Jallen9

So i've always had a thing for the 80's monte carlo SS. I figure one of these days i'd get one and put a LSx/6 speed in it and drag race it or something. The only thing I don't really like is that they don't handle so well compared to newer cars. So i had a wild idea a few weeks ago, and I thought, why not get a C5 or C6 vette chassis and put the MC SS body on it? that would be radical. I think you can get a C5 chassis on ebay for ~ $8K or so. I'd lengthen the torque tube and driveshaft by 3 inches. Then I'd have to fabricate up a light weight frame that would let you mount the MC body on the chassis. Then it's just a matter of the regular engine swap stuff - wiring, fuel lines, etc. I'd widen the MC body the cover the 'vette's wider wheelbase. I think they're 1 or 2 inches wider or so. Then you'd have the better weight distribution with the transaxle and the better handling independent rear suspension.

Pretty cool idea, eh? Has anyone ever seen a similar project or have any ideas like that? When I get out of school and finish this XJ i may just do this.

Makes me wish I bought that $500 beater MC i found locally last year....

andecase

wouldn't it be cheaper to just upgrade the suspension or just build all new custom suspension on the the Monte Carlo frame?

Jallen9

i don't know if it would be cheaper. it seems like a factory vette suspension would be better than aftermarket MC suspension, though. i don't know how you would swap a transaxle with IRS into a car without doing an entire chassis.

andecase

where are you getting trans-axle from no corvette is trans-axle and Monte Carlo weren't till 94?

Jallen9

they have them on ebay all the time - here's one for 6K

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1999-Corvett...ht_2585wt_1392

corvettes have had trans axles for a long time, since the the c5 in 97, unless transaxle means something other than a transmission/axle....

they've also been making monte carlos since the 70's. they quit making them in '88 and then started making a FWD version again in 95, which was a piece of crap 2 door lumina. here's the body style i'm talking about, it's a 3rd gen:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:83...e_Carlo_SS.jpg

andecase

a trans-axle is where the tranny and diff are combined into one like on a front wheel drive car. it also generally refers to any engine/tranny set up that is sitting sideways in the engine bay like on front wheel drive cars.

Jallen9

that's what corvettes have, it's the rear diff and transmission combined. i've never heard them referred to in the case of FWD cars, but ok.

andecase

i do stand corrected never heard of using a transaxle on a rear wheel drive vehicle, seems like a lot of extra unneeded hooplah to me. though even at that i would use a older six speed corvette tranny and stick with the normal set up cause the Monte carol switched to unit body in the 80's (not sure which year) and just strap an ls1 under the hood. the amount of fab it would take to switch to the c5+ set up though possible would be astronomical. just my opinion your welcome to do what you want.

as for the IRS i don't know for sure but i think Monte carol was a solid axle which in the long run if your drag racing is better due just to durability. you can also custom build you self a very nice suspension set up for less than a grand if is is solid axle if not the irs would get pretty pricy let alone the math it would take to make a good/safe one.

i think i'm done now

Jallen9

i wouldn't use the corvette suspension for just drag racing, that's a waste for sure. the monte carlo solid axle is better in that department, but the vette chassis would handle better and be all around more fun to drive. i'd hate to do all that work for just drag racing. monte carlos had frames until '88, so it seems like making a custom frame to mount the body on the vette chassis shouldn't be all that hard. it seems like that mounting would be simpler that making your own suspension, but i've never made my own suspension so I don't know what it entails.

lookin2wheel

[QUOTE=andecase;1786478]i do stand corrected never heard of using a transaxle on a rear wheel drive vehicle, seems like a lot of extra unneeded hooplah to me. though even at that i would use a older six speed corvette tranny and stick with the normal set up cause the Monte carol switched to unit body in the 80's

That last statement is incorrect. When the Monte ended in '88 it was body on frame. The unibody didnt arrive until 1995 when GM used the Lumina platform for the "New" Monte Carlo and ended in 2007

JRT1393

I don't know about your car, but I know for my 1966 Satellite I can get an entire front end coil-over suspension with power rack & pinion steering & a forlink reat setup, make it handle MUCH better than what it came with