hi all.

i may have just scored a '67 rs, only problem is that the front subframe is missing, as well as the rear axle and springs. currently the body is sitting on a 71 monte chassis just to move it around. it has all new sheet metal, and here in Hawaii, that really makes a deal even sweeter. i know that i can pull the sub frame from a '68-'74 Nova, and the rear end can come from the same car (perferably a '74 with a 8.5), now i have the delima on finding a good used drive shaft. i am on a really tight budget, and if possible i'd like to know where i could get a drive shaft that will fit the car. 1st gen cars are really Gold out here in the scrap yards, butteh 2nd gen Novas are dime a dozen. does anyone know if the drive shaft from a 2nd gen Nova will fit a Stock setup Camaro? if it will then, it may be best for me to just grab the whole Nova and take what i need.

thanks for the help, Jesse

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Even though you are on a budget, you still might want to consider a new drive shaft. I don't know about Nova compatability, but the thought of using 25-30 year old u joints is sort of scary. I just had a brand new driveshaft built for $170. That included a new tube, ends, and u-joints.

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Shawn Peterson
1969 Z28, 406SB
http://www.geocities.com/corsican69

to be honest with you, the u joints will definately be replaced. i have no problem with that. i can get them for like $15 each for the forged ones. but to get a whole new drive shaft will run in the neighborhood of $200. there are few places out here in hawaii that make drive shafts. and those that do want top dollar. it sometimes is cheaper to order it from california and just pay for the shipping. but i'd like to get away with the most economical solution. i know that i should get a solid new drive shaft, but i can't afford one now. just would like to know if the stock Nova, or any other car with simular specs will fit. i plan to run a T350 trans behind a mild 350. that way if everything works out i can enjoy the car and not have someone on my case about it costing too much and taking up too much room..

thanks, JS

My 67 manual trans shaft is 50" long center to center of yokes. The turbo 350 should be the same.
The nova has the same subframe as a Camaro, but I think it has a longer wheelbase, so the driveshaft would be longer. Camaro is 108" I'm not shure what a Nova is.

Another option is to get the longer Nova shaft, then have the tube cut. When I was looking into new drive shafts, they asked if I just wanted to re-tube it. The rate for shortening one was pretty cheap, about $40 or so. They simply slice one end off, make the tube the correct length and re-weld it. See what the drive line shop wants to do that.

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Shawn Peterson
1969 Z28, 406SB
http://www.geocities.com/corsican69

thanks, shawn and david.

i'll probalby go that route. i think the re tube is the cheapest and probably the best bet. if the nova is longerm then it will be the best bet to buy the whole car. the front sub frame, rear axle, leafs, motor and trans possible too. and the drive shaft is useable, i think i will be in business.

thanks again, JS http://www.camaros.net/forum/biggrin.gif

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Shawn has a good idea of just shortening the shaft if too long. I'd do that.

thanks again david.

one other question. being that the 67 is less the running gear(it is only the shell sitting on a monte frame)all the suspension components from the nova should bolt up right? what about the brakes? like the master, booster, and combination valve? how about the brake pedal assembly and throttle linkage? should i just pull the whole car and strip what i can. what about the steering column and other things? i have my eye on a 74 nova sitting in the junk yard. it is missing the doors and fenders, but the sub frame and rear end is still intact. also the 350 small block is ther as well as the T350. i think the owner of hte yard wants $500 for hte rest of hte car, and the owner of hte '67 may want $1500 being that the car has new sheetmetal.

