I installed mine with the car sitting right on the ground. If you remove the front leaf spring bolt from the bucket (so to speak) it won't hurt a thing as the weight of the car keeps everything in place. Then you simply slip the frame connector into the opening of the front sub frame and then I put a floor jack under the frame connector to force it up into the leaf spring bucket/pocket and put the bolt back in. Then drill the holes through the sub frame and push the bolts through. The ones I bought also came with tubes that went inside the frame connector to keep it from collapsing from the force of the bolts...
When I went back to the exhaust shop to finish running it all the way out the back, there was a 68 Camaro on the rack next to me with exactly the same paint job ironically. Anyway, his car had lots more money in it, all Hotchkis suspension, 427 engine, the works. Anyway he had subframe connectors, so I got to see them. I definately do not have them. I found the set I want on Jegs.
Hey Robbie I got mine done at a local chassis shop, Hansen's. I cant remember how much ($200?) but they are custom bent tubing, follow the floor pan, and are welded in.
Robbie I just talked to him on the phone the other day as the shop # I had was no longer working. I actulally have another small project for him as soon as things settle down at my place. You wont be dissapointed and he is an excellent contact to have if you ever need any other welding or fab work to be done.
Thank you, I just took down his contact info. Once I get my new steering gear in I'll give him a call. Right now I can't even move my car
We do most our own fab work, but that's on our rock crawlers. I was going to buy a set of sub frame connectors and do them myself, but for a few bucks more I'll let him do it.
I just bought a set for a 68 conv from R.A.R.E. have not installed them yet, once I do I will post some pics. Supposedly these are the best one on the market for a conv according to several high end speed shops etc. we shall see...
I didn't realize RARE had SFC for Convertibles. I hope you post some pics when you get them. I didn't see any picks on their site. I would have a hard time believing they could better then the Hotchkis version but I have not see either of them other then on the net.
I had planned to use the Hotchkis SFC and the RARE super brace.
I will see the car in person tomorrow and will try and get some pics. This car is said to be a flawless, 100% perfect body car with all original sheet metal and a KILLER black paint job that is just, well, flawless. I can't wait to see it in person. When I am done with this car is will be insane! One bad 68 400(461)/4 speed triple black ram air vert is what we are going for. We are going for as much of a pure bone stock look as possible, the frame connectors and super brace will be one of the few exceptions only due to the raw HP this car is expected to produce...
The two guys whom I know fairly well, one who owned a nationally known speed shop in MD and passed away a couple of months ago, both felt the RARE frame connectors were better units as they take up much less room opposed to the Hotchkis. I'm sure the Hotchkis are good parts as everything they make seems to be top notch, but this car I am working on will not see any track time, strictly a street machine. So, with that said, all we want to be able to do is leave Mustangs at the light as I always did with my Bird, that is the goal, plain and simple...
Remote mirror, bird glass, fold down rear seat, console clock, power seat, tilt column, power windows all things to come on this bad bird that I am working on. Hoping to have the car here in my shop soon, so we can get this bad 461 between the fenders and fired up! Already rounding up the above mentioned parts. A lot more fun when it's someone else' $$$$...
Thought I'd bump this since nobody has shared pics of weld-ins yet and I just finished mine. IMO weld-in connectors, fully integrated with the floor, is the only way to really do this. And none of these pre-fab weld-ins that duck under the floor bracing and stick too close to the ground! I've always hated the way bolt-in connectors, and most pre-fab weld-ins, kill ground clearance, and from a profile view they stick down just like old-fashioned traction bars and look goofy...they kinda uglify the profile of these cars. All my opinion of course...yours may vary and I totally respect that. Of course weld-ins that integrate with the floor will completely destroy originality, and that is a huge downside for many. But not for me. These are not rolling art...these are cars. Anywho...I'm just buttoning up chassis work on my 1968 Convertible. Decided to take a few pics before continuing with reassembly and bump this old topic to display what I did for chassis stiffening. Keep in mind this is all part of a comprehensive complete car rebuild...probably the 3rd or 4th resto done to this poor car over the decades and NOTHING remains original. PHS says it was born as a 350 convertible, and is now essentially a 400 convertible clone resto-mod, now with substantial permanent chassis stiffening. I put these connectors in along with new floors (lotsa patching at least), plus brand new rear frame rails (factory repops), but obviously the drop xmember is not remotely close to original, nor are the subframe connectors...those are both of my own engineering. I fabbed the subframe connectors myself out of 2 x 4 boxed steel. They intersect with and are welded to the factory convertible floor cross-bracing, and then protrude directly thru the floor at the rear passengers feet, where they tie into the drop crossmember. And to the backside of the drop crossmember the factory frame rails are directly attached. Hopefully the profile view shows how I've lost essentially ZERO ground clearance, which was my objective. And looking from the side of the car, you'd have to be familiar with the construction of these cars to even know the connectors are not factory...they're just straight extensions off the engine crossmember. So no casual passers-by will ever know there's something different from stock here...ya certainly can't say that about the chunky bolt-ins.
