What brackets do you fabricate vs. Buy for your builds?

I know speedway and many others offers lots of brackets for fabrication of your ch***ie, but which ones do you buy vs build yourself?

Heres a few to get your juices flowing:
behind the frame rear spring hangers
Ubolt plates
Header flanges
wishbone hangers

Which brackets or pieces are hard to come by?

Just a bit of research here - THANKS

 

I cut most everything on my A sedan, but will definetly buy em on my coupe. They're too cheap not to. By the time you add in your time and the cost of plate, it doesn't add up to me. Plus they look nicer than my sawzall'ed cut ones.

 

I built every fukking one.
and my four bars, ch***is,engine mounts,Exhaust system,etc etc

why buy something that only costs a buck or two worth of raw material and an hour or two with the angle grinder and welder?Well maybe the ch***is took a little longer...

its a really nice feeling to know that everything on the car is crafted to work for exactly the application, not designed to be universal.
It also satisfies me creatively.

 

All I know is that Alan Grove builds some of the nicest brackets for motors I have ever used. They fit like as advertised . I would feel comfortable powdercoating them before fitting them.

 

Yeah Alan Grove stuff is top shelf, nice that it is not billet, and great tig welds.

I stock AA mfg brackets for lots of stuff, mostly tabs, and small mounts. Building race stuff the AA brackets are nice, but imho handmade looks better on a rod. I guess it depends on the application.

 

On my current build (34 Ford pickup) I have built everything myself, excluding of course the axle beam. The frame, all brackets, spring mounts, etc. partly because I'm a cheap***, partly because most of what I want can't be ordered, partly because since this is my first hotrod, I felt like showing off.

Edit, I noticed you mentioned header flanges....when it's time to build headers, I WILL buy those. Making header flanges, especially stainless ones, is retarded unless you own a laser cutter

 

So what are looking for that cant be ordered?

 

The ch***is for my track roadster pickup was completely home fabricated. I wanted the front shock brackets to hold the headlight, so there was a pair not available commercially. I used parallel leaves in the rear so the front bracket were built in with 5 inches of adjustability ( another pair) and the rear shackle hangers were buried up in the rear crossmember (another pair). I like to make my own one-off brackets but in the case of double sheer ladder bar brackets that are readily available it just takes too much time to duplicate them.

The older I get, the less green bananas I buy - time is precious.

Charlie

 

The frame, the motor mounts, the hairpins, the rear spring hanger, etc. It's all pretty nontypical in my case.

 

i fab everything myself whether its from scratch or from old stock parts. your car should be a reflection of your skills.

 

For you "Longo" locals,
The hardware store on Spring and Palo Verde next to Stater Brothers is owned by a LB Model T club member and he stocks lots of different diecut hotrod ch***is brackets and chrome acorn nuts and other car building stuff. Go get some in person!

 

Yes you can buy everything and their is nothing wrong with that, especially when you figure out what is your time worth................But find myself making dam near everything anymore...why.....for the fab. experience........only one way to get it and thats to get dirty and do it, but not everyone has the time or equipment, given that I wouldnt think twice crackin open that speedway mag.....My only problem is when I see bare rails that need a perch mount or what ever, I see alot more than a simple perch mount.I just can not help myself, and the next thing I know I'm holdin poster board a pencil and scissors and a million visions in the head...............Littleman

 

yes. you are car crazy. i sufer from the same sickness. i love it

 

on my own stuff , i try to make as much as possible..to save money and satisfy my crea***vity


when i'm working on someone else's stuff....it's usually more cost effective to buy it ..if it is available

 

I also sell A&A Brackets and tabs. It is funny when I order, our company is also called A&A!

Some of the little tabs cost PENNIES, stupid not to use them. On my touring car, I used hand made and store bought, like you said, it depends on the application.

 

Yes - Littleman you are the guru of fab'd pieces!!

Got into a discussion with a friend today, and that prompted my questions. I too fab many pieces but at what point or should I ask, at what piece do you draw the line.

This friend owns a laser cutting machine and he cuts some stuff for me from autocad drawings I make up. Just trying to see what pieces there might be a demand for?

 

For me, if this was my second car, or a car that I wan't trying to get ****loads of attention with, or something I was gonna sell ASAP, that's where I'd draw the line....I might try to buy more stuff in those cases.

As far as demand...weird ****. Dad had our laser shop cut a half dozen pitman arms for a side steer setup once because we needed one. People saw the one we actually used on a car, and we sold all of them in no time. Stuff ya can't get anywhere else is what people buy.

 

Those laser cutters are kool, I wish I had some local access to one, would definitly take advantage of it...........And some of those small standard brackets are a time saver and save the creativity for the more invovled ones that are in the open.............Littleman

 

Hummm....google search "alan grove"; click home page; add new book mark to hot rod parts file. Contemplate how empty your life would be without the HAMB.

 

Dave, look at www.dcwaterjet.com They are out in SLC and are hot rodders. They can work off of templates (or heager gaskets etc) to waterjet parts. When I called them, their turn around was fast and the price quoted was killer. $50 for flanges at that time. Would be a cool option for some really intricate bracketry?!

 

I build everything I possibly can...from headers to thermostat housings.


That's just me, though. I do it for the challenge and the need to create. That does NOT make me any better, more ********, manly or rockeriffic than those who don't build all thier stuff.

-Abone.

 

I'm hopefully gonna fab everything i can for my 29! Did some tailgate and wishbone brackets last weekend.

 

most bracket i make myself after buying some pre made **** and not liking it. now i just look at the pre made stuff for ideas and make it my self.

it is cheaper to buy the better tools then buy all the generic brackets.

the amount of money i have spent on tools blows my mind but i will build enough cars that they more then pay for them self.

 

I've paid my dues with a hacksaw, torch, files and grinder, now that I have the skills and am fortunate enought to have the equiptment I find it's a little more satisfying to fabricate parts that aren't available vs. duplicating something that exists. This isn't a slam on anyone that wants to build everything themselves, Creativity, sweat and dirt never killed anyone and is a great way to learn but as you get older the clock runs faster and I've still got a lot of stuff to build...

 

The "Stainless comment" prompted me to post this.....I build as many brackets/stuff as I can - be it aluminum,steel or stainless - always more to learn. Here's a random spattering of some fun junk I made. Heck I even make silly stuff like lampshades for the bandsaw

 

Yeah, but why take a chance ?

I cut all mine also, plasma pattern torch.

 

I buy brackets and so forth from LB machine, but I make a lot too. I have an ironworker in the shop, that makes quick work of most brackets. Here's a water neck I made for a 500 Caddy

 

Here's a little filler panel I made today for my track roadster pickup. Replaces the stock filler between the cab and box.

Charlie

 

hacksaw, torch, files and grinder are the basic tools you need to learn the mechanics of metal working. this is where it all starts.

 

I hope this post explodes,

I saw a mention of water jet cutting and want to let ya all know that this service is available up here in the North Bay through the OK! Speed Shop Vallejo (grand opening coming soon).

In negotiation to purchase my own (yikes not cheap) but intill then, I rent time on one that I apprenticed on up in Napa.

Hit me up if ya need anything, the only thing that thing cuts is everything!
I giggle everytime I start playing with it!