I am going to buy a 4 wheel disc brake kit from Matt's....
While I'm at... new springs all the way around and all those pesky suspension bushings, etc.....

Here's my question..
Looling at the pic in my signature, you can see the nose sits high.... problem is, I have no idea what stock would look like since the springs are all 30 years old...

What do ya'll think..? Drop? How much? and How??

Looks good where it is. Deffinately no drop. Maybe a little lift all the way around. I love your choice of wheels. Classic ya know, just like your car.
I don't know about ya'll but I'm sick of seeing all these lowered muscle cars. Thank you for listening, I'm gonna go back and have another gander at that sweet Chevelle.----Laterman--Josh

I was gonna add that the reason I like classic Chevelles to be up in the air is that makes the body look smaller. More stubby and muscular. Tough.
Your Chevelle looks tough.
When you lower a Chevelle it makes em' look a lot longer. More like a faimily car. And I love to see little peeks of the underpinnings. The mechanical bits. That's the stuff that keeps us staring at an engine compartment, or pictures in a car magazine.
Just my opinion.--Sweet car man--Josh

Drop it 2" in the rear, and about 3" in front :)

I agree you need to lower the front. The back looks good. Put some smaller tires on the wheels in the front and drop it about 2" front. Will still have plenty of clearance and look alot meaner. imo of course. I cut my springs. You will hear from alot of people not too do it, but for me I am very happy. I cut 1.5 coils off the front, which dropped it about 2 inches. Here are before and after pics, wheels are diff but size is the same.
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g34/Brettd85/beforelow.jpg
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g34/Brettd85/DSCN0084.jpg

Brett85 how dare you give him advise about lowering his car while your's is "SKY HiGH". It looks good though man. Tight on!!!--Jodh

I'm sorry I did'nt read your post all the way through. Man, your car looked mean in the first picture. I didn't know it was the before.
We'll get through all this dropped springs and lowering stuff in a few years. I have faith. I hope you kept your original springs. Nice car either way, it is killer.--Josh

I agree you need to lower the front. The back looks good. Put some smaller tires on the wheels in the front and drop it about 2" front. Will still have plenty of clearance and look alot meaner. imo of course.
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g34/Brettd85/DSCN0084.jpg
Your Elky looks good at that ride height,Brett.

I agree with Derek about those drop numbers,Allen. Just make sure your wheel's backspace numbers will allow that much of a drop.

We'll get through all this dropped springs and lowering stuff in a few years.Nah, suspension actually working properly will never go "out" like jacked up suspension has been for over 20 years. ;)

Brett, the after pic looks very nice :thumbsup: It sits almost exactly the way my '69 sat (in sig) before I dropped it another 1.5" all the way around. :)

Last I checked Texas and Minnesota are still a couple thousand miles apart... we just both have good taste.

If this were one of the BS forums, I'd love to take some shots at the Joe Dirt style jacked up cars, but this is a tech forum, so I'll keep it civil, and limit myself to discussions about suspension theories and design principles. (don't worry, I won't expect you to comprehend it)

The simple fact is that lowered cars perform better in Cornering, Stopping, Accelleration, Stability, and ride quality.

thanks for all your input guys....
Here's my biggest problem....
I agree that the back is about right and maybe the front could come down just a little....

But if I put new springs in it, isnt going to be taller than it is now all the way around.... how do I gauge that?

I dont think I can say... I want it 2 inches short so I will get 2 inch shorter springs (or whatever).... can I ?

I do I know how much of the current stance is just sag???

Hey Derick 69, Yeah you guys have good taste. It just so happens it goes along with all the current trends. I bet Clint 44 loved his "Pro Streeter" until he saw it was going out of style. Now it's a "Pro Tourer".
I wouldn't be suprised to find a Fast and Furious car in your wood pile. I also bet you love scrapping your headers on every speed bump you come across. That's got to get old. Later fellas--MAC

I have no scraping problems, I would assume Derek does, however I think I have read some where that he has no problems as long as you are careful entering parking lots/ traintracks, and things of that nature.
Allengator, It is tough too choose springs... This is why I cut mine. I was going to buy 2" drops, which does not mean 2" lower car. It is difficult to guage what your car will do because of the "unknown" current status of your old stock springs. I would say you have 2 simple options.
1. Cut the springs until you like the height.
2. Find a chevelle with the ride height you like, and buy the same springs he has. Let the search begin.

Again just my opinion, I love derek's car. If I could afford a chevelle I would want it exactly like his, but elky's dont look as hot that low unless they have big meats on the back. But I think his body style looks far better dropped low than a 66 or 67 convert, especially with the style/size of wheels you have. I honestly dont know why, but I like the older gens a tad higher. I still say reduce the tire ratio a bit in the front and go 1-1.5" lower front only.

