Cheers man, luck seems to only extend itself to me being able to find things fairly easy. Other than that, i'm not that lucky haha. Oops.. Ment $1250 above, but $1290 including the F1 mounts. Man.. 3 years outta school and i'm already ****ing at maths.
I'm hopefully gona have it blasted and can get to work in about two weeks.. ugh.. i hate waiting. Moneys short cause i haven't worked now in 5 weeks.. makes it hard, but should be able to scrounge and get the frame blasted
Got the rails blasted the other day. I removed the center crossmember as i won't be using it and after having it blasted and got it on the shed floor i diagonally measured it, the frame is 5mm out diagonally. I don't know what other guys frames are at, but i will be squaring it up when i build a jig for it. For now, i'm welding up a billion holes that i won't be using.
I wouldn't be worried about it being 5mm off, Model A frames twist. You can grab it with a hand each rail and twist the frame around. They are really flimsy, built that way. Just make sure when you weld your center crossmember in and stiffen it up that it's strait and even.
I see. I will be making a '40 Ford style X member for the middle, and welding that in with a stiffening plate on the top and a few gussets to tie it all in. After that, i'll box it all up. I've got a banger motor here, but i need to mock up a gearbox and diff / torque tube to see where everything sits so i'll be able to see where the X member will fit in. Pics in a few days when i get all the holes welded up and cleaned up! What a pain in the ***, but it'll be worth it
Hey Mate, No real updates as of yet. I did get the frame blasted and all the side holes welded up and any brackets i'm not using off the frame. I spoke to the fella i'm gettin my stuff from, and hopefully in three weeks i'm getting pretty much everything to have a complete rolling ch***is. The shop that my mates '29 pickup is going to, where i'm helping strip the original parts and bringing them home, the owner who i also know has a set of '40 merc steelies, tires and hubcaps from a previous build that he said i could have as well. There will be pics, hopefully in a few weeks time
Updaaaaate! Finally somethin to show, thats half decent. First up.. the ch***is back from the blasters. Then filled a whole bunch of holes. I'm not sure, but i'm hoping the last two, and the one around 3/4 way on the rails are body mounting holes? Then sat the front end under the frame.. Then blasted and painted most of the front end stuff.. Spring perches will be getting the shock knob and the eye cut off eventually, but painted for now (just rattle can gloss black) to keep it all from rusting). Then i picked up a whole bunch of parts i bought off a guy i met through a mate, who has a '29 Closed Cab Truck. Hes just using the body tub and panels, and the ch***is.. i took the rest So i mocked up the painted front end, and the rear end to have a look. Heres a pic of where i'm working on it at the moment. We have another garage near here but its got my '61 Holden and my brothers '66 Holden in it at the moment, so i'm doing the fabrication here for now. This is the ch***is jig i made today to do my work on, so that the ch***is doesn't twist, flex or warp when its boxed up. I made it so that i can also mock up the front and rear ends without interfering with the jig itself. I'm sure that aspect will come in handy. Here is the banger that came outta my ch***is. It won't be used at this stage.. And the one that'll replace it. Thats it for now. Hopefully i'll have more to come soon.
I hope not Chris. I got told that the front body mounts were those brackets that come off the side of the ch***is. The very front ones are bonnet hook brackets, the second ones are supposed to be body mounts. Thats what a mate told me who has a Model A Roadster. I'll be pissed if they aren't the mounts -_-
Id bet you have filled at least some of the holes you need... dont bother filling the top rail holes..who in hell is going to see them anyway?? side holes forward of the firewall..fair enough. all the others, leave. your not building a smooth street rod i presume??
Street Rod? No way. I've seen pics of guys back in the day filling the side holes though, looks a little cleaner. I was told the brackets at the front are the cowl mounts, but if not.. i can just look under the rail and measure and drill em out. No big deal. Edit: I'm not channelling mine, so you'd see all the holes all the way along. Still, i like em a little neater than a whole bunch of bracket holes everywhere. Personal taste, i guess.
Hey Nick, All that running gear you picked up looks to be in pretty good shape & at the right price!! - you must of had a big weekend of sorting it all out. Nice to see it starting to take shape.... Are you boxing the horns? - would be good to leave them if possible. Gympie Swap Saturday & Beaudesert Swap Sunday - the perfect storm!! Hopefully there will be some perfect bargains.... I will keep an eye out for juice brakes & cowl for you. Spence.
