The 68 sub-frame is a one year only item. Not sure right now what the difference is.

 

The difference doesn't really affect anything regarding interchangeability. I believe it has to do with a big ol' clearance hole in the side for accessing the bolts / nuts used to install the bumper brackets. It was opened up to help assembly.

 

sounds like it might be to make the sub more universal for the ventura, and the other sister cars.

 

Could be, but I don't think they came until 71.

GM musta planned ahead like always.

 

If anyone has pics to post please do so(70 up), this will help me a ton, with decoding a car that I had some concerns about.:yes:

I just had a peak at my car and it seems to have the 69 subframe, I had concerns as to whether it was original or not, my car has some 70 part on it, but I don't know which ones truly belong on the car from the factory. The bolt ons may have been swapped out, but the welded parts I know the factory did.

This is a great discovery for original cars.

 

originality..



Taz...if you remove the drivers side bumper bracket...I think?? you will see the assembly stamp date on the front of the subframe nose...there will be a vertical paint inspection mark (orange or yellow) and a date stamp...upside down. Check out the attached photo...hope this helps.

wilma

 

Im a machine tool non union pipefitter and piped up robots for some big three auto production weld lines and they always start new projects a year or two pre production so the frames would be stamped and welded in 1970, so its possible, ive done the new 300c, charger, challenger, mustang, f150, caravan and jeep for kuka robot systems and they all make small changes. For example the challenger roof rail is laser welded for 2009 the 2008's are spot welded with a black seal on each side of the roof.

 

68-69 subframe

the one thing I do remember that differs from the 68 and 69 subframe is the bottom a -frames on the 68 has a weld on nut for the bottom of the shock mounting bolts.I am curious to know what else differs also .I have a 69 front clip in the shop and will compare it to the 68 over the weekend.Chris

 

I crushed three or four 68 subframes a couple of years ago...... Ooops ...



Tommy

 

You knuckelhead! :devil: That's why them Honda's are so fast they got some left over 68 Chevy II DNA in them from the scrap metal.

 

I have complete 68 nova subframe in the snow bank just in case. Tommy we all make mistakes in throwing thing's away, I have a couple of thing's I wish I had kept!

Jason

 

A/C Deflector

 

Assembly Manual..........

Clip........

 

Tommy.......
Don't you know the Fred Sanford rule of thumb.........


It's Friday..........yippeee

ktownkid

 

I got one left Jason.... It is a late 67 built 68 SS car.. Not much left of the rest of the car but I thought the subframe was worth keeping.. It still has the original SS finned drums and original L48 coil springs on it. I have gotten rid of things over the years that I needed later and could have sold or traded but couldn't keep the stuff laying around... I practically gave away a pair of perfect 68 doors a few years ago with tinted green glass in them..


Tommy

 

Looks kinda sad don't it .... We winched the rest of the old girl onto a trailer the other day and sent it on to the scrapyard..

Tommy

 

Looks kinda sad don't it .... We winched the rest of the old girl onto a trailer the other day and sent it on to the scrapyard..

Tommy

This just needs a gas peddle

 

I am going to start letting some parts go that I have been holding onto also. But most of it is little things. I had a nova dollar box at spring carisle last year. I sold like 50.00 worth of parts! Everyone likes a deal! I like what you painted on the fender is that for the kid's?

Jason

 

Yeah, the neighbors kids were caught playing in and on the car After I had started pulling parts. The car had sharp edges and I didn't want them around it. Those A pillars could put an eye out.... It is about to be inside for the rest of the disassembly. Sure is alot of work cutting a car up... Lots of double and triple panels to cut through.. That car has a nice subframe. It was never wrecked in the front.

That dust in the bottom corner of the picture is the rest of the car ......


Tommy

 

68

Show more pics tommy what was left before the scraper put the pics under rebody LOL

 

Here are some picture's of my subframe, 72 A/C car if this helps .

