58 for my wife
 

i got my wife a 58 apache for xmas were now throwing ideas around and ive got a few questions. which is easier a mustang 2 frontend or a camaro subframe? and second has anyone used a jaguar rearend in one of these trucks? thanks!

Re: 58 for my wife
 

i dont know that its really a question of which is easier but maybe which has more options. both are very common but witht he camaro subframe it seems you can only go a few directions with it but with the mustang to me it seems you can build it to nearly any configuration that you want and they are becoming increasingly cheaper. hope this helps some.

Re: 58 for my wife
 

If it was me I'd find out how much weight each car originally carried on it's front wheels and see which is closer to the approx. 2000 lbs your truck will have on it's front end.....

For what it's worth, I have clipped one of these trucks and I was very happy with it. I'm getting ready to do another. Also, the camaro front clip works very well as is for a vehicle you are going to drive and looks good if done well.

Both ways will require a lot of welding, but the camaro is simpler.

Re: 58 for my wife
 

Theres not much mustang II stuff left in these kits anymore....

Re: 58 for my wife
 

I have cliped one and I have put the M II (type) in one. The clip, you have to do more fabing up yourself. It's no big deal. The M II has step by step instrutions with it, and would be harder to get it wrong. With the MII you don't have to make your rad. suports. There is more than one way to clip one. I have seen some that I didn't like at all, and I have seen some that looked factory. It all depends on your skill leval. So it all boils down to, it's your truck and you have to do what's right for you. both can be done right. As for the jag rear end. If your asking about easier on the front end, then I would say stay with the easier rearend. It sure could be done, but I think that a coil over and 4 link would be better suited for the truck, and leaf spring set up would be way easiers than the jag or the 4 link. JMO

Re: 58 for my wife
 

There are kits out now for the IRS corvette rear ends. A few of the guys on here are going this route.

Re: 58 for my wife
 

First off, great gift for your wife!
I put a Camaro clip under my frame, it was very straight forward. There are different ways of doing the Camaro clip, I did the lapping method where you leave the clip intact and weld it to the bottom of the truck frame.(simple and drops the ride height about 5 inches) Others have cut the camaro clip and grafted it on to the truck frame using a butt joint connection, the end result looks alot cleaner and like it came from the factory(if your good...) The graft option is more labor intensive and I think it doenst sit the frame as low as with the previous method I mentioned.

As for the jag rear, it seems really cool, I have one that I was gona put in my 59 but it seemed like a lot of work and I didnt really know how to attack it. I wanted to mount the rear in the cage, but for these trucks, the frame rails are too narrow and you really need to take them out of the cage and mount the diff on a crossmember. I ended up going with the 4 link instead. It really depends on your fab skills. Theres a lot of info on how to mount these rear ends ex: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...t=77729&page=2 (just one quick search) Hope that helped

Re: 58 for my wife
 

thanks guys! the truck came with an extra frame with a camaro subframe butchered in it so i didnt know if i should start with the frame on the truck or redo that one. as for the jag rearend i got one pretty cheap and was thinking of making a new housing out of tube and changing the coilovers to shockwaves.

Re: 58 for my wife
 

here is whatthe truck looks like

Re: 58 for my wife
 

IMO, the Camaro/Nova subframe, if done right, makes for a better install than the M-II and for a lot less money. Also, it accepts standard GM parts for brake and steering upgrades, again saving $.

The problem is that the subframe install can be screwed up really badly by someone who doesn't know what he's doing. All told, I have seen about as many bad installs as good, ranging from ugly to unsafe to undriveable. Also, you do need to fab the radiator/sheetmetal and bumper supports if you use the subframe, so it will be somewhat more work.

If you have confidence in your fab skills, go with the subframe and you will feel rewarded when it is done. If not, choose a M-II. It will cost more, but it will be pretty difficult to do a bad job of it as long as you follow the instructions.

Ray

Re: 58 for my wife
 

that truck has 1959 emblems and hood front chrome, double check your title. old money.

Re: 58 for my wife
 

i have a 59' sitting on a 70' c-10 chassis (purchased that way) and that might be a option for you. keep this thread filled with pictures of your progress. cool project.