I'm finishing up tacking the nuts inside the frame rails for my '31 coupe and noticed something odd. In everything I've seen, the 2 carriage bolts thru the floor go into the 2 holes on the bracket riveted to the rail. On mine, the FRONT bolt on the body goes thru the BACK hole on the bracket. This means there's only one bolt holding it on to each bracket. I've measured this thing 5 ways from Sunday and all the other mounts line up, and I really don't see a problem with only 1 bolt thru each bracket, but it got me wondering if this frame is for a different model/year/? I even have the original blocks and pads and the imprints show it's been this way for a LONG time.
I remember something about this....maybe roadster vs sedan?? Someone will chime in.. Nice cracker box
You gave me enough to find the answer on an old thread. From bjinx in a thread about cowl mounting... "I had this same issue with my '31 tudor sedan, the rear hole in the subrail would line up with the front hole on the frame bracket and the front hole on the subrail would only line up with the hole in the frame apron. I posted this question on the fordbarn and the answer I got was that Ford changed the location of the frame bracket in early '31 to accomadate the heavier 4 dr bodys and did not feel it would be a problem with the lighter bodies. I have a TCI frame and had to install the frame brackets to my frame, so I located the body so the cross subrail holes lined up with mounting holes in the frame and located the frame bracket so both of the subrail holes lined up with both holes in the bracket. Hope this makes sense and helps" Looks like one hole per bracket it is!
That frame was probably originally for a briggs body (4Dr and Vicky, cabriolet and a few others) Briggs bodys are completely diffren't from standard ford bodys. They are based on wood subrails. Also I think the answer you got from fordbarn is incorrect....As I have seen this same diffrence on a 29 briggs body. So if they changed it in 31 that would not make any sense.
knew it was something like that, surprised no one chimed in... I bet I forget about it by the next time i see it LOL
It was indeed a 1931 change to the bracket location. Initially done for the slant windshield cars IIRC, then it became the only frame ***embly used. Check out Steve Plucker's website if you'd like to read more about the progression of the model A frame start to end of production, a**** other things. http://www.plucks329s.org/ Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Excellent link! Though this is hardly a restoration, it's good to know what running production changes were made so I don't try to reinvent the wheel.
The main changes (there were many small ones, detailed on Pluck site) were 1930 and the late '31 mentioned. As a rule of thumb, since the newest frame became the service replacement, later frames contained all holes needed for late and early bodies and so interchange is easier in that direction. Radiator pads are slightly higher on '28-9 than '30-31, factory just used shims for back interchange, forward interchange is more of a problem there too.
How about the steering box mounting holes on BOTH sides ( and a "knockout" in the firewall for same. Them Ford boys was definitely not asleep at the wheel. Lotsa holes for lotsa applications.
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