In my research for doing a 32 5 window coupe build I have found 2 builders who have built their own chassis setups and sell them. However...since I'm new to this is it normal to have your builder build one or can I buy a chassis setup (specs that I like) from another builder for my builder to use. I'm not trying to piss anyone off but I have brought up specs before to a potential builder about what I want and they don't seem to be getting it and at times It seems as if they just want shop hours to build one and charge me for. Thanks in advance for the feedback. I just thought I'd get an idea of what is the "norm"
whoever is building your car should be able to work with a chassis you got somewhere else. back when i was building hot rods for others i used whatever they brought....even if it was not MY first choice. of course i tried to steer them into what i wanted. i also had the option of not building the car my latest project is for me , and i'm making all the choices
Truthfully,as many 1932 Ford chassis that are offered you should be able to find exactly what you are looking for ready made. There are great builders here and many company's offering ready made dreams. HRP
there are a lot more than 2 deuce chassis builders out there. You should be able to find exactly what you want and have your builder complete it from whatever stage it arrives in. Some shops may not like using others work, as they want to avoid getting caught in a situation where there is a problem or having to re-do prior work to accommodate the customers wishes. a good builder will work with you to develop a detailed plan so you know what to expect at every stage of completion. Its your car and your money.
The company's that build and sell a lot of chassis cheaper are set up w/ fixtures to build as fast and economical as possible, therefore when you have changes, they are going to raise price to offset time involved, time and material charge would apply. There are many talented custom builders, will build anything you want, be prepared to pay accordinly. It sounds like your builder is trying to possibly help you save some $$$ OR you are dealing w/ wrong shop. Was in Tool & Die business for 37 years and we had our standard shop rates, at retirement, 2010, rates were $75/ $125/, if you told me how to do it and $150/ if you helped me. My point is if you are going to a PRO, w/ references, listen to his advice, an experienced builder will know his product from top to bottom
I have a chassis table to built something I am particular about having it a certain way , but as stated one offs take much more time than production I know only one 32 frame mfg that will deviate from what they normally offer , their rates are fair but it's time and material ... If you are going with a straight forward 32 , I would pic a over the counter frame with crossmember style and suspension type you want , but probably leave the motor mounts out so you can adjust and position your engine where you want it, if your doing a long motor like hemi olds cad ect , I would suggest pushing the front cross member forward up to a couple inches to make engine bay bigger Now if you want to do things like z the frame, narrow it , pinch rails , torsion bars, indy style suspension ,1/4 elliptics,or anything semi-exotic/ different your only choice is custom build buy a shop ,......BUT you have to also be confident in that shops engineering and problem solving ability... All shops are not equal... I've seen some sketchy stuff from shops on here and elsewhere ... They may also charge you while they are scratching their heads trying to figure things out !
Some builders are hard to work with and some customers are hard to work with. As stated there are so many chassis available for a '32 you could probably find what you want from a number of reputable chassis builders. We don't know who "your" builder is so we can offer zero feedback on them. If they are so sure of themselves , what similar chassis have they built in the past? Can they give you several references of their work? At the end of the day I see 2 choices here . You are paying the bill so you have the choice to choose what you want. The builder has the choice to work with you or decline doing the job.
If I were having a 32 built in Texas there would only be one shop I would consider. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1932-pickup-rebuild-thread.970252/ BRUCE'S ROD SHOP SPRING,TX. (281) 376-5932 WWW.BRUCESRODSHOP.COM HAMB CHAPEL 3nails+1cross = 4givin
Ihave brought up specs before to a potential builder about what I want and they don't seem to be getting it Ok, what specs EXACTLY are you throwing out there that's not being grasped by car builders?
I'd be getting another builder. You'll create a situation that your builder will blame all problems on the chassis that he didn't build and the chassis builder will blame all the problems on the car builder. The other possibility is you are giving wrong specs and your builder is trying to save your ass.
Pretty much the feed back I get from builders is they don't like the idea and or it's not the style they prefer to use. For me structure and handling are key specs for a build not a "bolt on" approach that I've been getting. I hope that makes sense...
I do appreciate the feedback. This is all very helpful for me in narrowing down builders and learning about how to work certain aspects of a build. I'm not trying to say I don't think they would do bad work on a chassis, but if I'm going to pay for work it might as well be work that I'd like to have for my own build and not take a cookie cutter approach to things.
As others mentioned there are a number of first rate chassis bulders in Texas. You might have to drive a bit to get to a few of them though. One has to wonder though if you are going in with "your specifications" and they are backing off or shaking their head, are your specifications that far off from the norm that they either call for a lot of extra work or a lot of one off work that differs from the shops standard procedure for building a 32 style chassis. I got a quote from a Hamber with a shop in the Dallas area for a frame to go under my 31 Vic in the style that he builds and it was quite competitive and I figured that with the right timing I could work in a trip to visit the wife's family in Waco and Austin and come home with the new frame.
Torsion bars aren't the "norm" and there are custom parts involved as well as a learning curve there. Unless the builder has done them before they probably wouldn't want to. Should you find a shop who's done them in a 32 frame before I'm sure they'd do yours too. Don't expect that to be cheap or comparable to a standard 32 frame
I might add that , YOU should also not want them to do torsion bars if they don't want to ... Find someone with a couple it those builds behind their belt or someone smart that is excited about that kind of project .... I know Steve moal likes to use torsion bars .possibly roy fajsted jr..there are a few others .. But I can't think of them at the moment .. If you have very strict guidelines of how you want it done with lots of pictures even a race car chassis guy might be able to help
I think Steve Moal is doing torsion bar frames. Bet it's not cheap. So fill us in a little about your build and your budget & we might be able to help a little more. thirtytwo.....you type faster than me.
Joe Kerr at joker fabrication would be my go to guy. Builds high horsepower cars running torsion bar suspensions. Jokerrfab.com I believe. Not in Texas but at this point what's another state for the right stuff
The Moal chassis is what hits all the specs for me. It's in line with how I want my build to start but most important...function
If you want a torsion bar chassis , go with a builder with experience in them. Trial and error on your dime is never a good thing when you get outside a builders comfort zone
Definitely not a budget set-up, but that's actually less than I would have guessed for a chassis out of Steve Moal's shop. I can understand a shop hesitating to use a chassis of unknown quality or craftsmanship. If there is a big issue down the road, it will be tagged to "the car built at XYZ shop", not the mystery chassis builder. But coming out of a shop with Moal's history and expertise I think would be a safe bet for any shop. At the end of the day, it's ultimately your car and your checkbook. If a shop is unwilling or unable to build the car to your spec's, it's time to start interviewing different shops. Every build is not for every shop, and if the shop doesn't like the build, doesn't agree with the owners major decisions, or doesn't like the owner himself, the results are likely to reflect it. Good luck!
The Jalopy Journal
