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I have a 53 stude coupe with a Nova/Camero subframe now. I was thinking of going with a Mustang 2 front clip from Fatmans or Heidts. I would like to hear from folks who have dealt with fatmans and/or Heidts and your opinions of their product and service.
The clip appears to be narrowed about 3 " Seems to steer straight straight and true. With the 120 in. wheel base and without a sway bar the handling leaves alot to be desired on a curvy road. Only way to get a sway bar is to have one custom made. I thought at least the Mustang 2 upgrades would be easier to do. Plus, the Stude has a 351-W Ford engine!! Nothing against Fords but a GM clip and a Ford , especially 351-W are strange bed partners. The engine sits very high in the engine bay. Remote oil filter( inside the right wheel well ) Did I mention its a "front steer" GM clip? On top of that I have no idea for sure if its a Nova,Chevelle or ? Just thought it would be a opportunity to rip it all out and start over with more conventional material ( Mustang 2 Chevy engine ) However, Fatmans reputation is fading fast and Heidts appears to be good and solid but Ive seen complaints about them also. Not as many as Fatman's
Wheel, not sure if you're on a total budget focus, or just wanting to fix the items you've innumerated. What you've heard about Fatman stuff concurs with most of what I've heard too. The folks that seem to be most satisfied with his stuff are focused on the price side, not the quality side. I'm surprised to hear anyone negative on Heidt's. I've used several, and the stuff is top notch in quality, build, and appearance. The only time I heard a complaint was when a guy installed it wrong. I don't believe they make a clip though, except the bolt up one for early/mid Nova's. With a front steer I think you have the '68+ Nova, but maybe someone else knows for sure. The Jim Meyer stuff Richard suggested is also good quality. Although with the morphed frame you already have, your options are limited.
If what you have is done right there are ways to make it work. First the right part. The driving well that you've already noticed is a good thing. But you may want to lift the rig up and do some measuring to make sure it's in there square. Looking around at the suspension components, you want to look for a bunch of shims at one side, or corner, vs the other. That could give you a hint too. If it's in square, and the welds at the joint of the clip and frame are of high quality and well gusseted, then I would suggest you fix what you have. A custom sway bar shouldn't be over $200, and you can get a kit from Ford for about $300 to switch to a rear sump. Then all you'd have to do is redo the motor mounts to get the engine down where it belongs. With the front steer, exhaust rerouting shouldn't be an issue. And because the Nova/Camaro cars are so popular, there's all sorts of parts out there, both stock and modified. If you wanted to lower the car some more, shorter wound springs are available, as are dropped spindles. In fact, even though the clip has been narrowed, if you needed to tuck the wheels in even more there are "narrow" control arms available.
Short of acquiring a new, unadulterated frame it may be the best, and most cost effective alternative to fix the existing setup.
Heidt's stuff is great !! I have used it on everything from deuce's to 49 Mercs, matter of fact got a pic of a Merc with Heidt's in my gallery deal. Used to use Fat Man, had some "differences" with their staff and switched to Heidt's. The geometry is correct, and the appearance and quality are great. They are a few $$$$ more, but well worth it. Used to fabricate my own stuff, just not cost effective any more.