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front clips?

3K views 18 replies 4 participants last post by  Max Keith 
#1 ·
I am sure this has been asked before (probably along the lines of how much horsepower will my... ) but what exactly do you guys mean by clips? I Think it has something to do with the suspension but I don't understand this properly. Can someone help?
 
#2 ·
Front clip

That is the front portion of the cars chassis containing the cross member and including the control arms and steering gear of the car..

When we clip a car we cut off the existing front and weld on a new one..this is common in crash repair if the front cross memeber and steering has been damaged.

In Hot Rod work we are changing out the existing front end to get one with say disk brakes and other improvemnts to the suspension..

Hope this helps

OMT
 
#3 ·
front clip

That is geographical. In some areas a front clip is the front suspension, usually pertaining to the point where the frame rails are welded to the stub and forward. Particularly referred to whith front sub frames like in camaros etc.
In my area, a front clip is referring to the front fenders, hood, grill etc. all the body parts forward of the firewall, and the forward frame assembly is called the front stub. This stems from the high influence of stock car racing in this area. there are many classes of stock cars that require a stock front end frame assembly and are called "Stock Stub" chassis.
 
#4 ·
Clipping a car is basically cutting the original cars frame off just froward of the firewall and replacing it with a newer frame and suspension from a donor car. The plus side is getting a modern suspension and brakes. The minus side is if you don't get the new frame section perfectly aligned when attaching it, you get a car that drives bad, can't be aligned, eats tires and is just a terrible pain in the *****. Frames not properly welded and installed have also been known to break off. Some custom made sub frames on the market now make the job easier and some cars will accept the Mustang II front cross member eliminating the need to cut the frame thus bypassing cutting the frame altogether. For the most part clipping a car is best left to a person or shop with previous experience.:thumbup:
 
#5 ·
clipping

pony, AMEN!
Unless you have a good chassis jig, or a solid method of trueing up a front stub, er clip, when attatching it to a frame, and a good and proper welder to do it with, you are best to leave such a project alone and let a shop that has the ability, take care of it.
 
#6 ·
Awesome stuff guys!

And yes - some how I doubt that me myself or I will be doing that kind of work without some serious assistance. Thankfully my uncle is a mechanic and both the guys I work with are car nuts, and one of their fathers owns a very reputable panel shop :)

But basically to get this right, rather than rebuild half the front section and re-arrange all the suspension bits etc you just get a donor car that fits correctly, cut the old front off and then weld on the new one (and as you say making damned sure twice over that it's all lined up right)

Ok.

So what does one recommend as a donor car to give me power steering, new suspension, and disk breaks for a 1936 straight axle 4 door chev sedan? :)
 
#7 ·
clipping it

For your application, check out Speedway Motors of Lincoln Nebraska, for an aftermarket fabricated front end assy, that is copied off of the Mustang II and uses many of those parts.

They make front cross members with all the proper mounting brackets for a wide variety of vehicles. Assemblies all the way from the basic crossmember to complete rolling front stubs, using both OEM and after market suspension parts.

http://speedwaymotors.com/

They are a specialty house for early type hot rods as well as all vestages of auto racing.
And reasonable prices as well.

BTW, one of the fiberglass body kits they offer is a 36 chevy. So if you are looking for stuff like body parts or a radiator shell, thats the place.
 
#12 ·
Another one to look at

jegs jegs.com has a front suspension clip in several different hub to hub dimensions..complete kit includes all the pieces including the disk brakes..little bit spendy to my taste but may work for you..

Now saying that one can get creative and spend some time at the wrecing yard doing some measuring and maybe come up with something that will work for you..that is the way the original aftermarket clips were made..a bit of reverse engineering..:thumbup:

one more thought you may check the Mustang II front clips..I think they call them falcons down there..that may work..

OMT
 
#13 ·
clipping

A good source would be to check out the salvage yards for bolt in front stubs, such as the camaro has. compare the frame rail distances and the wheel track. The only problem with a stub like out of a Camaro would be that it is a bulky stub and would be majorly ugly sticking out the front of your car, unless you were to cover the front with full sheet metal like fenders and a splash pan under the grill.
 
#14 ·
If you're right and the mustang II is what we call a falcon (and looking at some side by sides I think you are right) then it will be a piece of cake to find a front clip.

I guess the only other things for me to worry about in the chassis / engine department is the rear end (can we do a rear clip?), the transmission, and um,... probably everything.


Max you poor man.. nice car tho :) I married a woman here, gave up my little dream of wanting a hot rod and then 4 years later I've just discovered she always wanted them as well - thank god we're still married.


Now to find a bigger garage.
 
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