Model B frame questions

[Fordors]

Originally Posted by Mart

The third photo shows a rivet still in the tab that sticks forward from the front crossmember. There is no sign of the rivet in the fifth pic, taken from outside the frame. The crossmember must have come from another frame as there in no rivet hole location in your frame that corresponds to that location. Maybe the extra rivet tab was a later running change to the front crossmembers?

Mart.

I keep looking at that front 'member and think it looks like it could be from a '30-'31 Model A. In view of the other modifications to the frame anything is possible.
The Model A front crossmember is used to drop the front end 1", and measuring a '32 with a straight edge across the radiator mount pads to the center I get a depth of 3 9/16". If yours measures around 2 1/2" it is A. The ends of your front crossmember just do not resemble the ones in my B (AB502xxxx) frame, but as everyone knows '32's were in a state of flux with many running changes.
Also, in your post #14, photo no. 6, is that another rear crossmember, flipped over and welded to reinforce the rear of the frame in front of the kick up?

[Mart]

There's a big difference between "hot rodding" and street rodding.

A mildly warmed V8, all early ford running gear, mech brakes or a sympathetic conversion to hydraulic would all be in keeping with the survivor aspect of the chassis.

Just because it is rare doesn't mean it needs to be restored.

In reality you'd have to restore the frame before you can even think about how to build it.

Even sticking with a mildly hopped banger would make it a load of fun. Think light weight open wheeled roadster, something that would scoot without having to go mad on the engine.

The frame could be brought back up to a roadworthy standard and ran as a mildly modified hot rod. Importantly though, all that can be done with a perfectly stock 32 frame. 30 years from now someone might take it and rebuild it again back as a stocker.

I'd love to do something with it.

Mart.

[Mart]

Originally Posted by Mart

The third photo shows a rivet still in the tab that sticks forward from the front crossmember. There is no sign of the rivet in the fifth pic, taken from outside the frame. The crossmember must have come from another frame as there in no rivet hole location in your frame that corresponds to that location. Maybe the extra rivet tab was a later running change to the front crossmembers?

Mart.

I'm going to quote myself here because I realised I misread the photo's.

The first pic shows a rivet that looked to me like it is on the vertical wall of the frame, I realise now it is the same rivet shown in the other pic that I thought was of the rear crossmember.

Completely wrong on both counts, we all have off days.

Mart.

[51farmtruck]

Uncle Bob, Sorry to hijack this thread for a minute. A friend turned me on to this. I'm in washington state also. I think I have a similar chassis to yours. It looks to have never had legs to the k-member and has the same pedal assembly. I will have to see if I can make out the vin. It was a 4cyl pickup chassis (farm pickup that was beaten to death). Do these k member pics help any?

[Fordors]

As on Uncle Bob's the steady rods are fastened with bolts on the horizontal plane on 51farmtruck's early frame.

[alchemy]

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Washington is hoarding the early frames!

[Fordors]

Originally Posted by alchemy

Washington is hoarding the early frames!

Seems like all the early production "skirtless" fender '33's were in the Pacific NW too. Odd, like they didn't get the memos for production changes up there.

[alchemy]

Originally Posted by Fordors

Seems like all the early production "skirtless" fender '33's were in the Pacific NW too. Odd, like they didn't get the memos for production changes up there.

I had an early take-off skirtless '33 rear fender here in Iowa, but I sold it to a guy somewhere in the NW. He probably needed it to match his other cars.

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by Fordors

I keep looking at that front 'member and think it looks like it could be from a '30-'31 Model A. In view of the other modifications to the frame anything is possible.
The Model A front crossmember is used to drop the front end 1", and measuring a '32 with a straight edge across the radiator mount pads to the center I get a depth of 3 9/16". If yours measures around 2 1/2" it is A. The ends of your front crossmember just do not resemble the ones in my B (AB502xxxx) frame, but as everyone knows '32's were in a state of flux with many running changes.
Also, in your post #14, photo no. 6, is that another rear crossmember, flipped over and welded to reinforce the rear of the frame in front of the kick up?

Well done, you nailed it!! Why didn't I think of that? Not only is it a 2 1/2" drop at the middle, the ends are roughly 2 1/2 which matches the stock Model A chassis I've got. That explains the spacers at the bottom and the crudely welded pads for the motor mounts.

The upside down rear cross member ahead of the axle is the good replacement piece I've got, it's just sitting there loosely.

Originally Posted by Mart

There's a big difference between "hot rodding" and street rodding.

A mildly warmed V8, all early ford running gear, mech brakes or a sympathetic conversion to hydraulic would all be in keeping with the survivor aspect of the chassis.

Just because it is rare doesn't mean it needs to be restored.

In reality you'd have to restore the frame before you can even think about how to build it.

Even sticking with a mildly hopped banger would make it a load of fun. Think light weight open wheeled roadster, something that would scoot without having to go mad on the engine.

The frame could be brought back up to a roadworthy standard and ran as a mildly modified hot rod. Importantly though, all that can be done with a perfectly stock 32 frame. 30 years from now someone might take it and rebuild it again back as a stocker.

I'd love to do something with it.

Mart.

That would certainly be a reasonable option, though probably not for me.
The '32 sedan project will likely be my last ground up car, with the '36 roadster nearing completion and the '28 roadster somewhere in between I'm about wore out. ("So why in hell did you buy this chassis dumbass?" you might say) It's an addiction.......

Originally Posted by 51farmtruck

Uncle Bob, Sorry to hijack this thread for a minute. A friend turned me on to this. I'm in washington state also. I think I have a similar chassis to yours. It looks to have never had legs to the k-member and has the same pedal assembly. I will have to see if I can make out the vin. It was a 4cyl pickup chassis (farm pickup that was beaten to death). Do these k member pics help any?

Yep Sam, looks like you or I are the one Dave mentioned earlier, and the other of us is possibly the 6th known. Same indention for the battery, same anti-chatter mounting (you have the rods?), and no evidence of forward kick legs. Alchemy is right, we're a bunch of hoarders................only we didn't even know it! Tell ya what....I'll trade you my chassis for that tired ol' sedan you finished last year and then you could be king of the early chassis in Washington.

[51farmtruck]

Originally Posted by Uncle Bob

Yep Sam, looks like you or I are the one Dave mentioned earlier, and the other of us is possibly the 6th known. Same indention for the battery, same anti-chatter mounting (you have the rods?), and no evidence of forward kick legs. Alchemy is right, we're a bunch of hoarders................only we didn't even know it! Tell ya what....I'll trade you my chassis for that tired ol' sedan you finished last year and then you could be king of the early chassis in Washington.

Haha! Thanks for the offer Bob. You're right I had no clue what it was. I only have the bare frame left. If its worth taking my roadster project back apart and getting this frame to someone that would appreciate it more than me, I would. To show how much of an idiot I am, heres the chassis before and after.

[Uncle Bob]

Hmmm, those front wires are interesting too.

[DavidG]

Sam's frame has another unusual feature to one-up Bob. It's right side frame rail is the RHD version.

[Uncle Bob]

Wenatchee is kinda like a foreign country Dave.
(a little intra-state humor)

[deuce_roadster]

The frame in my roadster is an early one (flat motor mount area in front cross member) but it uses the "normal" brake pedal bracket. Yeah, I'm in Washington too! I wonder if the Ford plant in Seattle (on W. Marginal Way) that closed in 32 made these frames? That building is now a Federal Records depository.