Thread: Front and rear end help?

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Slow down, dude. You can't do everything at once. One of the most important parts of a project is planning. Find out everything you can about what you have before you start buying parts. Then decide what kind of car you want. Custom? Retro? Pro street? Cruiser? Once you decide that, start scanning rod magazines for cars that look like your dream. See what folks have put together. Make a list of the things you need to do and the parts you need. Then decide which order to attack each item. If you don't do this up front, you'll paint yourself into a corner and spend a lot more $$$$ than you ever dreamed.

First timers usually start by trying to get the biggest, hairiest, badass engine they have ever read about. Do you realistically think you're going to be able to put together a 500+ horse engine? That takes a really radical small block, or a pretty hefty big block. Can you afford it? Six thou for an engine and another $1,200 - 1,500 for a trans and converter.

If you're going to do anything with the rear axle, you need to find out what it is. Assume makes an . . . well, you know. You can certainly replace the rear leaf springs with coil-overs, but it isn't cheap, and it's going to take a bunch of cutting and welding. You can expect to spend $850 - $1200 for a kit unless you can make all the pieces yourself. Leaf spring kits are less expensive, and several manufacturers make them.

Lowering is a matter of the correct spring length and rate (front and rear) and the coil-over mounting/lowering blocks (rear). If you lower the front, you need to be careful that you don't mess up the front suspension geometery. If you lower the rear, you have to make sure that you don't have the axle banging on the frame at every bump.

Think it through before you write a check. You'll be glad you did.