Straight axle conversion
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 2,715
Likes: 120
From: Sulphur LA
St. Jude Donor '05-'06,'11,'13-'14,'16,'18,'19,'24, '25
Straight axle conversion
Does anyone out there know of a company that sells a conversion kit to convert a vette to a straight axle?
Neal
:)
Neal
:)
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 12,399
Likes: 247
From: San Jose CA
Re: Straight axle conversion (chevymans 77)
Ebay.
You have to sell your vette first and then with the money you get from that, you can buy whatever straight-axle car you want.
That said... I'm not sure. Sorry. I really hate the thought of chopping a vette up and turning it into a drag only car...
-Steve
You have to sell your vette first and then with the money you get from that, you can buy whatever straight-axle car you want.
That said... I'm not sure. Sorry. I really hate the thought of chopping a vette up and turning it into a drag only car...
-Steve
Racer
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 287
Likes: 0
From: Dayton Area Ohio
Re: Straight axle conversion (Pacin'California)
That's the beauty of playing with cars.... making them your own.. or making them better then they were originally designed. Sheeesh.. why is it the corvette purist-****'s are ever willing to slam the guy who wants to modify his vette.. but don't see anything wrong with other cars being modified?!?!?! :mad
For all you non-purist out there.... enjoy!! :reddevil
:party:
For all you non-purist out there.... enjoy!! :reddevil
:party:
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 3,035
Likes: 121
From: Wichita KS
Re: Straight axle conversion (69Rat)
That's the beauty of playing with cars.... making them your own.. .... ... why is it the corvette purist-****'s are ever willing to slam the guy who wants to modify his vette.. ....
If you want a straight axle car, why not start with a Camaro. Lots of very nice, very fast, Camaros around here. :) If the major performance benefit of the Corvette over a Camaro is the IRS, why remove it?
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 12,399
Likes: 247
From: San Jose CA
Re: Straight axle conversion (69Rat)
69Rat- Thanks for calling me a ****, but you might want to check up confirm that data before you go around being so sure of yourself.
While I most definitely am NOT a purist by any means, I think that converting a 'vette to solid-axle goes far against its intended purpose. It would sort of be like trying to teach a purist **** how to port cylinder heads.
-Steve
While I most definitely am NOT a purist by any means, I think that converting a 'vette to solid-axle goes far against its intended purpose. It would sort of be like trying to teach a purist **** how to port cylinder heads.
-Steve
Racer
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 287
Likes: 0
From: Dayton Area Ohio
Re: Straight axle conversion (Pacin'California)
Ok, I apologize for the '****' comment.... But, my point is this...
it doesn't matter what a guy wants to do to HIS car... I have a buddy who turned his into a 4x4 w/ 44" mudders and a blown 502 BB... so what? It's HIS car. Why rag on him... I've been around cars most my life, and the Vette bunch is the only ones I've seen who get all pissy over modifying the car. I don't see the vette as anything different then any other car.
IRS is fine for road racing... but it just can't handle high torq figures. You put over 600+ torq into the vette IRS, and you'll be picking axles out of the back of your seat!! If you want a truely fast street/strip car.... straight axles the way to go! :flag
:steering:
it doesn't matter what a guy wants to do to HIS car... I have a buddy who turned his into a 4x4 w/ 44" mudders and a blown 502 BB... so what? It's HIS car. Why rag on him... I've been around cars most my life, and the Vette bunch is the only ones I've seen who get all pissy over modifying the car. I don't see the vette as anything different then any other car.
IRS is fine for road racing... but it just can't handle high torq figures. You put over 600+ torq into the vette IRS, and you'll be picking axles out of the back of your seat!! If you want a truely fast street/strip car.... straight axles the way to go! :flag
:steering:
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1,426
Likes: 1
From: San Diego, CA Website: ChrisMitchell.us
Re: Straight axle conversion (chevymans 77)
Alright... enough **** talk. I think the general point he was hinting at was it would prolly be cheaper in the long-run to buy a Nova or Camaro or something. Doing the conversion will cost a bunch, you pretty much have to yank everything and start from scratch. There are people that do it however. A couple Saturdays ago I was at the Carlsbad raceway and there was a vette (73 I think) that had a F*rd 9inch rear with some huge Mickey Thompsons. Definitely a cool car, but not very "streetable" at all.
As far as buying a kit, I dont think there is one. The ones I have seen have all been custom jobs.
