[Ed Fitzgerald]

Has anyone seen/done a vette rearend swap into a 1st generation firebird?

[Keith Vrabec]

Jag might be easier since it's a caged unit

[Coach]

My Dad helped me do a '65 Vette rear end into a '54 Austin Healey 100-4. LOTS of fab work, but it was the only thing that would handle the BOSS 302 that we had shoe horned under the hood. The advantage we had was a full length frame, you will have to work around the unibody.

Good luck and I would love to know how it works out for you.
-Harry

[pontiacjeff]

If I were you, I would do a C4 corvette rearend. It is MOSTLY a complete unit, the only "floating" parts are the control arms, but they have a nice mounting bracket that bolts on that will line up real nice with the rear frame rails.

http://cgi.ebay.com/91-96-Corvette-C...item1e5feef914

My next-door neighbor at the shop dismantles C4's and has about 6 of these right now. Dana 36 came in automatics and Dana 44 in stick cars. The 36 would do fine for a street Firebird. Guys put these in all kinds of cars.

[bobzdar]

Originally Posted by Ed Fitzgerald

Has anyone seen/done a vette rearend swap into a 1st generation firebird?

Somebody recently on here did a jag (xj12) rearend in a 2nd gen, should be pretty similar for a 1st gen. Didn't look like too much fab work.

[bobzdar]

Originally Posted by pontiacjeff

If I were you, I would do a C4 corvette rearend. It is MOSTLY a complete unit, the only "floating" parts are the control arms, but they have a nice mounting bracket that bolts on that will line up real nice with the rear frame rails.

http://cgi.ebay.com/91-96-Corvette-C...item1e5feef914

My next-door neighbor at the shop dismantles C4's and has about 6 of these right now. Dana 36 came in automatics and Dana 44 in stick cars. The 36 would do fine for a street Firebird. Guys put these in all kinds of cars.

I've read that the geometry on the 4th gen rears is much better than the 3rd gen as well, I would go with xj12 rear or c4 rear, whichever you can find cheaper. Only benefit to the xj12 is the inboard brakes so less unsprung weight. Both are pretty easy to find and not too expensive (I've looked at the xj12 rear, found them for around a grand).