Oh, man... I'm probably going to get jumped on again but here goes.
If you want to put a clip on your truck, I'm not going to tell you not to,
however there are a couple things you need to think about in the process.
There is only one way to install a clip correctly and safely and there are a
thousand ways to screw it up. If you feel you must destroy a perfectly good
frame just make sure your very meticulous about installing a new clip. An
experienced (certified) welder is a must in these cases and double and triple
check your alignment before everything's permanently welded in position.
In the street rod community it's generally considered that installing a clip
lowers the resale value of your vehicle. It seems people just aren't willing
to pay top dollar and trust someone else's skills when something as important
as a frame is concerned.
I hesitate to see what the advantages of installing a clip are anyway. Exactly
what are you getting with a clip that you can't get from the aftermarket? Disk
brakes? They're available almost anywhere. IFS? Nope, again available almost
anywhere. Ah, motor mounts. Nope, a weld or bolt in crossmember with Chevy
mounts is readily available for about $60 from a number of sources. I know...
ease of installation. Nope, I don't think so. So what is it then that makes
people want to destroy a perfectly good frame? I know, it must be the fun of
hanging all that old sheet metal back on the front once the clip is in place.
That's got to be it, a chance for people to show off their fabrication skills.
Now don't jump on me guys... I was just trying to make a point here. There's a
lot to be considered before making a huge decision like lopping off the front
of your perfectly good frame. People tend to think they're going to save
themselves a lot of work by doing this but in reality they cause themselves as
much work as they think they're saving. There have been thousands of clips
welded on street rods and trucks and most of them are very safe, all I'm saying
is make sure that's what you want to do before getting the sawsall out. Once
you cut it, there's really no turning back.
OK, my fox hole is dug.... Incoming!!!!!
Bill Whittaker
'53 3100 Hemi
Built Like A Rock
With Mopar Stock
-----Original Message-----
From: Terry Beynon [mailto:tbeynon@dsl.telocity.com]
Sent: Saturday, September 16, 2000 12:21 AM
To: Old Trucks List
Subject: [oletrucks] ifs or clip
While the embers are still warm, I'll fan them to a flame. Did I miss
something or did we blow right passed the welded front clip say from a 78
Firebird or Camaro. In all the discussion of weld vs. bolt, it seems that if
a weld were to crack (with the clip) there's a chance you could see the
whole front of your truck fall off??? The reason I bring it up is we used
Heidt's MII on the 55. I was leaning to an old Camaro donor car to get the
front clip, rear end (3.08 gear) and the tilt wheel. Do I cut the frame or
not?
Terry Beynon
55-1 3100
51 3106 (Suburban)
Chicago IL
www.beynon.net/terry.html
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
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