What do you want for the truck, a full resto, or a driver? If it's a resto,
the axle has to stay. The truck magazines would have you believe that a
stock axle is unpleasant and dangerous. Straight axles can handle well.
There's a lot of advice in this group on how to make a straight axle behave
well. Check the archives at escribe.com. This is probably cheaper than a
Camaro installation. I finally gave in to the benefits of the Camaro, such
as independent suspension, disk brakes, and V8 motor mounts. I saved quite a
bit of money by doing the installation myself. I bought the clip for 100
bucks, and spent about 200 bucks rebuilding it. It worked for me. With my
schedule, it took 6 months to install. The ones to use are
Camaro/Firebird/Trans Am built from 1970-1981. This is no easy task. The
Mustang II crossmembers cost a little more but can be installed in a long
weekend and also come with instructions. I spent more time scratching my
head than cutting on the Camaro.
If you don't have a welder, look in the Yellow pages. Find somebody with a
portable MIG. The cost should be reasonable.
The choice is ultimately up to you. Your skills, time, money, and
expectations determine the best route. My money was more important than my
time, so I chose the Camaro. The purists will always despise front clips,
and the rodders will scoff at anything that hasn't been modified. Just keep
an open mind and have fun.
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
|