thanks again, Jesse http://www.camaros.net/forum/eek.gif

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I don't know if you've seen this list, so here it is.
DISC BRAKES THAT WILL FIT FIRST GEN CAMAROS
You can use the spindle, caliper, bracket, or rotor from:
Apollo 73-74
Buick Special 69-72
Camaro 69
Chevelle 69-72
Firebird 69
Grand Prix 69
Grand Prix 70-72
Monte Carlo 70-72
Nova 69-74
Olds F85 69-72
Omega 73-74
Sprint gmc /El Camino 71-72
Tempest 69-72
Ventura II 71-74
They must be disc brake equipped of course. I believe discs became standard in 1970.
Some of the cars listed have the caliper forward of the spindle. You must swap side for side placing the Caliper to the rear of the spindle on the Camaro.And use your Camaro steering arms.
This is a very complete list.
I have more info on my web page below.
David Pozzi's web page: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/David_Pozzi/vintage_transam.htm

Most parts SHOULD fit. the rear end is about 1 inch wider including the spring pads. so you'll have to get them cut off and moved.
David

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The older I get, the faster I was!

You DONT have to use a chevy driveshaft. There are many ford driveshafts that will work fine. It is only a measure of length and if you know that go to a boneyard. Also, a 1st gen era anything driveshaft is a swedged fit for the caps and may not be reusable. If you go with a shaft out of something newer the steel will most likely be DOM and a higher grade steel. I have a collection of shafts and the one I am using now is out of a Ford and I think is 50.5 inches from center to center of the caps. I think that is the measurement but dont rely on it, it is just an example.

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web page at <A HREF="http://hometown.aol.com/winterjl/index.html
and" TARGET=_blank>http://hometown.aol.com/winterjl/index.html
and</A> more pictures at http://photos.yahoo.com/supertrick1

David,

i was under the impression that the 68-74 nova rear axle is a direct bolt in for the 1st gen camaro. i believe i read it in car craft, they went on about a gentleman running 9's on a 8.5 rear end through a v-6 putting out close to 800HP(i think). any way from the article they say that the rear axle is a bolt in if i use the leafs too. otherwise i would have to get spacers between the spring and pads.

also in your reply you use this list of what fits. so i assume that as long as i take everything, from one of those cars, then it will fit. like the booster, combination valve, residual valve, master, calipers, rotors, spindles. will the push rod and throttle linkage work?

thanks again for the help. JS http://www.camaros.net/forum/confused.gif

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thanks pink,

out here they move most of the cars around with a loader or fork lift. therefore getting a good drive shaft that is not bent is like gold. do the ford shafts use the same u-joint sizes? will the yoke interchange for the T350 yoke? i believe that the tube itself should be @ the same diameter, but i reaally am trying to stay on a budget here. i just spent $350 for a drive shaft for my truck because after months of searching i still haven't been able to find one. the one on the Nova iam eyeing up stil is good because the car still runs and they move it around by starting it up. only the front sheet metal is missing so i think that it will be the best bet to buy the whole car and take the sub frame, rear end, motor and trans, as well as anything else that may fit. that is the main reason i am trying to find out what i can take and what i won't need.

thanks again, Jesse http://www.camaros.net/forum/cool.gif

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The 68-74 novas rear ends are the same width as a 1st gen, but the 8.5's yoke is about 1" longer. I put a 8.5 from a 72 nova in my 68 and I had to shorten the drive shaft.

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68 468 700R4, and here it is;
mutert23 (http://home.earthlink.net/~mutert23/)

thanks mark.

i knew that i wasn't the only insane guy on a budget. i could swear that i saw that in a magazine.

later, Jesse http://www.camaros.net/forum/biggrin.gif

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hey markm,

my friend in vegas said that you e-mailed him about the front sub frame in your service manual for '69. if i understand the message, they are exactly the same front subframes right? also you said that the rear axle you installed from a nova had a longer pinion yoke on it requiring you to shorten the drive shaft. does your manual say anything about the drive shaft length? i just would like to find out theis iniformation before i finalize the deal. i will probably have to sink alot into the car just to get it together(5 and dime me to death), but then again to get the whole body with papers for $500(rust free) now that is tough to turn down. i am thinking that $500 for hte whole nova could get the '67 on the road by the end of summer, that is if i can get everything from it.

again, thanks for the help, Jesse http://www.camaros.net/forum/cool.gif

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Jesse, according to this 1969 service manual the nova and camaro subframe have the exact same demensions, including most importantly in your case the mounting points from the frame to the body are in the same place. If you want I can try to scan it and email it to you. As far as the pinion yoke being different the manual doesn't say anything about the 8.5 because the 8.5 wasn't being put in camaro's that year. I can deffinitaly tell you that they are different, so much so you can tell just by looking at the two, I would say just by memory the 8.2 is about 1" and the 8.5 is about 2 1/2", rough estimate.

