the 350 to get it back on the road at the very least. I can build up the 350 slowly once it's on the road, and if it ends up not being enough I can swap it out later. As for fan shroud, I'm going electric, so it's gone already. Radiator I'm already going for an aluminum 1" dual core - not sure if that would be enough for a 454, but I would think so. I think I remember reading somewhere it's equivalent to a 1/2" 5-core copper (if such a thing were possible without diminishing returns). A/C will definitely be going in. This is Florida, man. That stuff is NOT an option. A bigger fuel line will be a PITA. I already have the 3/8" stainless line installed, and the body on the frame. Changing it now would be prohibitive. Yeah, all things considered, I'm going to stick with the small block for now. Get this girl back on the road and then see if I can't get enough power out of it. Thanks for all the input, everybody!

No doubt! If I don't go 454, I'm planning on building my 350 to be around 400hp/400ft-lbs so I figured it would be plenty thirsty on its own. Although I would expect a 454 to be even thirstier.

No racing for me. Just a streeter with a lot of push. Planned on upgrading the trans internals at some point anyway - Bowtie Overdrives is where I was planning on getting the trans. I like the 200-4r because of its length; I had heard/read somewhere the same thing so I figured it would be an easier swap. Need a whole new exhaust system anyway, so that's no extra cost. Same story for brake booster - I need a new one anyway. Don't the big blocks need a smaller diameter booster for clearance? Front drive system - you mean the accessories like power steering pump, alternator, etc? I need new ones for my existing 350 as it is, so again no extra cost there. What about motor mounts? Same mounts/location?

I'm sure some members have gone through it. I'm thinking about upgrading my 350 to a 454, and I'm wondering what pitfalls I should look out for when considering. I know I'll need to change the front springs, but other than that, I'm pretty clueless. Car's apart, the only thing I have installed is the fuel and brake lines. Are the fuel lines different (tank-to-pump)? I have a 12-bolt I bought off Jared that came out of a '71. I was planning on just rebuilding my TH350 to get it back on the road, or perhaps put in a stout 200-4r if money allowed. Would those transmissions handle a 454? Any drive shaft mods required? What else should I look out for?

Well, that's what I've been planning to do with my 350. Get it tanked and build it up myself. I'd go the same route with a big block. Since I'm not planning on building for maximum horsepower, I don't think my tolerances and such are going to be so tight that I end up building a bomb. I'm a little concerned with getting in over my head, but it wouldn't be the first time. I'm pretty confident that between my skills and this forum I'd get it done right. I'm just thinking big block for the easy low-end torque and goosebump-inducing sound.

Nah, sorry. Sold my original grill. Forgot about getting any pictures of it side-by-side. Got my car back from paint & body back in July; re-assembly's been on pace with money - slow . If things go the way I'm hoping they will, in the next couple months I should have my radiator core support blasted and powder coated, plus fenders and hood hung. Once that happens I'll throw on the grill to show what it looks like installed.

Saw one at a Super Chevy Show in Gainesville years back. It was a 454 twin turbo, too. Absolutely beautiful. And that huge engine bay was jammed with piping, even with a big cowl for the intake. Massive, delicious 4" or larger piping. I still have some pics around here somewhere. And maaaaaaan... You guys are really making me think about doing a big-block instead of building up the 350. I should stay away from here! I always come away with new ways to spend money I don't have yet!

Glad I'm not the only one on the decade-plus timeline!

That's awesome! I can't imagine how cool it must have been to swap stories with him. Amazing job on the re-overhaul. I've been following it ever since you joined the club. Inspiring, man, really.

Same here. Especially with FL heat, plastic anything gets broken down pretty easily here. I'm also not going anything close to original, so there's that. But the mods I am making, you'll have to know Montes to spot them. Juuuuuust how I like it.

Def agree it's sitting way high. Mine isn't sitting that high, and I have relatively new springs in the rear (replaced about 12 years ago with cargo springs, and only drove on them for about 2 years). Plus I don't have anything - anything - except the body and fuel/brake lines on the frame. You can see it in my sig pic.

Well wishes for Rob to get better very quickly.

