brcewane (12/24/2020)

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I originally had thought the same thing but there is no way that it will work. You basically need to stretch the chassis by 2 feet and re-locate your engine as low as possible. Get your proper wheels and tires on the car... set the car shell onto the tires with some spacers and then you need to build your cage and everything from the ground up to fit under the shell.

You can check my build log out starting from April 2011 and working your way forward. I documented the entire process: https://batberry.wordpress.com/2011/05/

Minijokerguy (1/11/2021)

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My project is currently on hold, but I’m also using a 95 Caprice and going thru and wondering the same exact things you are. I asked a lot of these same questions in other posts but got almost no responses. So I’m glad you are addressing it.

So far I have every intention of making my car street legal, so I do plan on saving/moving a piece of the body/firewall as required by Illinois...but we will see how that goes.

I’m not sure if the move/drop is required for hood clearance as much as it is for stability and front end weight.

FlyingGrayson (1/15/2021)

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What everyone said is correct. Your not going to be able to use the fire wall or really any body part from the caprice. Most of us use a caprice frame because its the right width. You'll end up extending the frame to get the length needed. Doing so will require you to move the engine back because of the body's low profile the engine messes with the position of the body.

I don't know about your state laws about your vin numbers. I've built custom cars and could move the vin number by screwing out the two bolt areas on the end of the vin plate. Ill be moving mine to the cock pit area. You might want to check with your state laws regarding mirrors, glass, emissions, lights and things of that nature before you get to far. I know some states might require a inspection by highway patrol before it can go on the road.

brcewane (1/12/2021)

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Find your way back to where I was working on the chassis in my car https://batberry.wordpress.com/blog/

Basically, take all the OEM suspension out of your car and add in your air bag suspension fully deflated so that everything is sitting only on the bump stops. You don't need to have the air bags in there necessarily but it will give you a final positioning if you do have them in.

Then create the new mounts for your engine. I left my engine the same distance from the rear axle so that the OEM driveshaft would fit and that it would not be as nose heavy.

Lower your engine down as far as you can go, as long as the oil pan doesn't hit the ground when your suspension is fully collapsed then you are good. That will have your engine now as far down as possible and provide the maximum hood clearance.

Now, with your suspension fully collapsed set your body where you want it. Since you are already on the bump stops you don't have to worry about making room for wheel travel (they are at their maximum height)

In retrospect, I should have put my nose lower to the ground than I did as the wheels do tuck in a bit.

With your body positioned where you want it, you can now take measurements/climb under it and start to create some body mounts and your cage/chassis

With these cars you will need to put it on air suspension. The nose is sooooo long in front of the wheels, and the arches are so low at the rear and long out the back with the rear turbine fins that you will want to raise the car whenever you are going into any kind of inclined driveway.

Commissioner Gordon (1/16/2021)

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Well, call me stubborn, but you can make anything fit with enough trimming and cutting. As for not using any body panels...thats good sheet metal...to use the roof, and hood for floor pans or burner can feathers, use the radio antennae and window motors for canopy/machine gun doors, use the trunk lid for the trunk/passenger divider, trunk hatches...all kinds of good stuff that is useable.