One other thing most rod builders aren't aware of is that particular vintage Nova, Buick Skylark, etc., have an excellent geometry from a handling point of view. Oval track racers that had to use a stock based front clip always spliced these snouts onto their frames. From a racing point of view that snout is superior over the often used early Camaro snouts.
Someone asked why even change the front snout if your vintage ride already had independent suspension. First would be the improved ride quality and steering gemoetry. Second would be the fact that if you plan on running a newer engine that uses side mounts then they are already there and issues like pan clearance and so on don't happen. Suspension repair and upgrade parts are more readily available for the later snout and prices are less in most cases than NOS or repop items through a vintage parts source. The minor added fabrication to hang the sheet metal back on the car's new snout is not a very big deal.
Done safely and correctly a car that has been clipped is a real joy to build and drive. Done wrong and it is your worst nightmare and horribly unsafe.
Mike G ( 4355 )