Of course bolt-ins can be installed in a day or less. This project too me MONTHS of labor LOL. So for ease of install...bolt-ins for sure! These integrated ones are NOT for the faint-of-heart when it comes to cutting a LOT of the car apart...
Sorry 'bout the photo of the interior...gloss black doesn't show real well in a flash photo of a bumpy seam sealed floor! But I think you get the idea. Obviously these require solid body mounts at the front engine/suspension crossemember...all rubber has been removed and replaced with aluminum units. This car is now STIFF! Creative carpet laying will be next for the back seat to try to hide the protrusion beams. Luckily I doubt this car will hardly ever see back seat passengers. Photos show the bolt-in convertible cross-brace removed...it will bolt into the factory position upon assembly of the rest of the car. Eventually this machine will see a bit of road-course track time, but just casual fun-stuff, no competitive racing. She'll be a street car...might even have it on the road this summer if I stay motivated and pressing forward.
Essentially I'm just sharing my solution to subframe connectors, for others who may be brainstorming ideas for your project:
Oh yeah, hard to tell anything has been done.;D Looks like alot of work. Seems to me that every time I make a major change like that there is always a compromise somewhere else down the line. Looking at the pics I'm wondering about fitting the exhaust system in. One thing about it once you weld it in you can't go back. If it's bolted there's always that option.
Yepper...exhuast will be a doozie! I'm HOPING I can squeek a pair of 2.5"ers into the driveshaft tunnel, WITH the factory convertible bolt-in brace in place in the factory location.
A guy can dream, can't he?
We'll see. Maybe just straight ovalized pipes run right under the drop crossmember. In fact, that is more likely what will be done....and more realistic....
Exhaust is one of the few areas where I will sub the job out. I know of one particular FANTABULOUS local muffler shop that will custom bend and install me a system cheaper than I can even purchase raw materials myself. I've used them for 2 prior projects and was tickled pink with their quality and price, so I will go back there and present them with this challenge...with my high priority for ground clearance presented front & center...
We'll see....that will be a topic for another thread someday. Not quite ready for exhaust yet...
I'm certainly not saying my methods are for everyone. Just presenting an alternative...that's why I love custom work on cars. Everyone has their own ideas, successes, and failures...
Can't fault a guy for being a visionary but, like I told my kids, nothing's free. There a price to be paid for everything you do. I just spent two days last week installing tailpipes. Didn't think I wanted them until I got tired of sucking up fumes and wearing ear plugs to go on long trips. Went to two local shops and after it was up on the lift they just looked at me and laughed. If they would've done them, and I'm sure they could've, it would've cost me $800 at least. Such is life when you don't plan far enough ahead.
Robert, Do you have a picture of your Firebird with the subframe connectors on? I want to see how much they hang down before I buy a set from Dave at Pro-Touring F-body,com Thank you.
Sure, no prob. I'll take a couple tomorrow. I wanted to take a shot or two of the headers I just installed anyways. The cool thing about them is when they drag over something(and they do alot), I just look at them as protecting the underside of the car. They just kind of slide over the top of whatever. My car used to sit pretty low. I just installed new springs in the back and pulled off the gas shocks so it might not be so low anymore for awhile.
1968 400 Coupe, verdoro green, black vinyl top 1968 400 Convertible, verdoro green, black top 1971 Trans Am, cameo white, auto 1970 Buick Skylark Custom Convertible 350-4(driver)
LOL, I would love to but haven't seen them on the car yet myself. It is sitting in Ohio and I'm here in Texas. I'm going to bring it down in a couple months...
1968 400 Coupe, verdoro green, black vinyl top 1968 400 Convertible, verdoro green, black top 1971 Trans Am, cameo white, auto 1970 Buick Skylark Custom Convertible 350-4(driver)
1968 400 Coupe, verdoro green, black vinyl top 1968 400 Convertible, verdoro green, black top 1971 Trans Am, cameo white, auto 1970 Buick Skylark Custom Convertible 350-4(driver)
1968 400 Coupe, verdoro green, black vinyl top 1968 400 Convertible, verdoro green, black top 1971 Trans Am, cameo white, auto 1970 Buick Skylark Custom Convertible 350-4(driver)