'60 HD Suspension???

[Rich Puleo]

Hey guys,
I have a question regaurding the authenticity of an unrestored & original looking '60 BB Fuelie with GM 5 leaf springs...When was the heavy duty suspension with the 5 leaf rear springs cut from production? I don't recall if it was '59 or early '60, or if I'm way off. I think these were added & were not original. But I need to verify.
The short leaf on each spring has busted up to a mere 3" square chunk of fatigued metal under the spring plate. (Car was rodded a good portion of it's life until parked in the early '70's, complete with 8-track stereo in the package tray). So, I don't have the numbers from the original spring to check. They are the correct size & shape, & factory banded. But were they added later?
Thanks in advance for everyone's help!
Rich

[Loren L.]

Adding the 5th leaf from the earlier springs

was a much-used practice for SCCA and probably drag racing, even recommended by Bill thomas in his Corvette News series on how to set
up your Corvette. That was his way and I'm sure there were 100 other "Bubba methods". The car did not come that way from the factory. Even the Cunningham cars did not come that way; I must admit though that the Camoradi car had a fifth leaf added - probably through the influence of its Chief Mechanic, Lee Lilley - a former sprint car racer.

[Tom P.]

Swapping Vette spindle supports with 53-54 passeng

There were a number of chassis mods done by owners to the 56-62 cars (I doubt if much was done to 53-55 models), including installing the spindle supports from 53-54 passenger cars (lowered the front about 1in)(the 49-52 pass car spindle supports are the same as 53-62 Vette). Does anyone have any idea how common it was to do this? And, does anyone today have a 56-62 with 53-4 passenger car spindle supports? Mike Ernst do you have any knowledge of this swap to lower the front?

[David Dawdy]

60 w/pass spindles

My old 60 has the passenger car spindles. #2348, it was beat to death for many years from the looks of it. Have not yet discovered where. White with blue coves and blue stripes, red interior, fi, brakes, power windows, power top.

Dave D.
#1624