Thread: 1951 Chevy Deluxe Build

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Originally Posted by R Pope

Rebuild the stock front end with dropped uprights, and disc brake conversion. Leave the econobox crap under the Pinto's!

I don't believe anyone suggested bolting on Pinto parts!!! They belong in the junkyard, however DOM tubing for A-Arms and forged spindles are hardly econobox crap!!!

Call it whatever you want, it was still designed to carry a little fourbanger in a 2000 pound econobox back in the '60's. Might be okay to roll on and off a trailer. It won't stand up under a 3500 pound car with a V8, if you are actually going to drive it in the real world. The original front end works well, and did so under Corvettes up until '63. Sure, if you chuck enough cash at aftermarket parts it can be made to work, but the stock Chevy stuff is already there and working.
By the way, did you ever drive a MII? Worst piece of crap on the American road!

Originally Posted by R Pope

By the way, did you ever drive a MII? Worst piece of crap on the American road!

I've sold and installed front suspension systems for better then 25 years now--none of them had stamped steel arms and floppy rubber joints like the OEM parts... The only thing that is MII is some of the geometry, and little of that! The quality units have little if any bump steer issues, anti-dive angle that keeps the front up under braking, and excellent adjustability on camber and caster static settings and gain settings. The MII nomenclature is nothing more then a name...kind of like everyone calling filler "bondo". The only thing MII on the quality units these days is the spindle, and the quality one's are forged spindles vs. the cast OEM units...

I've owned numerous Mustangs in the '79 to '05 range. None of them were world class handling when stock, but with some tweaking and parts changes they'll do an admirable job.... and yes, it talkes money to do this.... I work hard for my money and spend the majority of it on cars...I just like quality, I guess.

A '79 Mustang is a whole 'nother animal compared to a '78.
Sure, the quasi-MII stuff is pretty good, but why spend a truckload of money to end up no better off than you were? If you were starting with, say, a knuckle-joint '39 Chevy with no useable parts, the MII might be the way to go.
I have a few old Chev's, a '52 and a '54, and there is nothing wrong with the way they work. I have also had to drag some Mustang II's off the road after they tripped over their own front wheels for no apparent reason. One went end over end on a straight road when a cross wind unloaded one front wheel. No thank you!