Thread: suspension for my 47 cad

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We are customizing a 47 Cad 60s, body is off, engine & tranny out, now ready to put it back together. We are having a tough time figuring out the best front end clip to use. It needs to be lowered and safe. Any one have any suggestions to get us started?

Whatever clip you decide on, I would suggest that you install it by "Z-ing" it in to set the ride height the same as it was in the stock donor car 'cause it sounds like you want it "indadirt". If you change springs, etc. later after it is installed to lower the car, you'll just screw-up the geometry.

Thanks, do you have a suggestion for a "donor car". We were going to use a fat man clip (M II), but got concerned about the cad being too heavy.

I might start lookin' at a early 70's Chevelle. The track wasn't real wide so it should be pretty close to the Cad, it's a Chevy, so parts will be easy to find and they had a V8 in them so should have pretty good frame integrity and sufficient strength in the control arms and such and disc brakes are a bolt-on. They were not rack and pinion cars, but I'm sure there are several sources for quick ratio steering boxes and other parts such as bigger brakes, sway bars, etc., etc. The rears were a triangulated four-link design and it doesn't get much better than that unless you want to hock the farm for IRS. Take a tape measure and head for the boneyard.

Off to the boneyard we go....

Here's another idea, find a roller like this car for cheap and use everything off it you can, then sell the rest to offset your project costs....
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1972-...QQcmdZViewItem

Note: you'll have to remember that I'm an old guy and have not kept up with what's available in some of the later model cars. There may be a suitable donor car out there with EFI, rack & pinion, etc. that would give you a more up-to-date car when finished. It's just that I wouldn't know what it would be. Maybe some of the other members can chime in with some suggestions.

An often overlooked car for a front stub swap is the Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis frames. Can pick up tow-aways around here for $100.00 or so. Good steering and brakes and wide enough to accomodate a lot of different engine/tranny combinations. If you want the heavy duty stabilizer and big brakes, find and old cop car. Some of these also have the 8.8 rears with disc brakes.

Originally posted by Dave Severson
An often overlooked car for a front stub swap is the Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis frames. Can pick up tow-aways around here for $100.00 or so. Good steering and brakes and wide enough to accomodate a lot of different engine/tranny combinations. If you want the heavy duty stabilizer and big brakes, find and old cop car. Some of these also have the 8.8 rears with disc brakes.

BINGO!! Thanks Dave