update on 31 chevy coupe

[yellowbeard]

Drove it to the shop. Need to adjust my brakes. Got the exhaust on. Got a trans line leak to fix. But I got it in 2nd. gear. WOO HOO

[yellowbeard]

got my exhaust on, started on the front fenders. Let it runs some and drove it a little.

[TFoch]

Yellowbeard,
Congrats on taking it for a ride.  It takes a lot to get these old Chevy's back on the road.  I'm sure you enjoyed the ride!
Tom

[FATnLOW]

Way to go...Like your  wheels ...gonna have to find me a set like that

[logride]

Looking good, and no snow!

[themoose]

That's great .....It won't be long now!!!

[yellowbeard]

been a while, Still hate the stock Mustang II front end. Got to be a way to fix it where I don't have to mod my fenders.

[ghost28]

I have never found a way to fit the front fenders without modification on that style front mustang 2 suspension. Come up with a good idea for all of us...John

[vette59jdwl]

Now dont laugh to hard???I have a question  has anyone put a crown victoria alluminum front end under an older chevy  I dont want to cut my fenders either and sure would like to have a more modern front end.

[ghost28]

Now dont laugh to hard???I have a question  has anyone put a crown victoria alluminum front end under an older chevy  I dont want to cut my fenders either and sure would like to have a more modern front end.

I have a feeling the upper control arm, or hat of the suspension might still be in the way. I put the complete suspension from a 92 vette under a 32 chevy coupe. I had to modify the front fenders to be more like a 34 chevy to clear everything. It was a ton of work, but if you could find a set of newer fenders it might be easier.  You will lose the 32 design on the front of the fenders.

[madmike3434]

you can use a KUGEL front suspension or you can use a garry HEIDT'S frontm suspension, both of them will weld to the frame without having to cut into the fenders UGH !!!! look.

The mustang IFS does not work on the 33 and down style fenders.
here is some pictures of a KUGEL IN MY 35 STD COUPE FRAME.

mike

[madmike3434]

here is some more pictures from the net on how the kugel or heidts front suspension attaches to the frame.  Its does not interfere with the fender at all,  on fenders that sit down on the frame.  I think TCI and a few others might also make this same design, nothing in mustang 2 works that I am aware of.

Yes this system does actually cost real money, but it works and it fits.  I put one in my coupe in 96 and its fantastic riding and handling.  I also have the same system for the roadster , BUT, this time its unpolished and will remain that way.  you can also get this with tubular A arms for a lot less .

mike lynch   

[vette59jdwl]

  Mad Mike 3434  I am about 100 miles east of you and i have a 32 chevy roadster  that hasn't started yet .I like the idea of putting a newer independent front end under the front end rather than using a 54 chevy truck front end..But i have been flirting with using a crown vic P52 front end and cutting it in the center and shortening it  will let you know the outcome.Car show GANANOQUE this week end  will take pictures  Tom

[themoose]

I put a Kugel in my 32 and as Mike said below it's not cheap but it fits right and looks pretty good and it handles better that my wife's daily driver. I think it was well worth the money. Here are a couple of pictures I took during the build.

Moose

[madmike3434]

  Mad Mike 3434  I am about 100 miles east of you and i have a 32 chevy roadster  that hasn't started yet .I like the idea of putting a newer independent front end under the front end rather than using a 54 chevy truck front end..But i have been flirting with using a crown vic P52 front end and cutting it in the center and shortening it  will let you know the outcome.Car show GANANOQUE this week end  will take pictures  Tom

Tom, if your going to be running stock fenders then I cannot see it working..  Your fenders sit right down on top of the frame rails.  To cut those fenders and build boxes in them around this crown vic front end, in my opinion is sacrilegious .

Back in the 1960--1980 era people did this kind of hacking because for early chevys there was only tubular or beam axles that were too wide at 50" for our chevy cars.  Then a whole pile of people discovered that the corvair front end would actually bolt in with brackets,  even tho it was SUPER F-UGLY.  They stuck them under fords and anything else where they could fit them.  On a 32 style front fender where it was all exposed......BARF BARF.

Around 1968 somebody in California think it was kugel, maybe boyd cod or lil john buttera stuck a jag XKE independent front suspension on a 32 ford and that started the independent craze . Kugel made a kit to adapt it.

Demand dried up the supply of those and price started getting crazy, enter jerry kugel in the early 80's   who created his own independent front suspension,  I showed pictures of above in a post. That was followed by gary heidt and slightly different version, same thing just dressed differently.

At one time some people started using a ford style cross member , cross buggy spring and dropped 5-6 " beam axles with hairpins or 4 bars , just like the ford guys.  All that stuff is not cheap either.  price it out.

The kugel or heidts will have correct coil spring rates for weight of your 32 roadster, not a 45--4800 pound CROWN VIC.  It will have an Omni rack and pinion steering and be light and easy to steer and you will not need power steering. The disc brakes will be GM rotors with wilwood 4 piston aluminum calipers.

Before you start doing damage to your stock 32 chev frame take the time to think about it .

or if you want to get seriously down in the weeds , then this 1940--54 chev 1/2 ton truck axle that is narrowed in a forge too 46" width and stretched 4 1/2" over stock by a California dropped axle company, MORDROP, not sure if still around,  is for sale for $450  That's what used to be in my 35 coupe from 1980 - 1996  . Oh and by the way, you cannot get over a beer can lying on its side,  unless you have tall 27--28" tires

mike