Opinions?

[bottledbird68]

Ok, so I'm getting readyto start cutting up my 68 in a week or two.
As some of you know I also have an 02 zo6 chassis here that I'm planning to use donor parts from.
Originally I planned to just swap the whole vette chassis under the car, rearmount transaxle and all. Now I'm debating...
Here's where I'm at, swap everything zo6 related under the car, lengthen he torque tube to match, and call it done.
Or, swap the vette front clip, keep the factory center floor/unibody, and hang a 4th gen style suspension/4th gen width 9" under the back to keep the track width right and update the rear. I know they make other bolt in crap but A. I don't see any real benefits over the 4th gen design, and B. I want the rear track width to match the front so I plan on ditching the factory rear regardless.

The vette rear setup would be great for weight bias as well as coolness factor but would require a bit more fab work. Also, I already have all of it minus the diff, so, it's cheaper.
The wider solid axle would be easier, and hook up much better at the drags. But, I'd need to buy eveything.

Ultimately my goal is to road race the car hard and drive the wheels off it on the street. It's been a drag car for the last 17 years and while I'm sure it will see the strip here and there, I could really care less about having it set up for the 1/4. Decisions decisions. Just looking for some discussion to help me make up my mind.

[My84Z]

If you wanna turn do the whole vette setup if u wanna do burnouts hard launches and drag only do the front the vette transaxle and tourque tube will not take burnouts wheel hop and drag racing well and niether will a tourque tube especially one lengthend

[bottledbird68]

My primary goal is hardcore handling and general street use.
But, anyone who knows me also knows it'll get driven, HARD. Hence my indecision.

[DemonWithin99]

option 'A' IMO

[c4boom]

vet set up all the way

[bottledbird68]

Ok, so, after some research I've come to some conclusions. To keep the motor close to the stock location I need to extend the torque tube to keep the vette transaxle. I've found a couple ways to do it. Get the housing extended and get a custom carbon fiber shaft.
Or, found a local guy who has extended one before and will do another one again. But, says he needs to do some custom machining.
Now, from what I'm reading online extending the aluminum shaft in the tube is not a good idea since even stock length shafts have been known to bend in 6 speed cars and making it longer is only going to make that worse. Hence why thy say go carbon fiber, it doesn't flex like the aluminum will.
So, either custom carbon fiber, or a custom machined aluminum set up for a third of the cost.
My issue here is that no matter which way I have custom made one off parts. What happens if I'm 500 miles from home on a cruise, I sidestep the clutch at say 4 grand from a 20 mph roll and my custom shit comes apart? I'm screwed and weeks away from a replacement.
My only other option for keeping the vette stuff in the rear is to see if I have enough room to set the engine back far enough to keep the stock torque tube. From what I've read the tube needs to be lengthened around 4". So, need to see if there's room to slide the motor back 4" and still have room for my feet lol.
If not I think I'll just go with a conventional t56 and put a 4th gen style 9" and rear suspension under the car and just use the vette front clip. That way my track width stays the same front to rear and I can ditch the archaic leaf spring set up. Plus, if I make the car all 4th gen from behind the front seats then I can use the 4th gen rear seat, suspension, gas tank, and everything. So that also solves a lot of issues.
So, I'm torn. Ultimate handling and weight bias, or, compromise it, keep a solid rear axle, and keep the car more "good at everything, perfect for nothing".
Basically, I'd love to use all the vette stuff and have no issues fabbing things. I just don't think I want custom made one off parts in critical drivetrain areas. I like to drive my cars hard and want to be able to get replacement parts easily. Hmmm....

[My84Z]

just use a standard t56 ds and a gto or a cts v rear set up>???

[bottledbird68]

Originally Posted by My84Z

just use a standard t56 ds and a gto or a cts v rear set up>???

I could but the only reason I'd want to deal with the complexities of an IRS would be if it were to keep the weight distribution of having the vette transaxle too.
Otherwise I'll just stick a widened 9" in there, some control arms, a torque arm, and a set of coil overs and be done with it.

[ILuvPizzaTimes10]

am i wrong or is there a company that makes stronger torque tubes? extending/welding it seems like a stoopid idea as they like to break on cars with bolt ons and drag radials. id look into a new front to back strengthened tube not just cut and weld yours. just my 2 cents.

[c4boom]

ya what are all the super high HP cars doing