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68 468 700R4, and here it is;
mutert23 (http://home.earthlink.net/~mutert23/)

thanks mark for the scan. it will come in handy one day if i plan to make a complete frame for a camaro or nova. would the manual have any information on the driveshaft length, like the car's over all wheel base, or anything like that? man that must be one valuable book. i wonder if we can still get it, or a reproduction of it.

thanks again for any information you can provide.

Jesse http://www.camaros.net/forum/biggrin.gif

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I cant find anything on the overall wheel base, but maybe I just have'nt found it yet. These books are kind of helpfull at times, someone gave them to my dad a few years ago, I have a 1969 chassis service manual, Fisher body service manual and a chassis overhaul manual. They were all printed in 1968 and they are still in good condition, exept for a few greasy finger prints. I don't know if you can still get them, but if you can I think it would be a good investment, there is all kinds of information in there on just about anything you want to do. I couldn't find any measure ments on the drive shaft, but I thought it was funny that in this book it's refered to as the propeller shaft.

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68 468 700R4, and here it is;
mutert23 (http://home.earthlink.net/~mutert23/)

hey markm,

kind of make sense, used to propell the car forward right? thanks for hunting for me though. beside the Fisher body one, were there any other names listed on the manuals like GM or Haynes or something? i will definately have to keep an eye out for them, just for the sake of information.

thanks again, Jesse http://www.camaros.net/forum/biggrin.gif

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They are "Chevrolet Motor Division" books.

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68 468 700R4, and here it is;
mutert23 (http://home.earthlink.net/~mutert23/)

thanks again markm,

you da man...

JS http://www.camaros.net/forum/biggrin.gif

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MarkM,
Nice Camaro, How'd you get those tires in there?

The manuals are usually called Helm manuals. That's the publishing company.
There are forms at the rear of the owners manual, I think, to order them.
I doubt if they are still available. I have one for my 67, both the chassis service manual, and the overhaul manual. It's best to get the 69 version, it should have info on 67 thru 69. Mine has only 67 and no info on the console gages, or electric headlight doors.

Mark, is there any of that info in your 69 book?

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The older I get, the faster I was!

David, I couldn't find anything in my service manual on those particular items. It doesn't even address those items, there is a complete wiring diagram, if there is something specific you are looking for let me know I'll take another look.

As for the wheels, the front did fit fine but the back were just to big, and not the right backspacing. I learned that the hard way when I destroyed a $350 tire in Nashville on the power tour last year when the rear fender came down on it and cut strips off it to the cords. Had to buy a cheap set of tires and wheels to get us home, and now come to find out B.F. Goodrich doesn't make that size tire 275/35 20 in that style anymore. I guess I'll buy a G-force wet style, becuase they look similar.


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68 468 700R4, and here it is;
mutert23 (http://home.earthlink.net/~mutert23/)

hey guys,

just to let you know that i really appreciated all the information i got from you all.

any way i went and talked to my painter friend that ahd the car at a friends house, turns out that he would have let me get the car for the price of the new sheet metal($500), but someone stole the parts fropm the car. the people who took the parts just stripped the car and damaged what they couldn't get like the glass and interrior. well that pretty much shuts down that plan, but i am currently eyeing up a 63 nova.
again thanks for the info, and hopefully one day i will own my own 1st gen.

Jesse http://www.camaros.net/forum/frown.gif

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