Has Any One Ever Made Their Own '32 Ford Style Frame (Without Stamped Rails)?

I'm curious. I've seen a lot of people here make a lot of different things using a lot of different stuff, but what I haven't seen is someone fabricating a 32 Ford frame without stamped original rails or reproductions. I'm talking about building a 32 Ford style frame with tube stock, cold rolled sheet, and the determination of a meth-head (*******s will steal anything) . I know it doesn't sound practical, but I know someone out there said, "$700 is too much to spend on rails when I can make my own." I don't mean the boxed, ladder frames. Anyone can make one of those. Hell, I'd even take someone building a ladder frame and building sides on it to make it look like a '32 Ford. That's bad ***. Has anyone done it? Does anyone have any pictures? stories? proof? (I saw a man on this site build a '32 Ford quarter panel for $25 bucks. Looked damn good too. I've got faith in yall. Help me out.)

 

Try the tech archives, I'm just pretty sure there was a great thread on that a while back.

 

There is a great thread on this in the tech archives - a buddy of mine is waiting for me to s****e the cash together to purchase the steel so he and I can build a pair of 32 style frames together.
I don't know if we will do it the same way that it was shown in that tech article, but it was by far an inspiration to not settle for less or pay for more.
I plan on do***enting what we do as well, but judging by my cash flow and his open shop space, we wont be tackling that for another month.

 

Try this. http://jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php=306987

 

I was having trouble with loading the page. You can also try www.wescottsauto.com click on the tech page then frame-specs and it gives the dementions of the 32 roadster that you can print.
DRuss32, that was the same page I was trying to load.

 

My dad had a 32 5w about 15 years ago or so. He got the bright idea that he was going to build his own frame based off of the wescotts plans. It turned out 'OK' looking. In rough dimensions it was just like a 32 frame. But it was very beefy compared to the old stamped rails. I can't remember what gauge of steel he used but it was heavy ****. Probably could have dropped whatever motor you wanted in it without any structural concerns.

 

I have done it a couple of times when there was no
stamped rails around dont have any pictures.
Today i would buy the rails and use the time
to do other things
its not 700 cheaper to do them by your self
you have to buy steel, welding, material,
cutoff wheels,etc

 

If you have the tools and the skill to build your own, why not give it a try and im sure its still going to spend more than 700 if you dont have the materials just like Heo2 said.

 

Long ago in L.A. there was a firm that made them from blanks. The lower edge of the side was braked in a long fixture, then the shape was bent.
Next, the top and bottom strips were tacked all the way down, then all was welded.
They looked right, as the radius was correct the whole length of the frame. Can't remember who made them. I think TCI's Ed Moss used them at first.

Next up was Roy Fjastadt of the Deuce Factory. He cut a profile of the whole rail, then made dies for a 100-ton stamping machine that he rented time on...
DEuce Factory rails were popular, but the radius at the upper and lower corners was excessive, and stood out like a sore thumb. (A full 1/2", looked like the rail's cross section was rolled in there)

"Just a Hobby" rails appeared around 1976, and had a good long life.

American Stamping Co. appeared sometime around 1985 (?) and has enjoyed being #1, but their price ($750+/- since late '80s) was a little high at first...now it's a 'long deal'.

Their biggest threat was the Fairlane Company, out of Dearborn. Squeak Bell used them when American Stamping slowed in production, but the quality went away with the work force that quit. Squeak had to go back with American Stamping.
I have a pair of American Stamping rails. When I put them on my frame jig, I had no issues with rails...(just a slight bending at the horns, which I always do anyway)

My pal Dennis O'Keefe used to fab Deuce rails from flat 10 gauge. Dennis is a genius.
He even put in the relief for the firewall adjuster...

 

My frame is basically what you're talking about. Bob Walcott (not Wescott) originally built it out of 11 gauge steel broke over into rail sections. It has the same profile but with no reveal. I'll try and find a frame only pic.

 

Rod Factory here in Phoenix built tons of them! You could purchase them with the reveal (high tech) or with out. They started with a blank cut on Karl's lazer cutting machine and then stamped them. They were then bolted into a jig and the lazer cut top and bottom rails were welded on. The edges were radius ground , and they were done.
A****er Mike had the best explanation of the repro deuce rails, but I remember american stamping co. coming into the fray about five years later. Weren't the Fairlane rails two piece deals called Precision Underbody? If so. I think they are the same ones being marketed by shadow Rods today. Always thought the two piece deal was a bit weird, but it was supposedly done to ease shipping costs. I always thought it had more to do with die costs and press capacity...

 

The more I thought about it today after reading the tech thread on the guy who built his own, the more I realized that my tools (and time table) are grossly inadequate for the task. I mean, the guy in the tech thread builds boats for a living! The tools he used ! And on top of that, he said that building the rails didn't really cost him anything but time . I thought to myself, "Damn it...." After all the disappointment, I figured I'd probably just build the lame ol', 6x2 inch, 1/4 inch thick ladder rail frame that won't cost me more than materials and a few weekends. The only thing that will change that plan is if the materials cost as much as just ordering the rails. Now that I think about it, I should just buy the damn rails . Materials always end up costing more. Especially that kind of stock. Gonna have to lock up the wallet and save for a little while.

 

Did the Rod Factory close? I remember they built the rails and sold them on eBay. I found a web page for Rod Factory (don't know if its the right one), but they say on the page that the owner died and they are selling the company.

 

Rod Factory and Carl Dubow are long gone now. He closed the doors and p***ed away two weeks later.

Could I interest you in bump bending box tube?

 

Didn't someone build a frame in 32 dimensions out of round tube on here recently? I mean like side rails and everything?

 

man that would ****.. close your business to retire or whatever then die two weeks later.. life is a trip enjoy the fall.. live it up guys follow your dreams.. iv died for 2 mins already.. trippy stuff.. 32 rails do look so damn good.. someone was talking about a company making fibergl*** parts to make a model A frame look like a 32..
not seen that before. if anyone has a picture id love to see it.
chris.

 

Topcat662 on here built a set of 32 looking rails that's under his scratchbuilt 27 roadster. Don't know if he ever did a tech on them (you would have to search) but they came out nice. I'd have to admit though, I'm pretty good when it comes to metal fab but for the labor involved I'd buy a set of rails and spend the time building stuff you can't buy!

 

Mate of mine over here builds all his own frames. But he is 1 of those clever ******s. This 32 frame has the suage worked into it.

 

What thickness on the square tubing did you use? Forgive my ignorance, but how do you bump bend?

 

That's something more like it. I could do that.

 

Here, I have done the same a time or two......well, two.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=305273&highlight=frame

 

I knew Carl most of my life, he was an extremely hard dude to like. That business was his entire life, there was a thread here on him a while back.


Bump bending is done in a standard hydraulic press. The rails above had one end welded shut then packed tight with dry play sand and sealed on the other end. Then placed in a hydraulic press and "bumped" bit by bit into the curve you want. It took a day to get both tubes curved into this shape. Then another day to open them backup, taper the ends and drill all the holes.

This was my very first attempt at doing this. Small 20 ton shop press and no sand filling. I had a minor bit of buckling on the inside of the rail but that was from aggressive bumps.