I hope I'm posting this in the correct place... I'm in the planning stages on the rebuild of a 40 Ford coupe I just bought. Love the car, its going to make a nice one. I'm trying to decide if I should keep and modify the original frame, or just purchase a new rolling chassis with all of the modern goodies? I understand that there's a good market for selling the original chassis, but I have zero idea what its actually worth. The car currently has a 60's vintage 327 mated to a turbo400, but I'd really like to replace it with a slick running flathead. Any suggestions on where to make a good buy on an aftermarket chassis, where to find a turn key flathead, or advice on sticking with the original chassis and modifying accordingly. Thanks to all for any advice and suggestions. Gotta love this forum.
I guess it has to do with how much are you budgeting or your going all out. They should have plenty of frames out there it is just how much you want to spend.
if your frame is nice & the body / fenders all line up nice & the car looks like it sets square i would go with it. ----- several ways to go with a stock front axle & have it drive nice. a C.E. rear parallel spring set up works great. -------- get that 'flathead' out of your mind! "did i just say that out loud??!!"
Welcome to the HAMB. Those '35-'40 frames have proven to be adequate for street cars with a lot more power than you're contemplating. You've already got it, it works, and it fits. It's your car and your money, and you can add any modern parts you want. On this message board at least, some of us tend to like to see a lot of those old parts left on the car. If it was mine? '56 F-100 front brakes on '37-'41 spindles, drop the original axle, a mellow flathead with an S-10 five-speed or a 327 with a Tremec, a Ford nine-inch rear end, a straight body block-sanded and painted black, stock-style wheels and hubcaps, blackwall radials, and a white interior with air conditioning. You don't need disc brakes or any catalog billet stuff. I see you're in North Carolina. I used to live a half-mile west of the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Next time you're near the Speedway, feel free to stop in at the Speedway Cafe just west of there. I miss the fine people that work there and the great food. Dave Mann http://www.roadsters.com/
Mine is similar to roadsters.com but this is what i'd like. got -f-100 brakes -light dropped front axle/reversed eye front spring. -mellow flathead with duals -blackwall bignlittle bias plies will do -early merc sideshifter OD tranny, to use the stock column shifter (open drive though) -hot rod works openshaft kit on a 3.78 banjo (or 3.54 for freeway) --if not an 8 inch will do, alot lighter and easier to find right width than a 9" but will need drums redrilled.. -airconditioning saps what light horsepower a flatties got! good luck lets see some pics! TP
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