[49 pick up]

Hi guys
Just wondering whether anyone has grafted a jaguar front clip onto the chassis of a 49 chevy pick up, any help would be very grayefully accepted

Colin

 

[pasadenahotrod]

The suspension swap been done many a time to Model As, Ts and early V8s.
Do your homework, determine the tread width of the Jag in comparison to the tread width of the Pickup. Since the jags are unibodies and have no frames you will probably have to trim away all the superfluous sheet metal and fit the suspension up to your frame, see what needs to be trimmed or bracketry added and what the ride height should be, then do it!

 

[timothale]

jag stuff

jones used to have jag conversions now they have moved from cambell cal to oregon i have seen jag sedan conversions posted on the web by some of the brits. the britts used sedans which are wider and have coil springs they swapped in the crossmember and all ...the xke cars are narrow and have torsion bars, there is a guy in san martin /cal that builds model a ford double truss frames with jag front and rears custom brackets to bolt on piece by piece. I have a couple of late jag sedan fronts which have 11 .5 discs... I plan on custom building new crosmembers to mount every thing

 

[49 pick up]

Thanks guys

Thanks guys for the help, here in England we use the Jag front clip because it has superb handling skills and of course is readily available, I also have a complete Camaro front clip but the problem is that the Camaro frame rails are the same width as the Chevy truck, that in itself is a bonus but I`m fitting a 460 Ford and could do with the extra widthe that you get using a Jag, the main reason for my question was to establish whether the truck rails are cut and bent to fit the jag or does the clip get altered to fit the truck ????.
I realsie I`m asking a lot so I`ll just carry on saving to get it to a local rod builder. Wonderful site and what cool cars and trucks you guys have over there

 

[farna]

pasadena, the Jag front suspension unbolts from the unit body as a complete unit. There is no sheet metal to trim away or additional pieces to weld on. It somewhat resembles a Corvair front suspension, or AMC Pacer. I've seen Jag front suspensions used, but rarely. As 49 Pick Up says, common over there, no so much over here! Some parts are harder to find over here, like the rack and pinion. Some years are prone to leaks.

If the tread is correct there should be no problem. Measure the outside width of the truck rails and the outside width of the Jag rails where the crossmember attaches. If the truck rails are the same width or narrower, place the Jag suspension with tires and wheels under the frame and see how it sits. You may need to notch the frame or use spacers to get ride height correct. Don't forget about the front bumper height! Now is the time to make adjustments for ride height -- you can do it without affecting ride quality or requiring different height springs.

Do note that the Jag uses a deep offset wheel, and the old Chevy 5x4.75" bolt pattern. The front hubs can likely be drilled for the more popular 5x4.5" pattern, but the rear axle hubs require machine work. There's a seal surface that requires the 4.75" circle.

 

[49 pick up]

49 pick up

Thanks for the reply Farna, the rails on the jag are about 6 inches wider each side than the chevy but as i said earlier i guess my local rod shop can have the job. Interesting what you say about the jag clips being rare over in the U.S, it`s probably as hard for you to find them as it is for us to find Camaro clips etc but there is a certain irony that the left and right hand steering racks for the jag are completely interchangeable, I can actually buy a used left hand rack in California, ship it to England and have it rebuilt for less money then I can buy one here for, how`s that for a bit of good old fashioned English logic !!!!!
Thanks again for taking the trouble to reply
Colin

 

[49 pick up]

49 pick up

Just another thought, I am going to run a 460 ford and a 9" axle because they are robust etc etc,and thats the way to go over here, I have bought a couple of engines with transmissions for about £800 each I guess thats $500 ish, but I bet you can buy 454 Chevy engines for not much more whereas over here they would fetch 2 - 300 pounds,
Thanks, wishing I was born in the USA
Colin

 

[snakemaster]

Hi Colin how did you get on with fitting the jag clips , any pics cos i am at this stage any info would be handy

 

[49 pick up]

jag clip

Hi Snakemaster

It`s been so long since i`ve been here i had almost forgotten about it. In the end I didn`t fit the Jag front clip, several reasons, and please don`t think I`m teaching you to suck eggs, but, having bought the clip and realistically, replaced all the bushes, the springs, the s/absorbers and discs, oh and the calipers etc, it started becoming bloody expensive, there was also the problem of the left hand power rack ?, if you do go down this route, don`t try to get a rack from America (the ususal route), because there were thousands of LH drive Jags in Europe, check EBAY. the later XJS front subframes were powder coated and clean up really well, however check for rust under the powder coating, I found this out with the last XJS I owned.

