Let's start this chapter with a big rewind on the clock, way back In late 2019 I undertook some work to reproduce 3 x 1932 chassis using stock members and new rails. I had a chassis tape but no fixture, the customer had a super nice stock chassis I used to make my fixtures from in order to replicate these much like a fairly hefty jigsaw. As I set about this task, a friend jumped on board and 3D scanned the entire chassis so that we could over time develop chassis parts, but much like all good ideas this rolled a fair chunk slower than we all hoped, as it was really all a passion project. Full builds of the "stock" chassis builds can be found here- 32-chassis-build.1179816 With out duplicating the above thread, - Jamie sent about drawing the K member up in his own time, slowly adding and taking out details most never seen in such a complex, yet restricting piece that's often pulled out, or heavily adapted. A couple of prototype blanks were cut, and folded - soon to realise we wasn't going to pumping these complex shapes out fast, V2 come about and I started using this as a small “on the bench” metal work project in itself. Inspired by all of the welding and blending work I see from the high end shops, I wanted to just make the K member look pressed. Knowing know one would ever pay for such a piece, it was more of a why not, opposed to a why. As for production purposes the main body was folded on a CNC press brake out of house, whilst I continued hand cutting and shaping more parts with the intention ofhead back to the computer and updating our drawings and concepts prior to attempting a production run. Here’s the first mega load of photos of the finished piece, prior to it settling into its new home in a set of ASC rails. DSC02381 by joe curtis, on Flickr DSC02364 by joe curtis, on Flickr DSC02379 by joe curtis, on Flickr DSC02366 by joe curtis, on Flickr DSC02377 by joe curtis, on Flickr DSC02387 by joe curtis, on Flickr DSC02373 by joe curtis, on Flickr As Christmas was looming I cleared space and got the rails down to set about making a chassis using the above, simply to sell and use as a portfolio piece. The concept stood that I could put this together in the couple week break between Christmas and new year. I still held a part time job at this stage and this time off has always seemed fairly productive with little interruption from the outside world. Seeing as my fixture holds all stock members in place, no heavy lifting of motors and gearboxes for mock up was needed. The only one unknown being lack of motor mount locations, with a good chunk of day dreaming and a friend lending me a stock 32 front cross member I set to make yet another fixture to get datums of the spring mount relative to the motor mounts, again all off this was an on bench metal work project. I jumped in fairly deep into some fruitful over looking of more shapes I didn’t know to exist in regards to impressive stock pressings. After a few days of darting between the grinder, fly press, kettle, and a pack of biscuits i had mix of stock motor “cups” grafted into with so-cal dropped member. Mid process at this stage I banished the idea of the chassis being something to sell on due to the huge hours building up for what seemed not much. The concept soon fading of this being a chassis to just showcase the K member as a part of a small range of products to sell for the home builder. 1-2 by joe curtis, on Flickr 2-2 by joe curtis, on Flickr 16 by joe curtis, on Flickr 7-2 by joe curtis, on Flickr 8 by joe curtis, on Flickr 11 by joe curtis, on Flickr 14 by joe curtis, on Flickr 22 by joe curtis, on Flickr 20 by joe curtis, on Flickr 23 by joe curtis, on Flickr 25 by joe curtis, on Flickr 26 by joe curtis, on Flickr 29 by joe curtis, on Flickr 1 by joe curtis, on Flickr 27 by joe curtis, on Flickr
With that chunk of work out the way, the next stumbling block was getting the so-cal member to appear more stock fitting. Jumping back to over looking the complexity of shape in the stock member, where the fit up to the upper and lower rail just look simply effortless - anyone who has installed one of these new members knows they don’t just drop in. I didn’t like the ill fitting gap to the upper rail, and the lack of any form of nice looking section on the front. Simple tabs added on the front, again working between bench and big fixture, which holds the rail and underside of the member, in order to get the fit ups as Henry would have wanted I tac’ed all parts in situ. That upper fitment how ever took a lot more work, along with making the shape itself flow more, cutting passed the radiator mounts, shunting that about and burning in some 5mm plate into the top- to allow a good weld into the rail itself later on once everything was ready to be nailed in place. new 1 copy by joe curtis, on Flickr new 3 copy by joe curtis, on Flickr new 2 by joe curtis, on Flickr IMG_5081 by joe curtis, on Flickr IMG_5051 2 by joe curtis, on Flickr IMG_5161 by joe curtis, on Flickr IMG_5078 by joe curtis, on Flickr DSC02359 by joe curtis, on Flickr new 14 by joe curtis, on Flickr IMG_5186 by joe curtis, on Flickr new 1 by joe curtis, on Flickr new 11 by joe curtis, on Flickr new 3 by joe curtis, on Flickr new 9 by joe curtis, on Flickr new 7 by joe curtis, on Flickr new 6 by joe curtis, on Flickr new 5 by joe curtis, on Flickr IMG_5240 2 by joe curtis, on Flickr
