Got my Valiant into Patrick's shop yesterday and welded in some subframe connectors.

Materials needed:
2 41" lengths of 2X2 box tubing

Tools:
Grinder
Cut off wheel in die grinder
Welder

Place pieces of box in between the trans crossmember and the rear subframe stubs. Profile to fit. Weld in.

I already had my nitrous and fuel lines, and battery cables out. The brake line needed minor rerouting. We were done in about 2-1/2 hours total.

Project for next weekend: Narrowing the rear springs so I can get the car lower and fit my 28X9X15 slicks under the car.

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Did you take pics?

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

I went to Cherry City Recycling in town and purchased 2 six foot long rems of 2x2 a few months back...$11 total...got a buddy with all of the above items, and luckily I have a whole floor pan with the trans crossmember and front frame parts intact, so I have something I can: 1) size it correctly, and 2) something to weld on before I do it to my cars...
Considering the price of bolt in connectors, and the benefits of this mod it's a good deal if done right!

Thanks for the post 'zilla!

-D.Idiot

DI, my buddy was worried about tying the car up on his single post hoist because of the car sagging. We did it anyway, and the doors work better than they ever have.

Dan, this is so simple that I didn't even take a camera.

I'll take one with next weekend and get some shots while we are doing the springs.

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Has anyone researched if there is any frame boxing that can be done to reinforce A-body convertibles?

My '64 is actually quite rigid, but when I'm installing disk brakes, rebuilding the suspension, and installing an 8-3/4" rear end, I would like to stiffen the body too. However, I'm told convertibles already have additional bracing and that the aftermarket kits won't fit.

Cool beans Dennis,

Every time I looked at that I wondered if it would be just that easy....


Did you cut the floor or weldem flat to the floor?

Are you getting a cage? Does it tie to the connectors?

Too bad you used 1/2"wall toob.......

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Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

They are flat against the rear floor, and down some from the front.

We haven't decided yet if we will do the bar or not.

64, I hace never seen the underside of a convertible, but I'm betting it's not that much different.

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I haven't seen one directly (last OEM big block Dart car I saw the guy got indignant that I was 'snooping around' under his car...probably wasn't as OEM as he said it was...)...anyhow, the late convertabiles and big block A-bodies got a couple sets of 'torque boxes' or gussets one set in the front rail area and one in the rear crossmember area near the rear spring hangar assembly... I'm sure a websearch will show one of the aftermarket 'fixits' you can order and weld in for these...

-D.Idiot

Yeah there are. Check out A.R.T. in any of the Mopar magazines... out of CT or RI. Thy are the same people that sell the safe-t-caps for the framerails.
Yeah i made the same style frame connectors as Dennis did on my Volare, only I used 1-1/2" tube and yes, I did cut my rear floorpans. The tube doesn't stick up much more than what will be taken up with the padding under the carpet. No biggie, even if it did, I don't plan to spend much time in the back seat of my own car! On your reinforcement gussets, they dont look that complicated that most of us on here couldn't make ourselves for alot less. The safe-t-caps for my car were $229, I coulda made them for about $12.

hehe I bought 2"x3"x1/8" steel tubing for my subframe connectors from my work cost me like 10 bucks for 2 5 foot lengths

We moved the springs in today and have the car sitting back on the wheels. I posted a thread on Moparts with pictures.

http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/sho ... ost3944203

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Fly, red piggie, fly!!!

Looks like nice work, Dennis. Hope I can see ya make a full boogie N2O pass next year.

Lou

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Thanks Lou. I am just hoping the thing will leave as well as it did with the old Lakewood slapper bars on it. Traction bars won't work on a Mopar ya know.

I'm putting the trans brake trans and some 4.56 gears in too. It will either fly or die.

I also have a tune-up for a 180 horse shot, and I am seriously considering running E-85. I haven't told Mike yet. I don't want him having a heart attack before Christmas.

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Nice writeup.

red cars are faster

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Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

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