[acrdesigner]

Hello. I have a project 1966 chevelle that im going to start restoring it. My question is i have a 2007 corvette complete drive train that i want to put into the chevelle. does anybody around here done something like this before that can share their experienced with me on what is the best route to take and the kind of modifications im going to be facing?
:beers:

 

[kev70ss]

Here is a guy who did that but I think he put the chevelle body on a corvette
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1968...Cars_Trucks&hash=item19c3f1253c#ht_500wt_1182
I would think doing a conversion like that would be pretty intensive. The engine swap I think would be a basic ls swap. As far as the transmission I would think a lot of cutting would be necessary in the rear

 

[acrdesigner]

kev70ss thanks for ur reply i apreciatted. yea i figured its going to take a lot of work. im ok with cutting and modifing things i was just curious if anybody else has done something similiar could share their experience doing it. i really like the chevelle proportions if i sit the chevelle body on the corvette i would have to narrow the body by 10" i think it would be easier to extend the drive shaft in the corvette to fit in the chevelle. we will see i will kep you guys posted this summer on the project
:beers:

 

[Matty B]

start searching about modifying the torque tube.

http://v8tvshow.com/content/view/446/94/

http://www.hotrod.com/featuredvehicles/hrdp_0812_1963_chevrolet_impala/index.html

This is Corpala. A 63 Impala that used A corvette drivetrain.

http://www.ironworksspeedandkustom.com/

they seem to specialize in doing Corvette drivetrains as most of their builds include them.

If you have the cash to own a C6 drivetrain then you may have enough to get it done. However I must ask, do you have a C6 drivetrain and want to put this together yourself? I almost want to say if you have to ask you shouldnt be doing it but then again you may be a competent fabricator that doesnt know considering this isnt a very common modification.

This will require tearing out the entire floor of the car and hand fabricating it. Also will require lengthening the torque tube. If you cant do that then look into other options utilizing the C6 subframes. A c6 front clip is available from Art Morrison and you can use a lot of the front suspension components. The trans and motor can be made into a front engine set up if you unbolt the diff and make it into a normal front engine layout. In the back you could either go with off the shelf stick axle options or use the rear cradle from the Vette and hang a CTSV, GTO or Camaro center IRS rear diff in it.

You are planning on 10s of thousand of dollars in modifications. This also requires a fabricator that is capable of handling most of this work. I seriously dont think you know what you are getting yourself into but if you do itll be one helluva build.

It can be done, theres a Honda Civic with a C5 drivetrain in it thats pretty cool and he did it himself. To do it right and make it look nice you need to be able to write checks orhave a lot of tools on hand to make it nice.

 

[acrdesigner]

Matty b.
Thanks alot for all of your imput is highly apreciatted. I happen to all ready have the c6 complete drive train that i got from my brother he rolledover his c6 and bought it back from the insurance company and i also have the 66 chevelle that is why i have been thinking of combaning both of those. I can pretty much fabricate anything from metal to composites and have acces to cnc machinnes.
see that is why im here i really like your idea of moving everything to the front set up.
thanks for all the links.
west coast customs all ready made one what i dont know is if they swap the body from a chevelle into the c6? in my case i want to do it the other way around.
here is the link
http://www.westcoastcustoms.com/pages/showroom.html
:beers:

 

[Matty B]

yeah WCC puts bodies on new chassis and IMO they do a sht job at it. Theyve done a Charger for the black guy from CSI (the guy that was doing drugs and got kicked off the show). They also did a 69 Camaro over a 2006 GTO for Jonathan Davis of Korn and is actually on HD Theater on their Inside West Coast Customs show right now. when they did the Malibu, They ended up with a Maroon colored abortion of a Chevelle that had an afterthough of a wide body.

To do it right look at IronWorks stuff thats what you should plan to do. That amount of work is crazy involved and requires skills that Id be hard pressed to say I have (truthfully I dont but would like to think I did if I had the opportunity )

There is just so much to tackle that in the end you have a totally handcrafted car. My thought is if you can build a full frame, a custom floor board and do it safely then you are set as long as you have a fairly healty budget.

If you cant say yes to these then Id suggest using what you have and maybe go a different route than using the entire C6 drivetrain.

 

[dhart99]

Hi : We're starting a C5 under a 70 right now . The measurements are close for the 70 , except for the 7.5" torque tube lengthening . We're going to keep the entire C5 interior . We'll keep posting with pics as it goes.

 

[dng's67malibu]

Chip Foose is building a 65 impala on a vette chassis - He talked about it on Adam Carolla's CarCast show - Here's the link
http://www.adamcarolla.com/CarCastBlog/2010/11/19/chip-foose-at-foose-design/

 

[John in NC]

www.ls1tech.com has several examples of late model LS drivetrains going into Nova's/ GTO's/ Lemans/ Chevelles... you name it, they put them in everything.

When you go to the site scroll down to 'conversions and hybrids'.

http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/conversions-hybrids-28/

A lot of the guys are using iron blocks and calling them LS engines (aluminum Corvette/ Camaro/ GtO etc. engines)- so gotta read between the lines a bit.
Some really cool builds on there.

 

[Matty B]

www.ls1tech.com has several examples of late model LS drivetrains going into Nova's/ GTO's/ Lemans/ Chevelles... you name it, they put them in everything.

When you go to the site scroll down to 'conversions and hybrids'.

http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/conversions-hybrids-28/

A lot of the guys are using iron blocks and calling them LS engines (aluminum Corvette/ Camaro/ GtO etc. engines)- so gotta read between the lines a bit.
Some really cool builds on there.

Swapping the motor and trans in different than swapping over the C6 drivetrain in its entirety. Hes considering taking the front and rear suspension from the C6 with torque tube and making it live in a Chevelle. Very cool idea and very very hard to pull off let alone pull it off right.

Bolting in a gen 3 or 4 motor (instead of the catch all LS moniker) is as easy as some adapters. LS1 tech has I think may 2-3 swaps with full corvette drivetrains. One that comes to mind and was pretty cool was a Honda Civic that the owner swapped with C5 stuff think he called it Civette.

Regardless this is FAR from a common swap. Hell more guys in here are doing custom frames than we are doing IRS swaps let alone rear mount transaxles.

 

[acrdesigner]

Hi : We're starting a C5 under a 70 right now . The measurements are close for the 70 , except for the 7.5" torque tube lengthening . We're going to keep the entire C5 interior . We'll keep posting with pics as it goes.

please do keep me informed with pictures and details if possible :beers:
im starting my convertion this summer.

thanks guys for all the replys and links they have been very hepfull i apreciatte it.

 

[dhart99]

We just cut the windsheild posts and split the tunnel and cut the frame this weekend . The torque tube's going to the machinists this week . We''ll be cutting up the body this week , weather permitting

 

[Andy69]

welcome aboard

 

[n33d4sp33d]

Hope your project was a success. I did a similar build and used a shop out of Alabama to modify the torque tube. They did a great job and the turn around time was quick. The shop has a pretty cool video on their website Home | C5 C6 Torques Tubes