Hey Spence! Cheers Mate. I don't think i'll be boxing the frame horns, haven't decided 100% but i doubt i will. Hey, on your roadster.. does the cowl mount to the ch***is itself or to a bracket thats attached to the side of the ch***is?
Cheers Spence. **** told me the cowl mounts are those brackets, and not on the ch***is. I can easily redrill if i have to, i was gona check out his roadster tonight and have a look but he w***n't home tonight. Will have to wait till the weekend. Are you busy this weekend? Edit: Had a look at my Wescott diagram i have on the wall in the shed, it noted that the front brackets (which i've kept) are for the hood latch, didn't specify if the other ones are body mounts, nor did it note any body mounting holes at all.
Ok, The way it sits you have one bolt each side at the front mounting to the top of the ch***is & two bolts at the back mounting to the side bracket. This is how the holes seemed to line up when i plonked it on there. Spence.
Go to the Wescott fibergl*** bodies site, they have Model A frame blueprints - a**** others. Lookin' good so far.
C9, I have that on the wall in the shed. It just didn't list the body mounting holes at all, and since i've only got a ch***is i w***n't sure where it mounted. All i need for the top of my frame is the body holes, and i'm not using the middle crossmember so i welded the holes up for it. Spence, Cheers for that man. That is so much help. Just another question, if you were to measure from the rearmost hole on that cowl bracket, to the front mounting hole.. what is the distance? I'm sure i could pick which hole it is on my frame, and i'll be going for a quick look now. Just means i've gotta redrill two holes, no big deal. Which holes on the top are the rear mounts? I've got one on the end of the rear crossmember, then two just near it.. and then a bit further forwards another.
Your frame jig will serve you well. I did mine the same way and it worked really well Get some primer on that frame though, or you'll be blasting it again soon. Pete
( As discussed on phone.... but for the rest of the world...... About 285mm centres from rearmost hole at side bracket to mounting hole at front of cowl ) Rear holes - don't know yet - body is at Bro's place. Spence.
Cheers for the info Spence. I had a look under and just marked a line above while looking at the center of the hole. Started drilling, got up to 8mm before it was making any noise. Doubt the neighbours will appreciate the sound of drilling steel at 11.30pm on a weekday. Striper, Wow, yours is almost identical to mine. I've got a big *** table frame made up for my other ch***is ('40 Chev) but i figured for the model a, seeing as its pretty small and i don't have much room this way would work easier. Guess i w***n't the only one thinking that. As far as blasting goes, it cost me $120 to have it done, and for some reason only the front of the frame is really showing any surface rust. We do have a sandblaster here though, but its just a little hobby one. Might paint the frame just in some spray can paint for the time being.. although its kept indoors and its not too bad. By the time i have it done ( hoping in a few weeks most of the ch***is stuff is done, since all i have to do is box it, fix a crack in the front crossmember and make some rear shock mounts for the diff ) that it shouldn't be long before it might just be ready for paint. Hoping anyway
Just read through this thread and sub subscribed as I am starting a similiar project, as soon as I can get her home. Mine ch***is is also a right hand drive but I am here in the US, will probably switch it over to Left Hand drive though. Being new to Model A's myself what is an "AR" as opposed to an A? Looking forward to comparing notes. TBone
As far as i'm aware, the AR was the very late '27 / early '28.. I think theres a few differences, cowl is a little bit different at the top of the firewall where the hood sits on, and some ch***is stuff is a little different. Either way, makes no difference really when your going to hot rod it. Same ch***is, and hardly anyone would know or notice the difference cowl wise. Have you got pics of yours? I'd love to see some.
Only pics I have at the moment from where I am pickingit up from. Plan on taking a bunch when I get it home. The steering column is off but notice the pedals are on what we call the "wrong" side
Ohh. I knew i remembered your username from somewhere, i saw that in the Banger meeting thread. Looks like you've got everything there to get well and truely done. When you start a build thread, pm me, i'll definately follow. I might find it, but we all know how threads get so lost on here. Every day, its still active on page 8. Incredible.
Yup that was me, and will do on the PM. The plan is to get her cleaned up and go thru the mechanicals over the winter and most likely into the summer of next year and start looking for a body. I will most likely be going with a Tudor so I can fit my Wife and Son for a Family cruise.
That sounds awesome. Sounds kinda like mine, just stock Model A with juice brakes and a hopped up Banger motor, and '40 Merc steelies. I'm only 20, so a Roadster with no creature comforts and no room for more than one p***anger does me just fine.
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