66 Impala What to do?

[steadfast]

Hi all, new to PT and am looking for ideas. My '66 Impala needs some updating underneath and a new lowered stance but it seems there is a ton of options and I am the type of guy who needs to have this all figured out before I start. Here goes: car is all original underneath with drum's front and rear, power steering, 327, t-400 and a 12 bolt. Definitley want discs in the front and probably the rear, frt needs to be lowered 2-3" and rear lowered 1-2". I don't want to spend a bunch of coin that I don't need to in regards to massive brakes or suspension mods that are not neccessary. I guess what I am saying is that I want the most bang for my buck. I like the idea of air suspension due to the adjustability but seems to be a bit pricey. I thought that dropped spindles was the way to go but some guys say use lowered coils. Could I retrofit something from the local pick-apart? Aftermarket control arms have adjustability and look sweet but are they really worth the coin? Oh yeah, car is currently rolling on 20's front and rear but are directional rubber band's and they track like crazy on uneven road surfaces. From what i've seen in some threads I am going to have to go to 19's on the front, I may even end up going to 18's all around. Any opinions are welcomed. Hope everybody is having a great summer!

[bret]

Well...here's what we did...
http://ridetechgarage.com/1966-impala/


The Impala has amazingly good weight distribution and is really not as heavy as you would think...about 3700. True joy to drive!

[steadfast]

Thx Bret! That unit sits real nice. I'm new to the suspension work so please bear with me. How much is it lowered? What size rims/tires will fit with that setup? Is there a compressor going in or am I missing something? Did you use dropped spindles or is all the lowering done in the bags? Thx again your feedback is well received.

[bret]

Ours has a 17x8 rim all around...just because thats what I had laying around. I have not tried larger tires yet, although by eyeball it will swallow much larger units. I may get to that yet this fall.
It's tough to say how much its lowered from stock since a truly "stock" car is hard to find. I can get you a current measeurement at the fender lip later this week.
We did not use dropped spindles. A compressor will be required...we have compressor systems ranging from a entry level system at around $1100 to a LevelPRo AirPod at $2600...and several in between.

BTW...I LOVE your avatar!

[steadfast]

Hey Bret-Had a look at your "street challenge " system, very impressive and also a bit pricey, these setups go on sale at all?
Yeah...the avatar tends to draw my attention as well.

[Mr.VENGEANCE]

man Steadfast.. you avatar is so polarizing..

i cant stop looking at it...


nerpoghong;engoiojipj]-j;'

(head hits the keyboard)

[GarageToys]

I used drop spindles as well as lowering springs on my '66. My car was a big block and BB springs tend to sit the car really high in the front. I went with CPP 2" drop spindles and 1.5" lowering springs. Sitting it down 3.5" in front seems like a lot, but the car rode nice and only scraped a couple times on steep driveways. Of course, I was running stock exhaust manifolds. With long-tube headers, it might be a bit low.

That said, you can never be low enough... so the Ridetech setup is in my future.