I am trying to find pictures of something I would like but all 66 and 67's seem to stand fairly tall in front. Heres a few I found. Let me know what you think, afterall this is YOUR car so you have to like it.
http://www.universalautosalesandclassiccars.com/images/1966%20Chevelle2/66Chevelle2RightSide.JPG
http://clubs.hemmings.com/clubsites/loafers/66cheville.jpg
http://www.prideautoplaza.com/images/66%20Chevelle%20lf.jpg
http://astro.temple.edu/~crisoli/66chevelle.jpg
http://hotrodmechanic.net/pics/cvl66front.jpg
http://www.musclecars-and-classics.com/images/66_Chevelle_36.jpg

I found this and just thought it was amazing. This person lived, otherwise I would not have posted it. Its from drinking and driving and hitting a tree.
http://www.htc.net/~tbaldwin/66_Chevelle_Crashed.jpg

Brett is right, it may be difficult to get much more than a 1.5" drop with the height of your front tires, before they rub the fender lip... that's 1.5" from where you're at now, which is probably at least 1/2" lower than "stock".

There is nothing wrong with cutting springs. If you want to try that, cut one coil off yours. 1.5 coil may be a bit too far with those tires.

I've never bottomed my car out - ever - on Minnesota roads with the crossmember height at 4.5". I hit the bumpstops once, on some rough railroad crossings, but nothing scraped the ground... I didn't have full-length headers though.

I'd probably give Eibach's 2" drop springs a try. I've heard Hotchkis settle too much after about a year, which shouldn't happen with a good spring. (nothing wrong with a settled spring, I just wouldn't be able to live with the car sitting high for a whole year before settling in to where I'd want it)

Another great option is the adjustable shims and circle-track springs like I've installed in my chevelle... stance isn't quite right, just pop a ball-joint loose, drop the springs, and adjust to the desired height.

I found this and just thought it was amazing. This person lived, otherwise I would not have posted it. Its from drinking and driving and hitting a tree.
http://www.htc.net/~tbaldwin/66_Chevelle_Crashed.jpg
That story is false, the actual account is that the guy tried to take a slight curve in a car that sat higher than stock :D ;)

haha, I better not put my elky on a blazer chassis then....

I really like the stance in the very first picture....
I wonder what that would take...

Comparing it to yours it looks 1" lower in the rear, and at least 2" lower in the front.

Hey Derick 69, Yeah you guys have good taste. It just so happens it goes along with all the current trends. I bet Clint 44 loved his "Pro Streeter" until he saw it was going out of style. Now it's a "Pro Tourer".
I wouldn't be suprised to find a Fast and Furious car in your wood pile. I also bet you love scrapping your headers on every speed bump you come across. That's got to get old. Later fellas--MAC

You like jacked-up cars and some of us like ours lowered. Different strokes,,,,,
It's pretty much common knowledge that I bought my prostreet El Camino with the plan to build a protouring car. I never had any intentions of keeping my 69 in prostreet trim. This car was bought because of it's decent paint & body,tubbed rear that would allow larger rolling stock,and the price was only $8K. Once purchased,I removed all the suspension parts,4spd trans,narrowed 9" rear,prostreet rolling stock,and SOLD all of it. Then,I starting building the car the way I wanted it.
Speed bumps are something I never concern myself about with Air Ride. With it,I can even jack up my car enough so you might even like it. :D
Have a good one,pal. We're all in this hobby together.

Before:
http://dalesplace.com/misc/friends/clint/69_02.jpg

After:
http://dalesplace.com/misc/friends/clint/cb05.jpg

Dang Clint, sorry if I said something wrong. I am in this with you man. I guess I was a little out of line.
How many small block SS El Caminos did they make in 69? Yours must be pretty rare. Do you still have the SS hood? I like almost all years of El Caminos. Especially if they're fast. I'd bet yours is pretty fast mister. So please don't take offense.
How about those gas prices man. That's something we all feel ya know. Yes we are all in this together. Laterman--Josh


P.S. It is cool to see someone so fanatical about what they like. :)

Hey Clint, Do you have any pics of your car up on those air bags? Maybe that is something I would like.--Josh

Dang Clint, sorry if I said something wrong. I am in this with you man. I guess I was a little out of line.
How many small block SS El Caminos did they make in 69? Yours must be pretty rare. Do you still have the SS hood? I like almost all years of El Caminos. Especially if they're fast. I'd bet yours is pretty fast mister. So please don't take offense.
How about those gas prices man. That's something we all feel ya know. Yes we are all in this together. Laterman--Josh
P.S. It is cool to see someone so fanatical about what they like. :)

No offense taken,Josh. As for my car,I don't know if it is a true SS or not,,,probably not. Have only found bits of the build sheet. It's such a modified mutt that it doesn't matter to me,anyway. :D
Gas prices for 87 octane here are up to $2.85/gal and still rising. The SBC in my car is pretty mild and with the 6spd,it sees over 20mpg on the highway. Whenever I build a new stroker motor,it's gonna be built to run 87 octane,too.

Hey Clint, Do you have any pics of your car up on those air bags? Maybe that is something I would like.--Josh

Sorry,I need to take some new photos of the car,slammed & raised. Slammed,the header collectors are just touching the ground. Raised,it almost looks like a 4x4 truck. Kinda nuts,huh. :D

Ya some pics of it way up in the air would be killer. I didn't know you had a 6 speed. That must be sweet. I'd love a 4 speed, I'm gradually finding all the parts.
My 454 had 9.3 to 1 comp so it can run on the 87. I might have to back the timing down a little to though. I've been using 91 just to be safe.
Laterman and dang them A-rabs to heck--Josh