:cheers:
As far as buying a kit, I dont think there is one. The ones I have seen have all been custom jobs.
:cheers:
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 2,826
Likes: 0
From: Why Drive When you can ride
Re: Straight axle conversion (chevymans 77)
Does anyone out there know of a company that sells a conversion kit to convert a vette to a straight axle?
Neal
:)
Neal
:)
Racer
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 287
Likes: 0
From: Dayton Area Ohio
Re: Straight axle conversion (69Rat)
Chevymans77 - Check these guys out....
http://www.progressiveautomotive.com/triangul.htm
they don't show it, but they might have a kit for the C3.
Good luck! :thumbs:
http://www.progressiveautomotive.com/triangul.htm
they don't show it, but they might have a kit for the C3.
Good luck! :thumbs:
Racer
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 287
Likes: 0
From: Dayton Area Ohio
Re: Straight axle conversion (69Rat)
Actually..the stock C3 rear suspension is not a good drag suspension.. it's great for road racing.. but limited at the drags. Just look at 99% of the drag vettes, and high power vettes out there.. they all run straight axles... 9" ford is my favorite as well... with very little work, you can keep a 9" together even at 1,000hp! I've priced it out..and it will be cheaper for me to tub the back of my C3, and put in a 4-link, coil overs, and a narrowed 9" ford , then it is to rebuild my IRS to handle 600ft lbs of torq.
everything "vette" is twice as expensive as any other part.....
everything "vette" is twice as expensive as any other part.....
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 26,196
Likes: 0
From: Orlando FL
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
Re: Straight axle conversion (chevymans 77)
haha pacin a ****? LOL
no, not hardly...
hes got lots mods and unstandard vette stuf going on his car...
im all for modding out cars any way you want... the 4x4 vette...well... thats just plain cool... but things like converting a complete rear end ?thats kind of pointless when the vette was never made with one in mind to begin with... i mean why bother buying a vette if you wanted a different complete rear anyway?
no, not hardly...
hes got lots mods and unstandard vette stuf going on his car...
im all for modding out cars any way you want... the 4x4 vette...well... thats just plain cool... but things like converting a complete rear end ?thats kind of pointless when the vette was never made with one in mind to begin with... i mean why bother buying a vette if you wanted a different complete rear anyway?
Racer
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 287
Likes: 0
From: Dayton Area Ohio
Re: Straight axle conversion (GIJoe)
Why buy any car? for the looks! I bought a '70 Opel GT because I like the way it looked like a mini vette... But the original car sucked! I gutted it, and built an all tube frame, 9" ford rear (20" drum-to-drum), 4 link w/ coil overs, race prepped th350, and a blown 383 sbc! The only think "opel" was the body.. but hey, it was streetable (I drove it rain or shine), cool, fast, and everytime I drove it anywhere I would hear.. "AWSOME CAR!!!"
:reddevil
:reddevil
Racer
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 440
Likes: 0
From: Sanford Florida
Re: Straight axle conversion (GIJoe)
Im going to jump in with 69rat on this one. I love the idea. Not what I would likely do, but go for it. If it is pointless to buy a vette and put in a straight axle, would it be pointless to buy a camaro and put in the IRS??? pretty cool if you ask me. How about tearing out the small block and frame and putting in a twin blown fuel injected bigblock, chromemoly frame, reworking the body and interior? Pointless??? You are taking the car, making something the factory never intended it/designed it to be? IT IS THE SAME DAMN THING :cheers:
Racer
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 287
Likes: 0
From: Dayton Area Ohio
Re: Straight axle conversion (boredsoIstrokedit)
Geee... doing what the factory intended is no fun.. and takes NO imagination... I thought that's what this whole "hot rodding" thing was all about..... doing what the factory never intended!!
