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Question on Volare front ends. I have been dissasembling my Caravelle (Diplomat) and noticed a thread on a news group about replacing the rubber donuts with urethane, but it would vibrate more. So I was thinking, if I am putting the front end on a frame car with a rubber mounted body as opposed to the Dodge unit body, I should be able to just bolt the front end right on and not have the extra squirm of those donuts. Then I would just have to deal with something to take vibration out of the steering wheel. Anyone think if I am missing something obvious?
Del Christensen <midnight340@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Dear Marty,
I would say one route is to use the stock front end.
I did not choose to do this as I wanted the big Volare
discs (11" I believe) and the adjustable ride height
of the torsion bars....and believed that the cost of
rebuilding the old front end would amount to more than
the Volare route (If done yourself anyway).
What works particularly well is that the frame width
is such that that 2x3 tubing welded onto the stock
frame at it's highest point just ahead of the firewall
(slid inside and reinforced with plates alongside)
fits right into the Volare unit where it originally
fit the stock Volare body.
Also the stock Volar master cylinder bolts right onto
the stock '56 master brake bolts...needing only minor
adjustment to the actuating rod from the pedal. You
can then use the stock Volare brake metering
block/proportioning bloc!
k that the brake lines run to
on the Volare. This is set up for front discs and
rear drums.
I don't believe that a Mustang II will work any
better. The problem being that the '56 stock frame
swells out into a wide pattern where it meets the
stock crossmember. And this is where a Mustang II
crossmember (stock or aftermarket) would have to fit.
If you trim the stock '56 crossmember away, there is
not much left of the frame due to it's design.
I have also installed Mustang II's and they work well
if you have a simple "ladder" type frame with fairly
straight side members (frame rails)...but I can't see
how it will work here.
There is a disc brake kit made for '56 era Mopars...if
memoray serves correct these come from Ply-Do company
back east somewhere (I think).
I used a 440 motor in my car...great engine! You
mentioned a big block, so you must have similar
thoughts. I did trim the lower firewall area where!
it
kicks out, just the width of the motor, to allow it to
sit a bit further back. I saw a 383 installed without
this modification once.
Doing it as I did allowed me to use the radiator that
was in the '73 New Yorker donor car for proper cooling
and room for a standard non-electric fan. With an
electric you could just set the engine forward a bit
more than I did.
Good luck, it makes a great car!
Del
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