I actually bought a new Mustang 2 front end from Chassis Engineering in Iowa including discs calipers and power rack etc, much cheaper than the other method, everything included in the kit that you could possibly want, and it`s a bolt in unit, no welding, a small bit of cutting was required but it fits beatifully.

Speak soon
Colin (49 pick up)

 

[snakemaster]

Good to hear you have got your truck sorted , i have changed my truck to right hand drive , and i got a jag clip for £15 out of the scrapes with a good rhd power rack so i am well happy , just got to fit it to the truck now , and get the Lexus 4L v8 engine and auto box mounted on the jag cross member

 

[49 pick up]

Chevy truck

Hi snakemaster

Interesting choice of engine/trans, I`ve never seen that done in a chevy truck, have seen an Isuzu diesel fitted.
I firmly believe that Chevrolet made the best looking pick-up ever, however like you I`ve gone a bit different with the engine/trans, I`ve got a 460 big block Ford out of a Thunderbird, we have 5 series one pick-ups in our hot rod club, but we never mention my engine choice. My truck is also a very rare 3800 super long wheel base model, the bed sides measure 110 inches and I have to put up with all the jibes about needing two parking spaces when I get it on the road etc etc.
Just as an aside, I appreciate that there are hundreds of Chevy truck parts suppliers on the web, but if it`s of any interest I use one in Texas, which is owned and run by an english couple which makes translation easier.
If I can be of any help at all, you know how to get in touch.
Good luck
Colin

 

[hardhatz]

Well, if anybody actually wants to DO this thing, here's the scoop. It can be done. I'm building a new frame for my 57 from scratch instead, just for fun. 2x6 tubing.
It will have XJ suspension both ends.

The frame rails on the old Chevys are 34 inches wide. The Jag cradle fits well, except for the upper A-arm bushings, which are about 33 inches apart. No problem, carefully measure & cut out a 3" x 4" spot on the frame to clear it. Later, you will box it back in, creating an indent. The hub bolt pattern is same as a 57 Chevy, an S-10, or a Camaro, whatever that it. However, Jag rims have negative offset, so if you use the Rallyes off of your 66 Super Sport, your wheels will stick out like a Hot Wheels Racer. Also, it will dart around when you hit bumps. Later Camaro rims have negative offset & work fine.

 

[ringerone]

Jag or not to Jag?

I have a 76 Jag front clip in my garage...along with the rear suspension too. I am planning to install the Jag front suspension into my 57 GMC Shortbed. I guess I will sell the rear suspension to anyone who wants it. They both came out of a running 76 XJ6 four door sedan. As I said, it was running, but it wouln't pass smog...California does not require smog for 1975 or under...the friend just could not get the engine to run properly....He should have invested in a Chevy 350...but, he didn't and I bought the Jag for $300 + $100 gas to fetch it.

I have the front clip cleaned and have tested all the joints...everything is working just fine...but, I guess the best thing to do is rebuild it first? That is my frustration...I want to install it first...then repair all the parts from under the Jimmy. Anyone have an idea which way to proceed....would be greatly appreciated.

Also, if anyone has any videos on installation of a Jag front Suspension into a 55-57 Chevy/Gmc pickup...I would appreciate that info too. And if I am going down the wrong path with the Jag instead of the Mustang II...please let me know.

57 Jimmy......Rod.

 

[hardhatz]

I'd replace the bushings & mounts first.
I have a fixture for locating the Jag rear mounting points, too bad you are not close by.

In the debate of M2 vs Jag, it isn't quite clear cut. The M2 is lighter, more compact, but the Jag offers you very cheap parts (check any Pick a Part) and the added advantage of vibration & bump isolation because the cradle connects to the frame with rubber mounts.

 

[timothale]

jag susp

there are a lot of jag picts and info on the
HAMB website, just search jag ifs irs.