I figure.. so long as you like what your doing ... go for it!! Kudos for having some imagination and NOT following the crowd! :party:
btw... for anyone interested in seeing some "pointless" Vettes.... check this out! http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrow...elected=398720
I'll be updating it as time permits.... :flag
I figure.. so long as you like what your doing ... go for it!! Kudos for having some imagination and NOT following the crowd! :party:
btw... for anyone interested in seeing some "pointless" Vettes.... check this out! http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrow...elected=398720
I'll be updating it as time permits.... :flag
Drifting
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 1,892
Likes: 0
From: St. Petersburg FL
Re: Straight axle conversion (69Rat)
Sometimes if you want to go fast, the rules make you go straight axle, and really not that fast before you gotta get rid of the IRS,,,I think NHRA says 11.99 or quicker. I did check this out when I was racing my C4, almost any good race shop can do the mod, and it's faily cheap and a lot more tunable than the IRS (4 -link that is). Just Google 4-link anf you'll get a lot of places to purchase the whole set up, you just have to supply the dimensions,,,and I've seen dual purpose cars at the autocross that were running 4 link solids and doing pretty good with them,,its all in the tuning, and besides are you saying the old C1's NEVER were any good on the track?????????????? I beg to differ with you!!! IRS is good, just weak!! So why buy a Camero (looks UGH) when you can make the Corvette do better!!! GO FOR IT and post pics!!!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,804
Likes: 1
From: OKC Oklahoma
Re: Straight axle conversion (chevymans 77)
I'm with 69Rat also. I get sick of seeing people on here jumping on a bandwagon just so that they can bash someone as a group. The purists, in my opinion, are boring and snobbish. For a while there it was a daily occurance to see someone post a pic just to have a thread where people could bash on one person's taste. I love modded cars-including and especially Corvettes. Yeah, I got angry when I saw those dudes on Monster Garage destroy that '73, but those dudes took a great Corvette and made it junk. They cut the wheel wells with a saw with no regard for doing anything tastefully or professionally. I say go for the solid axle-yeah, it's a little outdated, IN MY OPINION, but at least you won't be able to put the 17 inch wheels(name brand intentionally left out) that almost everyone on this forum creams over. I'm quite happy not to have everyone on my nuts because I do or do not have the "coolest" Vette on the forum. :rant:
[Modified by 79VetteMike, 4:34 PM 7/31/2003]
[Modified by 79VetteMike, 4:34 PM 7/31/2003]
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 12,399
Likes: 247
From: San Jose CA
Re: Straight axle conversion (79VetteMike)
Instead, you can have a great drag race car, which everyone on the forum seems to cream over.
Seeing posts about autocrossing or road-racing is very rare here... I'm surprised I didn't get creamed on more for canning the straight-ahead only idea. The IRS is what makes the 'vette a 'vette. It's why the car exists. To be America's best SPORTS car.
Maybe I should use my knife to drink soup and my spoon to cut french bread...
Still, for the price of a solid-axle conversion, you could probably buy a motorless car and build up an 11 second car without a hitch.
BTW- the modded ZL-1 that ran 10.9 for motor trend, was it using the stock IRS or did it have a straight-axle too?
-Steve(who's related to Adam Von Trott Zu Solz... look him up sometime.)
Seeing posts about autocrossing or road-racing is very rare here... I'm surprised I didn't get creamed on more for canning the straight-ahead only idea. The IRS is what makes the 'vette a 'vette. It's why the car exists. To be America's best SPORTS car.
Maybe I should use my knife to drink soup and my spoon to cut french bread...
Still, for the price of a solid-axle conversion, you could probably buy a motorless car and build up an 11 second car without a hitch.
BTW- the modded ZL-1 that ran 10.9 for motor trend, was it using the stock IRS or did it have a straight-axle too?
-Steve(who's related to Adam Von Trott Zu Solz... look him up sometime.)
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,906
Likes: 0
From: Berlin
Re: Straight axle conversion (77Dream)
I think the general point he was hinting at was it would prolly be cheaper in the long-run to buy a Nova or Camaro or something.
Racer
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 356
Likes: 0
From: Glacier County mt
Re: Straight axle conversion (79VetteMike)
Try http://tomsdifferentials.com
They make a "bulletproof" (hopefully) 12 bolt conversion kit that retains IRS.
It is certified to 7.00 seconds by most snactioning organizations. Now you won't have to "chop up" your Vette!
:cheers: :steering: :cheers:
[Modified by shawn_cake, 5:27 PM 7/31/2003]
[Modified by shawn_cake, 5:27 PM 7/31/2003]
They make a "bulletproof" (hopefully) 12 bolt conversion kit that retains IRS.
It is certified to 7.00 seconds by most snactioning organizations. Now you won't have to "chop up" your Vette!
:cheers: :steering: :cheers:
[Modified by shawn_cake, 5:27 PM 7/31/2003]
[Modified by shawn_cake, 5:27 PM 7/31/2003]