I am looking to buy enough metal to build a custom frame from the firewall back on a 35 truck. So what is the average cost of steel right now. I have not measured a single thing but I ***ume I will need at least 24 feet of thick-walled 2" by 4" box tubing. Any input would be helpful. ~Tony
I think I gave about $85.00 for enough 2X4X1/8 to make a Model A style frame about three years ago. Probably about $120.00 now; just a guess. The price of the steel is the least of your problems. pigpen
2x3"x 1/8" thick is about $4 a foot here locally. steel is roughly $4 a pound also,for fabricated shapes. 2"x 4"x.125 wall is plenty strong for frames. Good luck with your project.Sparky
Anyone have a recent price on a stick of 1" square tubing, .090 wall? And a stick of 1" x 2" x .090? Steel prices locally are very high and considerably cheaper 30 miles down the road. Although we just heard about a small out of the way supply house a short ways out of town we're going to check. I was just curious how much $$ I should bring along. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~` When I started the move to Sunny Arizona from Central California I had my 31 roadster stored in my friends big SoCal garage along with about 250# of unrusted steel tubing, flat etc. lying underneath it and off to the side. I was going to abandon it and let his friends have it. He sold and gave a lot of his steel away when he started the moving stuff. He talked me into bringing it along when I went down and got his roadster to bring back to Kingman in my trailer. We stuck the steel in and I'm really glad he was insistent. Done more than a few projects with it, but now I need some more. Sad part for him and his welding shop was he must have gotten rid of a ton of brand new unrusted steel. Bad part for both of us was, we each gave away about 200# of new bolts & nuts because we just couldn't handle any more weight. Then ended up making one more un-planned trip to Caifornia & back after the move to AZ. Geez . . . every time I buy a bolt & nut I'm kicking myself....
I always try and find what I'm looking for in the remnant and cut off section. Then you get the s**** price. And there are a couple of small family owned yards that I go to that give me a better price for a cash no receipt deal.
Thanks for the info. Now I know what to "budget" for. Also, I have been told that 1/8" wall is too flimsy. How many of you guys would recommend going to 1/4" wall? Thanks Again, ~Tony
1/4 inch wall? way too much. 1/8 is the standard, i woulds say 95% of the custom frames out theere are made with 1/8" tubing. 2x3 or 2x4... my T has a 2x4 1/8" frame and its damn rigid....
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