Help finding crossmember to frame bushings

[chadtn]

I'm in the process of swapping an LT1 from a 95 Camaro into my 78 Buick Regal. I've got the motor and transmission dropped in the car, but I hit a snag with the crossmember. The rubber bushings are lost/ruined and I'm not having any luck finding replacements that don't cost a fortune. I figured it would be a common item, but my net searches haven't found much info so far. From the pictures I've found it looks like most of the aftermarket crossmembers just use solid plates with holes to attach them to the frame.

I did find a set on E-bay, but I refuse to pay $50 for NOS rubber and no hardware. I figured this would be a $5 parts store item or $20 shipped for aftermarket poly stuff. I've been wondering if my net searches have come up empty because they go by a different name. Any ideas on my options here? I can't wait to ride around in my old Buick again so breaking out the drill and shoving a piece of scrap metal in there is starting to sound like a pretty good idea. I can always revisit the crossmember situation after I get the car running. heh..

Thanks!!

Chad

 

[chadtn]

Here's a picture of what they look like that I found on E-bay:

Chad

 

[bigdan]

having dropped an LT1+70R4 nto my 84 cutlass, I wonder how you could use that original crosmember..it wont accept dual exhaust ....

I did myself a custom crosmember that costed me below 30.00
and i`m using an original turbo 400 tanny mount no bushings at either end
Dan

 

[chadtn]

The car had a TH350 from the factory. I'm sticking with the three speed.

Chad

 

[dan2286]

I have never heard of bushings being used there on G bodies. Every crossmember I have taken off never used any bushings where it connects to the frame.

 

[chadtn]

This is what the ends of the crossmember looked like:

How should I go about attaching it without the rubber? Drill two holes and sandwich the crossmember with two metal plates and washers? The crossmember itself has large holes on one side a little smaller than half dollar coins. Do I need to add anything to keep it from moving around or will torqueing down the bolts keep it in place?

Thanks!

Chad

 

[chadtn]

I was trying to come up with a cheap fix and thought about picking up this sway bar bushing repair kit for $9 at Advance:

I could put one curved washer & bushing over each hole in the frame and then sandwich the crossmember with thick flat washers. I stink at MS Paint, but something like this:

Four nuts and bolts, eight washers, and the $9 bushing set. Think that would work out all right or should I just mount it in solid and forget about any rubber parts?

Thanks!

Chad

 

[Lue]

I have never heard of bushings being used there on G bodies. Every crossmember I have taken off never used any bushings where it connects to the frame.

Same here. I just bolted them down and never had a ploblem...

 

[Blake442]

I have a good original pair from my wagon that I took out. Car only had 82K, and the rubber is in pretty good shape. PM me if you're interested. Then of course I'll have to find them...

 

[phaZe]

Just get smaller bolts from Ace/Home Depot/Lowes. The transmission should be resting on a rubber mount already and the crossmember is suppose to connect directly to the frame and be a solid joint.