This new 31 coupe i got has been sitting around for a long time with out being secure to a frame and towing it home with it like that didnt help it any im sure. when i went to test fit the doors and deck lid today every thing lined up like **** and i couldnt get the doors on all way. So i know its way out of wack. i have a old A frame i got with the car but i wont be using that frame. But should i try to bolt it down the frame and get it back to square? I just want to take the steps to do this right and not have it go back together like **** after i chop it. and the sawz-all and grinder are itching to chop another car. So learn me how yall did this on your old bodys when you got them home out of that feild! Thanks in advance Bryan
The rails may not be square either. If you can get them original dimensions are good. Otherwise lay out a flat area or set up to beams level so you can sit the body on. These can be 2 pieces of wood chocked up and checked with a spirit level. Then use diagonal dimensioning to check things are square. We often (once things are square) Put a series of small tack welds on the edge of the panels to the body. When i say small i mean it so you can cut them easily later with a grinder. hope this a help
where might i find these orig demensions? and could i just brace the body from the inside since i have to any way before i chop it. and one more detail... i have a better cowl i got with the deal so i need change that as well. should i square the body up before or after i change the cowl..Thanks for the help!!!
You may not need th org dims. It looks like a good sound shell. If it's rigid it might just need a push . You could always measure from holes on the ch***is, how far apart they are and check things like from the left front corner to the back right corner is the same as the right front corner to the left back corner. I would change the cowl. Overhere the cars were sent over with only guards and the firewall forward(less import duties) and from the cowl back were locally made. So there is quite often differences. So set up you plan on using first then check how square it is
You can get Ford frame diagrams from Wescott's (the 'gl*** body makers) website. Here's the link to the Model A page: http://www.wescottsauto.com/pdf2/FR-2.pdf Be sure and get the body square before you start cutting-- it won't be easier after the top is off and you've lost the strength that it gives to the body. Hold off on the top chop until you've got it square and the doors fitting well. I'd also have the better cowl installed first also so that there will not be any "surprise" stresses later on from that. Good luck! It looks like a great start for a hot rod!
"...and a circle doesn't fit it's little square, It bulges with opprotunity... BULGES!!!" Just sit inside the car, ya square!!! Jeeez, what...did ya buy the Riddler Award this year and now ya need a CAR of some sort to enter?
I had no intentions of cutting into it before i get it straight. i prob worded it wrong i tend to do that. and yea the subrails are very very nice and all the main structure its self is good. I think the main issure with the deck lid is the deck lid its self so that will need some attention. but the door issue is no doubt a "squarness" issue. Your the one building a "ratrod" remember hack im going for ridler all the way this year ***** foose cant afford it this year
Doesn't matter, I think it's Troy's turn. Check the schedule!!! Sure the guy didn't give you his Lincoln doors by mistake???
My first '30 Model A Tudor was my first major project, my first fabrication & major body work experience...all self taught of course. I'm not sure if I did my body squaring properly or efficiently...but it worked for me. I wanted to clean and straight before I channelled it. The floor subframe was bent all to hell and the doors were WAY off. I ended up using my plasma cutter to slice the subframe just behind the back of the cowl...under the door hinges making the cowl, doors, dash, & windshield frame completely separate from the back of the car. Then I did some measuring and tack welded some 1x1" square tubing across the bottom of the rear part of the subframe to get that lined up. Same across the top where the curved roof panels go. Then I manhandled the front half by myself up to the other half and got the doors latched and lined up with ratchet straps. I then started tack welding more 1x1" tubing in X-braces and throughout the inside of the body. Then I welded up the seams that I sliced at the bottom of the subframe. After that the floor came out and was channelled 6" and the 1x2" subframe was laid out. All the 1x1" stuff was removed and the doors and everything were in perfect alignment with everything else. I was surprised! Anyhow...that's how I did mine.
here some good info on aligning an old body http://www.abarnyard.com/workshop/door-1.htm http://www.abarnyard.com/workshop/door-2.htm hope it helps jim
Well when I got my fordor a sedan, the entire subframe was gone. It was originally wood in the fordors, and I had to build one from steel. Plus the body was in sections-the rear body and rear doors, and the front doors and cowl. To get my body square and hold it in place while I rebuilt the subframe, I built a plywood platform. I took a 4x8 sheet of 3/4" plywood, and built a framework of 2x4's underneath the platform to make it rigid, and raise the plywood off the floor. Then I drew sharpie lines across the plywood every 2", as well as a centerline. This made it very easy to see if the body was square and symetrical on both sides, and easy to measure at any point to make sure all was square. Then I screwed the body down to the platform, and built my new subframe. It made it very easy. The description ****ed, but heres a few pics to show you. It was cheap to build and worked perfect, maybe this could help you too. Heres some pics:
i had the same problem the frame was tweaked and so was the body im getting the body right with a tapemeasure and building the ch***is by the time im done it will be worse than what i started with bill
Use a good original frame and square it up like Henry built it. That's always the best starting point. Then do your modifications.
I bought 4 of those cheap old travel trailer levelers, the screwjack kind. Then I leveled them with a 4 foot level cross the front and back. front to rear really isn't that critical. You might be surprised that everything all comes together when it is sitting on the frame. I was helping a friend with a sportcoupe body he had on a dolly. One door didn't fit for ****. After we set it on the frame it fit perfect.
The Jalopy Journal
