dgc333
Well-Known Member
FWIW, I would like to relay some experiences with the subject title.
When I first got my 68 Cuda Coupe I jacked it up with a floor jack under the torsion bar cross member with the drivers door open. When I tried to close the door the latch and striker were off by almost 1/2". That much flex scared me enough to immediately make some subframe connectors and weld them in. The first thing I noticed was that I could now jack the car up and still open and close the doors. Driving the car there was a marked reduction in the number of rattles and there was improvement in the handling when make transitional direction changes. I was happy with my improvements and the car remained this way for several years.
Lately I had been talking with a co-worker that has a MX5 and he was telling me how much of an improvement a strut tower brace had made to his car. I had seen a couple of mid 70's A-bodies that had braces that went from the pinch weld on the cowl out to the mid point of the fenders and figured that would be something that was pretty easy to make. So I cut some 1" mild steel tubing flattened the ends bolted them from the cowl pinch weld out to the middle fender mounting bolt. Before I put these in you could see the fenders moving in relation to the hood when driving over chewed up pavement and your would get a fair amount of groans and squeaks from the dash area of the car. Now with the struts in place on the same type of pavement there is no visible motion and all most all the squeaks & groans are gone from the dash.
I was inspired and started looking for torque boxes and got a set from US Car Tool. I welded in the front ones first and they eliminated the last of the squeaks and groans from the front of the car. The rear of the car would be unstable and skit around on chewed up pavement, after welding in the rear torque boxes the car is stable in the same situation and any creaks and rattles from the back are gone.
I am extremely pleased with the results of the stiffening these mods made and just wanted to share my experience. The only noises left to exorcise from the car are the window regulators and mechanisms. I know most folks make these mods for improved handling but the the rattles and squeaks from a 44 year old car can take away from the driving pleasure and my Cuda now goes down the road like a new car.
When I first got my 68 Cuda Coupe I jacked it up with a floor jack under the torsion bar cross member with the drivers door open. When I tried to close the door the latch and striker were off by almost 1/2". That much flex scared me enough to immediately make some subframe connectors and weld them in. The first thing I noticed was that I could now jack the car up and still open and close the doors. Driving the car there was a marked reduction in the number of rattles and there was improvement in the handling when make transitional direction changes. I was happy with my improvements and the car remained this way for several years.
Lately I had been talking with a co-worker that has a MX5 and he was telling me how much of an improvement a strut tower brace had made to his car. I had seen a couple of mid 70's A-bodies that had braces that went from the pinch weld on the cowl out to the mid point of the fenders and figured that would be something that was pretty easy to make. So I cut some 1" mild steel tubing flattened the ends bolted them from the cowl pinch weld out to the middle fender mounting bolt. Before I put these in you could see the fenders moving in relation to the hood when driving over chewed up pavement and your would get a fair amount of groans and squeaks from the dash area of the car. Now with the struts in place on the same type of pavement there is no visible motion and all most all the squeaks & groans are gone from the dash.
I was inspired and started looking for torque boxes and got a set from US Car Tool. I welded in the front ones first and they eliminated the last of the squeaks and groans from the front of the car. The rear of the car would be unstable and skit around on chewed up pavement, after welding in the rear torque boxes the car is stable in the same situation and any creaks and rattles from the back are gone.
I am extremely pleased with the results of the stiffening these mods made and just wanted to share my experience. The only noises left to exorcise from the car are the window regulators and mechanisms. I know most folks make these mods for improved handling but the the rattles and squeaks from a 44 year old car can take away from the driving pleasure and my Cuda now goes down the road like a new car.
