1949 Chevy Suspension - Get On Down!

Moving to the welding table, the C-notch plates were spaced apart by exactly the right amount using box section and scrap steel for shims, then aligned and clamped together. The holes were drilled to offer extra surface area for welding, but were also useful at this stage for positioning. With Matt positioning the top plate and Jimmy White handling the TIG welding, the C-notch section was tacked together on the bench.

The tack-welded C-notch was positioned back in the car and everything fit as intended. The top plate was trimmed so it just meets the top of the original chassis 'rail. Note also how the top plate is slightly narrower than the outside-to-outside width of the vertical pieces, offering a decent "V" between the two for good weld penetration.

Though it couldn't be fitted yet, the lower section of the C-notch was fabricated at this point. Using a section of tube with a radius slightly smaller than that of the C-notch plates, oxy-acetylene made short work of heating and bending the 1/4-inch steel. This section was the same width as the lower part of the original inverted "top hat" chassis 'rails.

More obvious now, the lower section was formed in two parts, and will be welded in once the rest of the C-notch is in place.

Set back in the car for the last time, here's the view from the wheel side of the chassis. The angled ends sit atop the wider lip of the chassis. Pic by Matt Proctor

With the chassis 'rails cleaned of paint and surface rust, Jimmy TIG welded the C-notch sections in place, including welding the perimeter of the holes to the chassis sides. A plasma cutter was then used to remove the unwanted original chassis section. The sides and lower section went first, making it easier to reach the top. Pic by Matt Proctor

An air grinder was used to finesse the edges of the cut in preparation for welding in the lower section. Pic by Matt Proctor

A MIG welder was used to weld the lower section in place, as well as the lower corners on the bottom of the C-notch. We've shown the righthand side throughout up to now, but here's the driver side C-notch finish welded. Neat huh?

This picture gives a better view of how the floor was trimmed to gain access and to clear the now-higher chassis 'rails. The floor above the third member also had to be raised for clearance as the car is now so low.

New floor sections were fabricated and welded in place, hiding the neat workmanship to all except those nosey enough to attempt crawling under the Chevy!

Ta-da! The before and after pictures tell the full story, with an infinitely cooler looking Chevy ready to go to the paint shop for the next part of its transformation. Stay tuned, as we plan on covering that too.