You'll have to grind the old...
You'll have to grind the old traction-arm bracket down completely, since the 4-link bars come within about a half-inch of the frame. Essentially, the 4-link bars take the place of the springs, and the shocks are replaced by the new coilovers.
With the brackets jig-welded to the rearend, place the housing under the chassis and start assembling the 4-link bars and the coilover shocks. The instructions describe exactly how to assemble, adjust, and lubricate the coilovers and the urethane bushings before assembly. Meyer includes nylon lock nuts for most applications.
Once the rearend is assembled and centered under the chassis, the Panhard bar can be installed. It has a small bracket on one end that will need to be welded to the frame. The stock driveshaft is next. It attaches to the Ford 9-inch pinion with the correct U-joint. Most 9-inch Ford rearends have a 1310 Spicer yoke, but Meyer recommends measuring the cup size on the yoke before heading to the parts house.
The rearend can be ordered a couple of ways. Perhaps the best option is to get the rearend in the correct width with all the brackets jig-welded to the housing, including new outer flanges and new Dutchman 31-spline alloy axles. Or, if you have your own 9-inch, Meyer can send just the brackets and instructions that show where to place the parts on the housing.
If your First-Gen Corvette is really in bad shape, Meyer offers a bolt-in IFS with rack-and-pinion steering, tubular A-arms, aluminum coilover shocks, GM disc brakes, and much more. He also builds a '53-'62 Corvette direct-replacement chassis, in both tubbed and stock versions and with a wide range of options and upgrades.
Unless you have a numbers-matching C1, there's no need to scratch your head and wonder what to do. Jim Meyer has all the chassis components you'll need to make a very nice-handling, -stopping, and -steering First-Gen.
 Jim Meyer recommends using...  Jim Meyer recommends using a multi-purpose assembly lube for all the mounting holes (shown) and urethane bushings, and anti-seize for the threads. Everything slides together much more easily if all the mounting surfaces are lubed before assembly. |  A hammer can be used to open...  A hammer can be used to open the bracket wings slightly before assembly, if necessary. Complete torque specs for all fasteners are provided in the instructions. |  Inside the stock crossmember...  Inside the stock crossmember is an angled tab that holds the stock shock at the correct angle. |
 The old air shocks are removed,...  The old air shocks are removed, and the new coilover upper adapters are installed in the existing mounting holes. With the Meyer kit, the chassis remains in stock condition, save for some welding that could be removed later if necessary. |  Once the new coilover adapters...  Once the new coilover adapters are installed in the upper crossmember, the support plates can be attached to the through-bolt that holds the upper coilover in place. |  In the case of our photo car,...  In the case of our photo car, the shock-mounting bracket was positioned incorrectly at the factory. To address this, a new crossmember was fashioned from 2-inch box tubing and installed. This is a good example of why you need to give the chassis a good inspection before starting the project. |
 The Panhard bar is next. Meyer...  The Panhard bar is next. Meyer recommends installing it with the full weight of the vehicle applied to the ground. Attach the bar to the bracket on the housing and clamp it to the framerail, just below the top edge of the frame. Weld the bracket on all four sides. |  This is what the finished...  This is what the finished product should look like. The instructions recommend adjusting the 4-link so that five threads show past the jam nut. This adjustment includes the correct pinion angle. |  The completed installation,...  The completed installation, including the new crossmember, took our admittedly C1-savvy installer about 12 hours with no lunch break. Given the necessary tools, a welder, and a flame cutter, the average DIYer should be able to pull it off in a weekend. |