Tilt-up Front End Conversion/Possibilities....
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 1,606
Likes: 14
From: Vacaville, CA
Tilt-up Front End Conversion/Possibilities....
I am currently in the middle of a body-off restoration and am contemplating converting the front-end into a tilt-up one piece section. I saw this once on a classic Camaro and the car had some trick rollers where the entire front-end rolled forward about 6" so the sides of the fenders would clear the front of the doors. I have a one piece aftermarket front-end and feel that this would be possible. The only issues I can see are the inside back of the fenders would have to be modified to clear the tires, the radiator would need to be stand-alone and require a different support, and the wires for the headlights would need to have enough give for raising the front half of the car; (I'm converting the vacuum to electric motors). This may be a nice mod since the hood gaps could be glassed-in and it would be real easy to work on the motor when needed.
Also, this would be way
at car shows and such!!!!
If anyone knows where to get those rollers with the tracks as I witnessed on the Camaro that would be useful. Any other comments/suggestions would be appreciated as well.
Also, this would be way
at car shows and such!!!!If anyone knows where to get those rollers with the tracks as I witnessed on the Camaro that would be useful. Any other comments/suggestions would be appreciated as well.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 16,945
Likes: 9
I only know about the kit that's available for corvettes, it doesn't have rollers and such..never seen that kit.
For the kit that you sometimes see on corvettes you have to cut the fenders at the high body line.
The radiator is standalone on the original car also, there's no support from the inner fenders, the inner fenders and the radiator are supported by the metal brackets inside the wheel well. These:
The major problem with the kit is that you have to REMOVE the stock headlights, the kit hinges on the header bar and some "bulges" in the headlamp bucket area. If you want to retain stock type lights you have to build something from scratch that hinges further forward. The advatages of that is that the hood opens much further. With the kit the hood only opens a little and then stops to keep the nose from hitting the ground. The kit won't even work because of that on 80-82 models (much longer "chin")
You need a custom front clip for this or you need to find the headlamp area buckets and glass those in, that's where the whole deal hinges on.
For the kit that you sometimes see on corvettes you have to cut the fenders at the high body line.
The radiator is standalone on the original car also, there's no support from the inner fenders, the inner fenders and the radiator are supported by the metal brackets inside the wheel well. These:
The major problem with the kit is that you have to REMOVE the stock headlights, the kit hinges on the header bar and some "bulges" in the headlamp bucket area. If you want to retain stock type lights you have to build something from scratch that hinges further forward. The advatages of that is that the hood opens much further. With the kit the hood only opens a little and then stops to keep the nose from hitting the ground. The kit won't even work because of that on 80-82 models (much longer "chin")
You need a custom front clip for this or you need to find the headlamp area buckets and glass those in, that's where the whole deal hinges on.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,412
Likes: 3
Bug Twin Turbo about it, he did it if I remember correctly. And the fenders were cut above the gills to clear the tires. Like on a C4.
This guy did it too.
Edit: TT, you beat my post by less than a minute.
This guy did it too.
Edit: TT, you beat my post by less than a minute.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 424
Likes: 2
Sorry I don't have a digital camera so I can't post pictures, but I have a tilt nose on my '68 vert. I bought it that way in 1976, I wasn't looking for anything like this but it was tastefully done & in such good condition I couldn't pass it up, it allows me to Hot Rod it without feeling guilty. It looks somthing like a motion front end but has 4 round headlights instead of 2. It has the '70s stock fender flares & the LT-1 style hood bubble. It seperates just above the gills & opens up all the way, not like the one torqvette posted. I would not replace it unless it was damaged past the point of reasonable repair. If that happened I would go with a stock nose with the L88 bubble headlights. It only provides a slight advantage in repair accessability due to the fact that it still has inner fenders. The front part of the inner fender between the wheel & headlights is removed to allow the nose to swing up.
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,426
Likes: 1
From: VetteMOD
St. Jude Donor '05-'07
I just saw a ****** street rod with a tilt front that needed to be pulled forward before tilting (because of the fender/door clearance). The mechanism was made by M&S Motorsports. Sorry I don't know where they are located. The only hitch I see with a C3 is that the front would have to roll forward over the tires. Your tires would have to be tucked in pretty far.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 16,945
Likes: 9
One thing that comes to mind..old bimmers used to have a hood mechanism where the hood opened just like on a vette but you had to pull it forward and then it would tilt up...maybe something that can be used.
