I have a 39 Ford frame with rust through on both sides before the rise in the rear is this to much to repair? I have another frame with no rust through, just needs blasting, also would you go with Mustang 2, or stock front end.? Thanks
No it is not too much. Cut out the rusted area and replace it with new steel. Proper welding techniques and procedure need to be followed. The front suspension depends on what style of car you want to build. A street rod would have the MII, a hot rod would use the straight axle. Good Luck.
A MII front suspension is a multi-thousand-dollar outlay to get it all done. A stock front end, even modified, could be a multi-hundred-dollar outlay. The MII will ride nicer, and your back will be in better alignment with the far thinner wallet.
If the frame has the vin number stamped in it that matches the ***le I'd fix it. If there is no ***le it doesn't matter too much if which frame you use but I'd probably sandblast the good one and use it. Front suspension depends on your build and how authentic of a build you are shooting for if say you are planning an early style tail dragger. On my 48 I am going independent on the front and if you get down low enough to look under it and see that it isn't an I beam you are too ******** nosy. I've driven it over 150 and maybe 200 K with an I beam under it so I earned my I beam creds and want the ride and handling of an independent. The Model A gets a dropped I beam so I am not totally getting out of the loop.
A well setup axle car drives pretty good and earns a bunch of street cred. A mustang II setup allows for a more modern feel when you are driving. The new independent kits are straight forward. Repairing the rusted out portion should not be that hard.
Don't you dare put a candy *** Mustang II under that car. A properly set up I beam and transverse spring works wonderfully and will not come with the stigma of having a stupid looking independent front suspension on your otherwise good looking hot rod. Most 35-40 Ford frames out there have had at least some repair over the years. If you look at the picture, the new metal shows the areas that most commonly need attention. My advise is do sections at a time rather than cutting out a giant chunk all in one shot and, if you are not comfortable doing this repair, find someone who can give you a hand or farm it out completely. We are always here to help. -Abone.
Mustang II / IFS is for chickens. Go traditional or go buy a comfy Beemer. Sorry, but you are on THE HAMB now
Ok, where is the best place to get I beam kit, and where are the serial numbers located on frame? I also have 39 rear end how much power can they hold up to? I have Pete and Jakes parallel rear springs in box, and the 39 rear is still in the frame.
Funny, I heard R. Lee Ermey. Then I felt a bunch of pillow cases full of soap hitting me, people saying "this one is for the T5, and this one is for the MII suspension..."
This looks like the guy you want to listen to. Those curved sections will move all around when being welded. You got to be very careful, or you'll get a big surprise when you go to set the body back down. Braces, X's , I -beam jigs will all help you to keep it straight.
****can that rusty POS and get a better frame. If your time is not worth anything then waste your time and chock up thousands of hits on the net. Under my shade tree I am swapping out a rustless frame where some genius notched out the X and braces for some fine twice pipes. The great rustless body forces me to do it that way. Good money after bad where you'll always know you built on a compromised frame. Buy the best and watch the other poor guys struggle with damaged goods. Fred A
The VIN is in 2 places (maybe just one by 39). 1st is located on the left front near the front cross member rivets, 2nd is in the kick you're talking about fixing. Some earlier frames don't have the front number and may have it at the 2nd body mount supports that hang out a little somewhere near or behind the door post. Got a clean frame? RESTORE IT to the car you're working on. Notice I didn't say to fake it or create a fraud. S**** the remaining parts once done. Do***ent the work, be HONEST and you'll never lose a moment's sleep. Good luck. Oh yeah, straight axle vote here too.