 

Here are some picture's of my subframe, 72 A/C car if this helps .

what a nice clear picture showing the oval hole on the front horn on top near where the radiator bushing bolts to. the 68-69 have 3 round holes where as this picture above shows the 2 round holes and one oval hole. anyone know why they did that? was it to run a drain line through it or something?

 

Hey 72BBNova
thanks for the pictures... are you able to get some close up detailed pictures for us? thanks so much

 

I am going to be swapping a finished '70 front subframe in place of my rusty original '68 frame in the next few weeks. Does anybody need side-by-side shots of anything while I do?

 

yes i would love some photo shots of the subframes... the front horns, mounting pads, the part where the upper control arm bolts to, and crossmember area. just curious, what wrong with your 68 frame? where is it rusted exactly? thanks a million

 

72BBNova, do you have any shots of the front lip of the front crossmember?
Looking down from the top would be best.

 

I hope these help. I've put the subframe back on the car for now so I hope these pics are what you want.

 

Tommy,Like the picture,thanks for being sooooooo honest and showing pictures of whats left of the poor little 68 Nova SS! Hey make a lawn mower out of her,LOL. Pretty neat 68 Subframes are different then 69 and up Novas.Another 68 only thingy! Thanks guys for the pictures and post. Dan

 

my car was built Aug 1969

Not to say the sub frame was built then. GM orders parts way in advance. So no telling what line or plant or stock pile it came from. I am pretty sure these were made by GM in GM frame plants. I have no idea where they were then. I do not think they were contract. Kitchener Frame & Oshkosh Frame do build a lot of frames for GM. I have no idea if they did then.

This help??
Al

 

This is out of a 1968 Camaro Std V8 P/G car

 

wow, that front rail looks like its been in an accident. it would be interesting to see in the 72 assembly manual if the subframe part number is the same as the 70 part number... i have the 68,69,and 70 assembly manual but not the 71 and 72 so i cant compare the number... if anyone knows the 71 or 72 part number, post it here and i will compare it. it should be in the front section i think under section 3 or 2.... the other intersting thing is that whenever GM made a change to a part whether it be a cosmetic change or a measurement change, they would asign it a new part number. i think not only did they make that round hole oval for 70 and up but they maybe also altered the upper control arm mounting boss holes at a differnet height to give the steering slightly differnt geometory... but that would have to be measured and compared between a 70 frame and a 68 and 69 frame....

 

Original:

What I *thought* was a 70 frame:

 

What I *thought* was a 70 frame:

this is what my 70 Nova (Built August 69) has.

 

Also a a lot of changes could have come from the manufacturing process.

Fixtures and holders or alignment pins for Assembly.

I find it hard to believe they had different sub frame with & without a/c.

Also some changes could have come so the same sub frame for the Pontiac Ventura in the same body configure emerged in 1971, Buick Apollo emerged in 1973, same year for the Oldsmobile Omega.

Interestingly, the initials of the four model names spelled out the acronym NOVA (Nova, Omega, Ventura, Apollo).

Al

 

I find it hard to believe they had different sub frame with & without a/c.

Al

Same subframe at one point in the factory, additional operation added to spin form the holes for AC cars.
I have looked at alot of them, one of the odd things I look for along with the 68-69 bumper bracket differences.
Have not seen an original AC frame on non AC car but have seen original non AC frame on AC car. Some areas of country may not have gotten plastic sheild.

 

This is a picture of the AC baffle on one of our members cars. He is the original owner, it's a South Carolina car.

My car is a '72 Georgia car with AC and had the piece at one time. It had 2 screws holding up 2 little busted pieces of plastic. The screws where self tapping with big flat washers and threaded into the 2 holes on the front lip of the sub frame from the bottom.

 

I would say drilled on the line, or even dealer installed. Some items were shipped in the trunk and dealer prep they were installed. Just like trucks, the rear bumper is never installed for years!

Al