The Ford Barn

asapguy · 07-14-2021, 10:06 AM

Does anyone know if chrome 31 slant w/s frames are being made again?? Gene Bunce (sp) was making new ones but heard he quit or passed away.

Oldbluoval · 07-14-2021, 11:29 AM

Gene passed several years ago.
I had heard Bratton was trying to restart that project but that was 2-3 years ago.
Gene was substantially subbing out that mfg to a machine shop that makes other frames; I think he was plating and finishing where applicable.

asapguy · 07-15-2021, 10:47 AM

Thanks, my 68C W/S is 99% perfect it was plated when the car was restored back in the early 70's. In the last yr. it has developed one tiny spot that looks as if a minute pit is developing from the inside. I thought about buying a spare when they were available but couldn't quit justify spending $1200 for something I didn't need. All the other plating done at the same time is still perfect. The car was covered in heated storage from 1972 until 2001.

Oldbluoval · 07-15-2021, 11:55 AM

Yea this hollow frames rust from the inside out. And the acids used in plating on exacerbate the rusting.what we’ve done in the past on originals is drill some holes that wouldn’t be seen when done and flow neutralizer thru numerous times. Then fill with a rust resistant paint
Lots of work but you have to do what you have to do
I bought two from Gene that are still in the boxes. I have several originals but I had the money at the time!

jak · 07-15-2021, 01:22 PM

Gene passed away, and Bratton's did buy the remaining inventory of all his steel frames (which they have since sold all of them). At that time the estate had no records of where Gene was having anything made, so as far as I know the tooling is either sitting at some stamping shop or has been scrapped.

Kevin in NJ · 07-15-2021, 07:45 PM

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He had another guy making it. When he was at my house he told me the whole story. I do not remember names. But somewhere is everything needed to make them. It just needs someone like Gene to do the quality control cause what he had was wonderful.

Oldbluoval · 07-15-2021, 08:26 PM

I had several conversations with Gene
I think it was Trautwein that was making most of the frame. Gene was putting brackets and taking are of those that were to be plated.
They’re a machine shop in NY that makes V8 frames.
Last I heard they had greatly downsized and had generational changes...
I could be wrong....

asapguy · 07-19-2021, 10:08 AM

My 68C was restored between 1969 and 1972. So it was done 50 yrs ago. The car was put in heated storage in late 72 and remained there until I bought it in 2002. I can repair this frame but I think I'll look for another & have it plated. Right now it's almost unnoticeable but I'm sure it'll get worse. All the other plating it still perfect. Thanks for the comments.

Kevin in NJ · 07-19-2021, 02:08 PM

I would be surprised if a plater would even plate your old frame. I talked to more then one that would not consider plating an original cabriolet frame. The process will cause the rust to come in with a vengence.

You best bet is to find a real nice original slant frame and have it replated. You can get a repro bracket for the wiper or distroy your orignal frame to get the old one.

The repro bracket looks different when you know what you are looking for in them. In fact the only 'problems' with Gene's frames were the repro parts he put on them. Well and side by side you can see a slight difference in how the bent edge areas look. Good luck finding these 'problems' when mounted on a car. I put a factory one next to it to find what I saw. A rare case of dead on in the repro world.

eystein · 07-20-2021, 04:24 PM

I think that I may very well be the owner of the last of Genes 68-B frames. At least, it was the last one that Brattons had in stock. Before that, I had been battling with an original for ages, trying to repair with silver solder. Every time that I thought I had nailed it, the last fine block sanding of a repair would reveal another pinhole that had to be filled, and such the process continued over and over again. Finally I sent it to the plater, only to reveal that there must have been another pinhole to small for me to detect, but still making for a big ugly blister in the plating.

Denied Genes frames I would today have opted for the best possible frame from a standard model, that has previously only been painted, and has not been left with the acids from the original plating inside for decades. After plating I would have applied the procedure mentioned above of drilling holes in hidden places to accomplish inside flushing and coating.

07-14-2021, 10:06 AM	#1
asapguy Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Snohomish Wa. Posts: 389	Slant W/S Frame Does anyone know if chrome 31 slant w/s frames are being made again?? Gene Bunce (sp) was making new ones but heard he quit or passed away.

