1932 Ford Chassis without the Reveal.

[Lucky Mike]

Well Barners.....I HAVE THE ANSWER and it is AWESOME NEWS for me and I think you will all be glad to learn something new today. See below:

Hi Mike,
Finally have a response for you from our specialist:
We do not have the drawings of the frame assembly. However, we do have drawings for the “frame side member” part number B-5016 LH. This is the long “C” section on the driver’s side. There are 16 microfilms of this part with the original drawing being completed on 7-10-1931 and the newest date of 9-15-1932. The reason for all these microfilms was to document the changes from the original drawing. On the oldest microfilm of the drawing there were nine revisions. On the microfilm dated 12-17-1931 are scribbled marks showing proposed changes to add the reveal depression starting behind the steering box holes and continuing to the area that begins to bend upward around rear wheels. The microfilm dated after that shows these drawing changes were officially added on 12-21-1931 as part of engineering change number 2006-53. This engineering change record and the release notice that went to the factory are not in the BFRC archives. Usually when a change is made to the engineering of a part, there is a period of time when the factory creates the tooling to make parts with the change on them. That time varies with the complexity of the change, but would be about 3 months after the change was released to the manufacturing departments. Therefore, it would be reasonable to believe that there were some frames built without the reveal stamped into them. It has been documented in the reference books that there were many changes to the frames of 1932 cars and production was held up until March due to the introduction of the V-8 engines. Many frame changes were completed by the factory, but some may have been installed by dealers. The reveal is one change that could only be done at the stamping plant that made the frame.
The frame reveal can be seen on the microfilm dated 12-21-1931 at section A-A. This is the area that can be seen on the side of the car. The 1932 models did not have a sheet metal.
The sheet metal mentioned in the original answer was in reference to the material known as an “Apron” that mounts between the body and the running boards of 1931 & older cars. On 1932 cars the side of the frame is visible between the body and the running boards, which is why this area of the frame was finished and painted like the body.
References:
The Early Ford V8 As Henry Built IT by Edward P. Francis and George DeAnglis
Pages 16,17, 32, 33,34
I.S.B.N. #0-911383-01-8
Benson Ford Research Center ref # 629.2222 F699 F817 1982

The 1932 Ford Book----A Production Chronicle and Restoration Guide---volume 1
Pages 4-22 and 5-2
Available from “The Early Ford V8 Club of America”
B.F.R.C. ref 629.2222 F699 E1932 2008 v.1 c.1

The 1932 Ford Book----A Production Chronicle and Restoration Guide---volume 2
Available from “The Early Ford V8 Club of America”
B.F.R.C. ref 629.2222 F699 E1932 2008 v.2 c.1

Microfilm
Frame side member
Ford Motor Co. part #B-5016 dates 7-10-31 though 9-15-32
Location A12-C-2 box 18
I hope this information is of assistance and thank you again for your request.
Stephanie
Stephanie Lucas, Research Specialist
Benson Ford Research Center
The Henry Ford
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