Getting an early start on this years winter project . Building this for my dad Initial SPECS - 30-31 Model A sedan Lots o chop lots o channel - Custom frame by yours truly (4/7-9 Z ) with dimpled speed holes - Engine unknown ( Hemi, Flatty, ??? Caddy ?? ) - 4 speed - 4" riley front end with discs - ribbed fronts / 820 15 dirt track rears on wires - ford 9" / posi - 4 link rear / coilovers - Hair pins should be a fun build. Ordered rims and tires today
They'd look awesome sleeved and it would keep **** from getting in there. But it also looks cool the way it is. But you knew that didn't you??
Sleeve it!, and save a hot rodder in the future the pain of dealing with internal rust and **** in that frame. Besides, hardly anybody has a drilled and dimpled frame with sleeves. Lookin good so far.
Looking forward to another great build like your last one. I'm gearing up for channeling my A coupe and hoping you'll to a tech thread to go along with your channel job. ...ps Sleeve it Baby!
Where did you get the dimple tools? What thickness tubing are you using? The frame rails look awsome. Looking foward to seeing another one of your builds
Don't think so man. I DO realize the value in a pre fabbed frame, however it ABSOLUTELY KILLS me that the very first question, people ask about my current ride is " you build that frame ?" I have to say no. I will be building this one. Holes are both inside and out. I'm not happy with the way this rail came out and will be making a few changes 1. Didn't spend enough time laying out my holes to make sure they were 100% dead on, most wouldn't noticed but I do. 2. I am not happy with the tapper in the rail itself, I sliced it off and then layed flat strap over the slice. I won't be using a band saw next time around and will actually pie cut the rail in order to retain the stock radius of the frame. 3. I am having trouble sleeving a dimpled hole as the metal expands a little past 2" or 1.5" depending on what die is used and is proving difficult to lay a nice bead, plus getting in there with a flap wheel and or die grinder without removing too much material is PAIN IN THE ***. A tig would not help, as ther is a considerable gap between the sleeve tubing and the dimple. 4. Will probably not dimple both sides, but will dimple the outers and only hole saw the inners. This should give me some better alignment for the tubing and will create less work on the inner holes. Can't really see the inners anyway. This all pending whether or not I can get a nice finished look using tubing to sleeve vs. leaving open. Again, minor issues, that most wouldn't notice, but I'm building this one for my pops and I want it to be perfect. Plus, I liuke being able to learn from my mistakes and gaining some SKILZ. Your frames are sick and are WELL worth the coin , but I need to build this one. EDIT : thought you were talking about the frame... My bad... I will be contacting you Monday for a complete 4" dropped drilled front end, same as last time. This one is gonna be ford pattern though. Also need some rear end parts, sheet metal and and some new tee's ( 2xl )
Ok hope the pics are next may get a few great ideas from you. Doing one of these myself . But i would sleeve the holes if you power the engine you are going to twist real fast.
http://tricktools.com I am using 2x4 .120 ( 1/8 ) for the front portion and 2x3 .120 for the back half. Tubling sleeves will be 2"OD x .95 and 1.5"OD x .60 I am only dimpling / sleeving the front half of the rails. ( maybe the rears, but not the middle for sho )
I was wondering how sleeving with both sides dimpled could fit? I like holes in stuff for sure.Just dont let it and up being the major eye draw,if you know what I mean. I think a have some **l shirts still. I'm starting a coupe project next week....it will be fun to compare. eric
http://vansantent.com/sheet_metal_machines/dimple_dies.htm Another good reason to use 1/8" wall for frame rails. Have you thought about rolling your own sleeves? We've already hashed out rather or not they add significant strength, and determined it was mostly cosmetic, so sheetmetal tubes would be fine; then you could get a better fit for TIG welding.
well, You can see in the lfirst pic a TEST piece I did and how ****ty it looks and how it would look even ****ter is I starting grinding on it. I am however, very pleased with my hole alignment and spacing on this second rail though. I spent a good hour laying it all out prior to cutting. I am going to s**** the first piece and start over. I will dimple them up tomorrow night and finsih the pie cut. I am thinking about using the plasma, and putting a small tapper ( like a knife on the inner pieces of the pie cut ) for better penatration. Also ordered a steel 32 sheel and 4" drilled front end from Riley today. THANK YOU ERIC. You are the MAN
only getting about an hour a night in. Been putting in aslot of hours at work, and byt the time I get home, hang witht he kids, dinner, bath time, ec.t.ect. it's 8:30 and I'm ready for bed. Making it a point to work on something at least every other night. Last night I dimpled the holes in the new rail, and tonight I busted out the plasma and pie cut the rail, and tacked it all back together. Tomorrow I will weld it all up and grind it down. I am alot happier with this rail and duplicate it, rather than the first one. Looks like this is gonna be a NO SLEEVE. I just don't have the tools to sleeve this properly and make it look clean.
<TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0 UNSELECTABLE="on"><TBODY><TR height="100%" UNSELECTABLE="on" width="100%"><TD id=HB_Focus_Element vAlign=top width="100%" background="" height=250 UNSELECTABLE="off">Still looks cool without the sleeves. You may want to put a little weep hole on the bottom for a low point drain. </TD></TR><TR UNSELECTABLE="on" hb_tag="1"><TD style="FONT-SIZE: 1pt" height=1 UNSELECTABLE="on"> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
NO TO SLEEVES. Why cut holes just to go thru all the work to add more weight back in. But judging by your last build, either way will be bad ***. king
hummm no sleeves = dust, road grime and mung. A little weather in there too. Every show you go to even old skoolers will check out your cool work and run to look at it from a distance... then pick it apart when they see the debri. Prepare to ingore the "pickies" or stick to clean rails. The coolness may end up taking away from your incredible work.
Looking really good. As I am getting ready to start a 29 Sedan build I will be watching your progress intently.
got some hours in. Need to trim up the front cros memeber and get it all tacked up. Should be able to get the rest of the frame completed by next weekend. All the hours were wrapped up in the front rails.
I noticed you capped the ends on the front rails. What is the purpose of these caps? I'm imagining this is where the front "Z" will be. Doesn't another piece of tubing weld on here? Will you ever see the capped end? Just a bunch of questions from an FNG. Nice work btw, the fabrication work u r doing looks very nice.
Hello, My name is Matt, I'm a new guy. Have you considered cutting your holes over size and then putting in flared tubing? A lot of extra work for sure, but considering how much you've already done, it's not much more. The flared and filled holes really would be worth the effort.
Sorry guys, no play by play on ths post. Too beat. If you have any Q's let me know. I got the back rails knocked out this afternoon. 3* notch inside and out. 8" z in the rear. 110" WB It's all tacked up for now. Amzing how much work went into the front rails and the back half took me a total of about 6 hours :shaking: Not too bad for no jig or frame table. I have some small tweaks to make here and there, but it's square for the most part. I still need to notch the rear, plate the bottom rails, and weld her up. Not sure if I mentioned it or not but, pops had a built 350 blower engine sitting in his shop, so we are gonna run it and a munci 4spd. Blower went out for rebuild last week. Not a vintage engine but it will be fun a hell to drive ( new engine, blower, 4 speed, ) we ordered some finned covers and are undecided on carbs yet. 4 or 6 97's would be sick, well see.
learning that I should have put the rear kick a little further forward. I'm running into issues with upper link placement. researching options now. | \ / | These being the uppers \ / , even if the reversed them and went | | , there still isn't alot of room.
That frame looks sick. A buddy and I built mine from the firewall back on Friday. Had to order more tubing for the front to start working on that part. Great build by the way. How did you decide on a 110" wheel base?
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