Looking back, I didn’t really document/ photograph the stages of the K and front member going into the rails it seems. How ever by this stage I was starting to get used to working thicker steel (coming mainly from working with thinner aluminium) With a set of our chassis braces in stock, it would be a little too simple to just bolt these in. I had seen a few people make some form of rear kick up inner structures/stiffiners/braces so I scrolled back through my saved instagram archives to get the next wave of head scratching going. Much the same as the front end my aim was to make these look as if they were a pressed chunk from factory. Fully hand cut and formed in the fly press again, integrated enclosed body mounts were turned for where these intercepted there path of the main body on the stiffener itself, details like these almost worked themselves out once I got stuck in. I wanted to terminate either end of this lump onto the wall of the rail rather than it just stopping mid air, small details with faux rivets welded in prior to installation. 13 by joe curtis, on Flickr 14 by joe curtis, on Flickr 7 by joe curtis, on Flickr 10 by joe curtis, on Flickr 1 by joe curtis, on Flickr 2 by joe curtis, on Flickr new 6 by joe curtis, on Flickr 6 by joe curtis, on Flickr IMG_6476 2 by joe curtis, on Flickr IMG_6539 2 by joe curtis, on Flickr Little hack about with a brace kit, with the kick up stiffeners sitting half way into the chase rail thickness these simple didn’t drop in like on the stock application they are designed for. Funky shapes to avoid Viet heads that got perfectly in the way. Priming all the backsides of the mounting faces as neat as possible, with the concept of having this chassis for work display and a show case, I didn’t want to just have over spray everywhere. DSC00010 by joe curtis, on Flickr DSC00005 by joe curtis, on Flickr DSC00006 by joe curtis, on Flickr DSC00014 by joe curtis, on Flickr DSC00008 by joe curtis, on Flickr DSC00204 by joe curtis, on Flickr DSC00202 by joe curtis, on Flickr DSC00195 by joe curtis, on Flickr DSC00352 by joe curtis, on Flickr Pressed in firewall band details, factory through holes in around the k area too DSC00235 by joe curtis, on Flickr DSC04991 copy by joe curtis, on Flickr
Finally was the installation of a heavily adapted new A rear member. Was a toss up between this and a new pressed dropped 32 style member, but with the day dream of running a QC one day I held out for a well priced chance of a new A rear. Finally this come up on ebay with a good chunk off, pre paid duties for import to the UK already priced in, the wait was on for it to turn up before a good head scratch and grinder time. Knocked up a new fixture as I had never installed an A rear member before. Fairly subtle install, wanted it to almost be factory with out too much hacking about. The front face I rested on the bottom of the rail, and cut and added a slice into the rear so the bottom face also sat on the rail, kick ups into the upper rail and more faux riveted plates as if it was all stamped and stuck in place how Henry may have. DSC00098 by joe curtis, on Flickr DSC00099 by joe curtis, on Flickr DSC00132 by joe curtis, on Flickr DSC00154 by joe curtis, on Flickr DSC00152 by joe curtis, on Flickr DSC00151 by joe curtis, on Flickr DSC00157 by joe curtis, on Flickr DSC00182 by joe curtis, on Flickr DSC00207 by joe curtis, on Flickr DSC00189 by joe curtis, on Flickr DSC00183 by joe curtis, on Flickr DSC00210 by joe curtis, on Flickr DSC00215 by joe curtis, on Flickr he chassis got stood up sideways in the shop for a while once complete. I hadn’t been long into being full time self employed and built my first perimeter chassis to test the waters of the UK market. A good friend popped over once that chassis was done, and we hooked them both out the side door for an oddly empty car park line up shoot. Was super odd to see it outside and back away from it some what. Quite a contradiction to the more basic foundation of the tube approach too. Anyway, enough words, final shots. DSC00358 by joe curtis, on Flickr DSC00349 by joe curtis, on Flickr DSC00364 by joe curtis, on Flickr DSC00353 by joe curtis, on Flickr DSC00359 by joe curtis, on Flickr That’s pretty much a wrap, tail end of 2022. There’s not much progress since, mainly all on my 31 coupe body going on top. Which was never really a fully set plan. Was always dreaming of a Brockville roadster body, but that’s not with in budget, but would have sat well all fresh metal, as if it was rolling off a production line. If you sat through and read that, or just enjoyed the photo journey- thank you. IMG_5738 2 by joe curtis, on Flickr
Your work and imagination are nothing short of FANTASTIC. I am glad to see how much thought process you go through before you make the next move. You have to be very proud of your work.
Good Lord man, that's some beautiful metal sculpture. The term "mad skills" doesn't quite say enough about your abilities! Not sure how you will top this but I know you will.
Outstanding!!! Are you thinking of custom orders for the components or full frame? Just curious cause I haven’t won the lottery yet....
The Jalopy Journal
