Andy Tuttle

Working on a 68 coupe nom 427 4speed not number matching car. Restomodish. Questioning the possibility of a spreader bar, then going to electric fan. What are the pros n cons? Are they worth the investment? Any insight or comments invited.

slickfx3

cheap price for what it does, all performance cars on the road can benefit not only the c3

Kacyc3

From what I have read the frames aren't stiiff enough for heavy cornering and possibly tearing the frame at lower control arm mounts.

AboveTheLogic

http://www.speeddirect.com/index.php...3-spreader-bar

jb78L-82

As mentioned above, the C3's frame is heavy but not particularly good at resisting flexing (many C3's will not allow proper opening and closing of doors/hood when jacked up on stands or with a floor jack....imagine what is happening under load on the road) and my 78 will rub the fan shroud against the fan if put on a lift with all 4 wheels off the ground. Anything you can do to reduce frame flex is a BIG benefit for ride, steering response, and handling since eliminating frame flex allows the suspension to operate more efficiently with less slop/movement before the suspension acts on a certain movement. I was shocked at the difference the speedirect spreader bar made to the ride (no more squeaks in the interior), crispness of the steering, and handling the spreader bar made to my 78...it is VERY noticeable and all C3's (especially convertibles) should have a spreader bar, particularly since it is relatively easy to install and not expensive to buy. A spreader bar and Competition adjustable heim jointed strut rods in the rear are 2 of the best upgrades one can make to a C3's suspension as I have mentioned before for relatively little money.

I really woke up to the benefits of frame/chassis braces in 2004 when I purchased front AND rear strut tower braces for my brand new Impala LS. I subsequently transferred those strut tower braces in 2006 to my 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix (same W body car) and they are still on the car today (180,000 miles). At that time I went for the speedirect spreader bar for the 78. In 2011, I purchased a beefy Mopar front strut tower brace for my 2008 Chrysler 300 (holy smokes what a difference) and added a rear shock tower brace in the trunk of my 1994 Mustang GT convertible AND under the floor pan subframe connectors (the seats bolt through this connector as well)....As slickFX3 said, every performance car should have additional chassis frame bracing. It is a VERY worthwhile addition!!! Hope that helps!

Street Rat

A part that actually delivers at a fair price.
A great modification to add to any C3.
This one is a winner.

diehrd

I have never owned a c-3 that sagged or had door opening issues on a lift. Matter of fact my build had my c-3 on a lift for 4 months . If you have those issues you have body mount issues and or frame rot or accident damage ..

mortgageguy

Convertibles will do it in a heartbeat. And, they did when they were new.

DUB

The spreader bar does a lot for the price. it is a 'WIN-WIN' situation.


I do agree...frame rot can be a factor.

IF it was a convertible....that would have been a BIG MISTAKE....UNLESS safety support were used under the front and rear to keep it from sagging.

I have had tor repair frames on convertibles that came in from another shop because they kept it up on the lift over the weekend and the doors would not shut.

DUB

7t9l82

I thought after driving with one after for a week maybe I'd see a benefit, I was wrong.I saw the benifit at the end of my driveway.I won't have a c3 without one,YES they work.

diehrd

I just have never seen a healthy C-3 sag.

As far as a convertible. I still find it hard to fathom how a good solid no damage car would sag and cause door issues . That does not mean it does not happen, but I would love to see it LMAO..

mortgageguy

If you're ever in SC, stop by and I can show you one. Zero damage or rust. On jack stands with no support in front, and it will sag. I've owned the car for 42 years, I know it's history. Any vert will do it.

76CSRvette

Im assuming the sag is when you lift one side only cause i have noticed it on vette and not so much on the newer cars not much but it does flex

jasonberkeley

I have had my 78 since new. No frame rust or rot. No damage. Chassis flexes ALOT. Spreader bar makes a massive immediately noticeable improvement.

Buy the bolt-on variety so you dont have to bother welding.

midigike

I have this on my to do list this spring time. And who can complain with the under 100$ price. It will be a nice addition to my new Speed Direct coil over front suspension system I installed last spring.

jb78L-82

C3's are well known for frame flex/bending/sagging, especially convertibles, but the coupes as well...that is a fact and indisputable. The spreader bar will greatly reduce this condition.

rickslt4

I bought the Speed Direct for my 73 and it won't clear my serpentine setup on my ZZ4 crate motor. Now I have to fab new brackets. Was told it would clear when I bought it. Ugh

MotorHead

I use a spreader bar and have solid motor mounts, really stiffens things up in the front. All I need now is to get the steering ratio down. The last thing I am doing to my Vette, then again I said the same thing 10 years ago.

My frame is good, I can tell because I can jack it up at any point along the side frame rails and both wheels on that side will come off the ground at the same time.

croaker

So the frames actually bent?

Rcdizy

So winter storage on a 2 post hoist is a bad idea for a coupe?