Rod, you're awesome. Thanks for the link! I'll definitely be getting new springs from there. As for hinges, I'm going to look into that restoration service. I'll see which works out better, price-wise. Heck, those GM-direct ones cost less than the genuine GM ones from OPGI.

Year One claims their hood hinge springs are good for 1964-1965 models, 1966-1967 SS models and 1970-1972 Chevelle/El Camino SS, Heavy Chevy and Monte Carlo models. That can't be right, can it? I've always heard that the Chevelle springs aren't strong enough for the long MC hood. Wait, nevermind: So has anyone used the Year One springs, and have an idea how they hold up on our hoods?

Nah, mine aren't bent; I just want to shine them up and make them work like new to match everything else. That reconditioning service looks promising - thanks Andreas. My hood stayed wherever I put it when it was on there, so I think my springs are good. But new and oiled hinges will tell the truth.

This may have been covered in the past, but... My next step in the Monte process (once I get my axle shipped) is to blast and powder coat the core support, then hang the fenders and hood so I can fully bolt the body to the frame, and so they're not resting on the ground and roof. Which brings me to the question of hood hinges. Is it possible to blast/powder coat/re-condition the factory ones? I've considered just buying new ones, but the repros from OPGI have a review saying that one of them bent the hood. The genuine GM ones don't have any reviews, and they cost so much that it has me leaning towards some really trick billet hinges with hydraulic lifts. I really like the billet ones, but I was thinking of keeping with the originals for cost. Thoughts? Also, not sure if this thread should go in this forum, or Auto Body Repair, or even Modifiers?

Yeah, I'm thinking that's what I'll do before taking those springs out again. I don't want to have to pry and pop and scratch up new springs and a-arms when I go to put them on, and I just don't want the headache when I go to take this old stuff back off. Originally Posted By: cny first gen 71 You could always put a 2x4 between the frame and ceiling and jack up the A frame. Way to risky for my blood! Besides, that would crush my drywall ceiling in the garage. I'll stick to the PITA compressor!

This is the one I have. That big rectangular aluminum block is the problem. Perfectly the wrong size to drop out or flip inside the spring (without multiple pry bars). But this looks like it would be easier to maneuver in and out of the installed spring (due to the bottom of the block being angular instead of a perfect rectangle). What made this one more difficult? Would it not compress the spring as much, because of the reduced available thread travel?

Frame's totally stripped, so there's no weight where I could put a jack under the lower a-arm and do that instead. Plus I just don't feel comfortable doing it without the compressor.

Finally got it last night after posting. I used my jack handle to wedge in between coils and a tie-rod separator to force the short hook down a couple coils, rotating the block/hook assembly. After I got the short hook past two coils, I was able to orient the assembly so the long hook was facing up and the short hook was facing down, with the block straight in between them. Easily fit through the hole then. Tonight I get to tackle the passenger side.

Yep, this. I'm re-installing the springs right now so I can pick up the body. I'm bringing the rolling chassis and they're mounting the body on it using their lift. I hooked in about 3 coils down from the top, and put the spoon in about 2 coils up from the bottom. I've hooked it too high before where the hooks were too high in the frame pocket and I couldn't unhook them, but not this time. The hooks/fingers don't come off the block on mine. It's a solid block with the thread hole and the two pivoting hooks. The hooks are off the coils, the threaded part is completely threaded out, the spoon is removed. It's the block that the hooks attach to that is just a millimeter too large or awkward to drop through the shock hole in the bottom a-arm. I've had the front coils out and back in 2 or 3 times (I think this is my third time installing them) all due to needing to move it after disassembling it. I have had to fight this block getting in and out of the lower a-arm shock hole EVERY time.

Anyone have some kind of trick for getting the top hooks of a coil spring compressor out from inside the front coil spring?! I've busted more knuckles and thrown every curse at it that I know (and even made some up). I've done it before. It always seems to be the same procedure of frustrating me to the point of being homicidal, and then it falls out with magic or something; I don't know. What a PITA!! There has to be a better way to get that beast out through the lower A-arm shock hole.