07-14-2021, 11:29 AM	#2
Oldbluoval Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Signal Mtn, TN (SE TN) Posts: 2,370	Re: Slant W/S Frame Gene passed several years ago. I had heard Bratton was trying to restart that project but that was 2-3 years ago. Gene was substantially subbing out that mfg to a machine shop that makes other frames; I think he was plating and finishing where applicable.

07-15-2021, 10:47 AM	#3
asapguy Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Snohomish Wa. Posts: 389	Re: Slant W/S Frame Thanks, my 68C W/S is 99% perfect it was plated when the car was restored back in the early 70's. In the last yr. it has developed one tiny spot that looks as if a minute pit is developing from the inside. I thought about buying a spare when they were available but couldn't quit justify spending $1200 for something I didn't need. All the other plating done at the same time is still perfect. The car was covered in heated storage from 1972 until 2001.

07-15-2021, 11:55 AM	#4
Oldbluoval Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Signal Mtn, TN (SE TN) Posts: 2,370	Re: Slant W/S Frame Yea this hollow frames rust from the inside out. And the acids used in plating on exacerbate the rusting.what we’ve done in the past on originals is drill some holes that wouldn’t be seen when done and flow neutralizer thru numerous times. Then fill with a rust resistant paint Lots of work but you have to do what you have to do I bought two from Gene that are still in the boxes. I have several originals but I had the money at the time! Last edited by Oldbluoval; 07-15-2021 at 12:55 PM.

07-15-2021, 01:22 PM	#5
jak Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Maryland Posts: 279	Re: Slant W/S Frame Gene passed away, and Bratton's did buy the remaining inventory of all his steel frames (which they have since sold all of them). At that time the estate had no records of where Gene was having anything made, so as far as I know the tooling is either sitting at some stamping shop or has been scrapped.

07-15-2021, 07:45 PM	#6
Kevin in NJ Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: South East NJ Posts: 3,398	Re: Slant W/S Frame Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) He had another guy making it. When he was at my house he told me the whole story. I do not remember names. But somewhere is everything needed to make them. It just needs someone like Gene to do the quality control cause what he had was wonderful.

07-15-2021, 08:26 PM	#7
Oldbluoval Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Signal Mtn, TN (SE TN) Posts: 2,370	Re: Slant W/S Frame I had several conversations with Gene I think it was Trautwein that was making most of the frame. Gene was putting brackets and taking are of those that were to be plated. They’re a machine shop in NY that makes V8 frames. Last I heard they had greatly downsized and had generational changes... I could be wrong....

07-19-2021, 10:08 AM	#8
asapguy Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Snohomish Wa. Posts: 389	Re: Slant W/S Frame My 68C was restored between 1969 and 1972. So it was done 50 yrs ago. The car was put in heated storage in late 72 and remained there until I bought it in 2002. I can repair this frame but I think I'll look for another & have it plated. Right now it's almost unnoticeable but I'm sure it'll get worse. All the other plating it still perfect. Thanks for the comments.

07-19-2021, 02:08 PM	#9
Kevin in NJ Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: South East NJ Posts: 3,398	Re: Slant W/S Frame I would be surprised if a plater would even plate your old frame. I talked to more then one that would not consider plating an original cabriolet frame. The process will cause the rust to come in with a vengence. You best bet is to find a real nice original slant frame and have it replated. You can get a repro bracket for the wiper or distroy your orignal frame to get the old one. The repro bracket looks different when you know what you are looking for in them. In fact the only 'problems' with Gene's frames were the repro parts he put on them. Well and side by side you can see a slight difference in how the bent edge areas look. Good luck finding these 'problems' when mounted on a car. I put a factory one next to it to find what I saw. A rare case of dead on in the repro world.

07-20-2021, 04:24 PM	#10
eystein Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Oslo, Norway Posts: 521	Re: Slant W/S Frame I think that I may very well be the owner of the last of Genes 68-B frames. At least, it was the last one that Brattons had in stock. Before that, I had been battling with an original for ages, trying to repair with silver solder. Every time that I thought I had nailed it, the last fine block sanding of a repair would reveal another pinhole that had to be filled, and such the process continued over and over again. Finally I sent it to the plater, only to reveal that there must have been another pinhole to small for me to detect, but still making for a big ugly blister in the plating. Denied Genes frames I would today have opted for the best possible frame from a standard model, that has previously only been painted, and has not been left with the acids from the original plating inside for decades. After plating I would have applied the procedure mentioned above of drilling holes in hidden places to accomplish inside flushing and coating.