Thanks guys! I'll continue bringing this thread up to date.
Earlier in this thread I put the front of one bird on the unibody of another to get a subframe to replace mine. There are two basic subframes for 2nd gen F bodies, one pre and one post catalytic converter to accommodate the changes in the floor pans necessary for the different exhaust. I'm attempting to use a frame from the last year of the 2nd gen production run in a first year car so there were also several other changes made by the factory along the way including a switch to metric fasteners. The old thinking was that a late frame doesn't fit in an early car which it doesn't as built by the factory. However as parts for these cars slowly become more scarce others will find themselves in the position I did. Need a different subframe and none available locally (at the time) that are an exact replacement. Since upwards of 200,000 Firebirds were made every year near the end of the run (nevermind Camaros) the late frames are easier to come by and I suspect others will also want to use one to replace an early one so hopefully this will help some folks.
I'm going to show modifications I've made so I can use the late frame as well as some things I've done to make the frame "better" for my application in my opinion. I'll cover each area of the frame in a different post.
My first task was to be sure the used subframe was square and get some measurements to see if I could make this attempt. I used a couple different Tram Gauges to make sure the frame was square and take measurements comparing the original frame with the newer one so I would know what changes I would need to make. The body mounts for the rear of the frame are farther back in the early frames so next I marked where the frame needed to be drilled out using the Tram Gauge to transfer the measurements from the old frame.
This can all be done with my simple telescoping Tram Gauge and a ruler but I also had a new fancy shmancy really long one with measuring and level features a buddy let me try out. If anyone wants one of the basic ones like I have I can get ya one for $100.00 + shipping from a guy I know who makes them. They're powdercoated/stainless construction and function fine.
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