From your questions I guess your new at this game, no offense but asking about Mustang II and 39 rear axles on the same car is a tip off. Plenty off help here to steer you in the right direction. Sounds like you need a game plan which leads to several questions. What are your plans for a final product, looking for a traditional hot rod or something a little more street roddy? What are the plans for engine/ transmission? FWIW nothing wrong with a street rod, just won't get a lot of love around here, we tend to be a narrowed minded bunch. Set up right an I beam rides and drives just fine, looks better and is usually my choice. A Mustang II kit will drive a bit better, more of a modern car feel. Either set up has to be done right or either will drive like ****. The MII kits are probably easier and more fool proof if you never done either, good kits come with instructions. I beam set ups are more home brewed, gotta figure out how several different sourced parts fit and work together properly. Unless you plan on running a flathead and stock style transmission (or some other vintage style engine adapted to a stock transmission) you don't want to consider the 39 rear, especially if you want to adapt it to the leaf spring kit. Too much work and $$$ to eliminate the torque tube and adapt the springs for a rear that isn't very strong and brakes that don't work as well as modern brakes. If you do want a stock transmission and your ok with vintage brakes the leave it hung like it is now, no need to change the springs. Of course if you leave a stock rear might as well keep a stock front suspension as well. The frame can be repaired but if you already have a clean one and the VIN isn't an issue go ahead and use the clean one, sell the rusty one, someone will want it. The VIN is stamped on the top of the left frame rail, can be pretty much anywhere between the front spring cross member and the steering box. Usually there is one above the rear axle, sometimes not, sometime it's only a partial VIN. The one on the front rail is the one DMV wants to see.
Sorry, I'm gonna call BS on this and i have the (non-traditional) build to prove it. And Fred, I had to combine 3 different frames together to have enough metal to fix. They are not that available anymore.
Well maybe he is working on his car and learning on this board. Instead of flapping his damn keyboard all of the time. Since when did the number of posts become some form of "Bonafides". If you have over 12,000 posts when do you ever have time to do anything to any Hot Rod?
My first 30 years was with the standard dropped I beam axle and buggy spring. Two back operations in 2004 cause a change to a Heidts Superride and I haven't been disappointed in the last 13 years with the sacrifice for tradition. Many young people today think and IFS is traditional. The above photo shows the car today with a Heidt's Superide which allows me to drive long distances without the chiropractor in the rear storage area. The bottom photo is the solid axle with parallel springs which rides O.K. but a IFS rides and handles far better in my mind. I call all my cars Hot Rods regardless of the terms used here on the HAMB to separate the Street Rods from Hot Rods. You will be happy both ways — the choice is yours. If you have to look under a Hot Rod to see if you like it you're missing the point. Satisfy yourself with what you build and you will be happy. We will still love you here on the HAMB. Save both frames they are precious.
A Ford buggy sprung front end, set up properly will drive with little effort. My example is my 40. 4" drop axle, all new Kingpin/Bushing kit, Caster is set at 5 deg. w/split wishbone, Camber which I double checked was preset in the axle at 1/2 +/- deg. to the positive side, Toe in at 1/16" The whole enchilada was squared with the frame and rear differential to within 1/32" with strings and straight edges by my tape measure. Goes down the road straight, no shimmy, no pull. I have had it up to 100 mph with not a hiccup.
I went through the quest for the perfect frame for my '40. Took a couple of years to find two candidates, one with the 5048/9 Xmember braces a bit weak ($1000) and soon thereafter a '40 parts car with a near perfect frame ($2000). The extra parts made up the difference. Seems that '40 parts are seldom tossed out. '39 parts are right up there with them. Seems that the worst thing that happens to '40 Fords, my experience, it that poorly done modifications screw up the ch***is. Time p***es and the modifications of any era go out of style and the car loses value based on the current trend. I have to protect my investment and the frame is the foundation of a great build. "Those frames don't grow on trees." Nonsense, they made millions of them. Good Luck: Fred A
Fred, seriously? Yes they made millions of them but 75 years later they're somewhat thin on the ground. If there are millions of them out there why did it take you 2 years to find a good one?
Was he your drill instructor in the 60's in San Diego ? That's a trip. If you went to Viet Nam, I'm glad you came back. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
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