[FC] <VV> Lower FC A-arms

[Chris & Bill Strickland]

This mite be on both FC & VV, but I'm only posting here, where I saw it 
first -- besides, the topic fits ...

Ken P is right, of course -- "It is easy as pie to make up tubular 
control arms for anything ... "

But, since this level of adventure does not seem to apply here (you'd 
already have 'em on the truck if it did),  "The front suspension on 
early FCs is mostly borrowed from the 1960- 61 full size Chevy station 
wagon. Late FCs come with front suspension from the concurrent Chevy 
pickup truck." --  Rad Davis 
<http://www.corvairkid.com/contact.htm?d=com,u=corvair,n=Rad%20Davis,s=mindspring>,  
http://www.mindspring.com/~corvair/fc1.html#model%20year%20variation

No proof, but I believe that, NOT counting the crossmember,  this 
suspension is the same from whenever the big Chevys, including Vettes,  
went to independent from the straight axle -- I was involved in a 
discussion of this on here or VV a while back and misstated the year for 
this change in Vettes (and got correct info back, just don't remember it 
and can't find it) -- and then the cars changed a bit in 64, but the 
FC's didn't, and this same suspension continued on the 64 ½ ton trucks, 
(65's having been built in 64).   I know the Heidt drop spindles for a 
57 Chevy will fit FC's.  And the control arms look the same -- no, I 
didn't measure them.  They make lots of aftermarket parts for 57 Chevys, 
though.

So, if we are going for the "cool" factor here, why not just put in a 
full Heidt front crossmember (Mustang II style, many different versions 
available) -- just weld it up to something that bolts to the FC, and 
sell the other accumulated parts. Dropped spindles, chrome, tubular, 
bags, power r&p (that might be a challenge, but it would be "cool"), 
discs, all in the same package, neat clean and only a few thousand 
dollars ...     and much easier to align.

So, to answer the basic question, any big Chevy lower control arm 
through 63 should fit -- mo.  I am not overly familiar with the late 
FC's, and maybe the brakes were improved on them (self adjusters?), but 
the basic suspension should be the same for all years.

Now, we should get somebody that knows to correct me if I have erred!

Bill Strickland