Buddy of mine and I are starting to build a 32 ford 3window and need help. It's going on a Scout frame and alot of parts will have to be fabricated.What we need to know is wheelbase,width and is there anywhere to find an exploded view of the car for fab. purposes such as measurements for panels? Going to run a 348 3 duece and a four speed so there may be firewall issues as well. Any help here would be greatly appreciated.
The IHC frame looks alot like a custom, nice lines and boxed. Finding a good 32 frame around here would be hard and probably expensive.We're also on a tight budget and the Scout frame and willy's straight axle was free. We have most body parts but in need of repair and some of them will have to be made.
There is almost no way to measure a 32, especially a 3W. No straight lines and nothing square with anything. I would buy the biggest model car I could find and scale it up. It doen't sound like you are expecting the parts to interchange so it should give you a start.
Rich, I know the wheelbase is 102 inches +/- 1/2 inch. But if you are going fenderless I guess it wouldn't be all that critical. I hope you are cutting up a fibergl*** body to fit that scout frame!Normal Norman
What year IHC frame are you using? I guess I'm thinkin 4x4 frame? I think if you're going to build a '32 you won't do it justice unless you use the original style frame with that nice swoosh line.
Wheelbase on a 32 is 106 inches. There is a fellow on eBay who sells a better, more detailed 11" X 17" blueprint of a 32 Ford frame ... I bought one and it's pretty nice. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/32-F...ryZ10076QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
I've got the '32 salesman's book, which gives some basic body dimensions--by no means complete, but at least some clues. Frame: The way the '32 body sits on the frame, I think it would be VERy hard to ***emble a body without the frame. If you had a frame, firewall, and rear fenders, the body would be 75% Jigged and located!
We want to use the Scout frame, we do have the firewall section and rear quarters, door tops etc., have to find doors and build the trunk lid which was shown how here on the HAMB recently.We thought that having the correct measurements would at least give us something to go by.We know this isn't going to be easy but we have all winter to at least get it mocked up for the build. Hell, most of the fun is planning and then the build anyway.
If you can get a pair of fenders jigged to something that holds them the right distance apart and make something that holds the firewall fee correctly spaced from the fenders, a LOT of body dimensions will be set by those parts. They place the quarters and cowl correctly--and so align the gaps you need to fill.
well, we don't have any fenders for it and not planning on using any either so I guess we'll have to try something else for positioning. We'll figure it how sooner or later maybe.
Buy some decenct gl*** ones as jigs and resell them when done! They really do quite a lot. PM me address--I'll send the little dimensional pic I have. Bruce
A Briggs 32 3-window? Must be rare. If you are trying to save cost by using an IH frame, are you aware what a pair of steel doors will probably cost you? Not trying to be an ***, but a 32 3-window is not a car that deserves to be "cheaped out". Your various panels may be able to be sold for what a complete 5-window may cost.
I understand what you're saying and we don't want to " cheap it out" .What we're looking to do is build a custom out of it but also make it at least semi-correct were it doesn't look wrong or stupid.If we can't come up with doors reasonably then we might think about selling to replace with a 5 window.We've got time to look more at options. Thanks
"A Briggs 32 3-window? Must be rare." My deuce 3-window is Budd bodied. Has LOTS more luggage capacity than the Murray.
So this is a steel body 3W? Can you post some pics of the body and frame? Sounds like you are sold on using the scout frame, but I have to agree, it needs a 32 frame, they make just about any 30s car look good. not to mention all the aggravation and head scratching you're going to have to make it fit. And if you ever decided to sell it the right frame will make a big difference. Its your car of course but, 32 frame rails are only 600 bucks.......
It is a steel body but in pieces. These were all free parts found and given for the build including the frame and straight front end.We really like the curves of the scout frame which is why we have it.And we like the departure from normal to be differant. We're not planning on a correct 32 and value once done doesn't matter that much.Fabrication of parts isn't foreign to us , we just have alot of parts and want to build it
So is the plan to basically duplicate the shape of 32 frame using the scout rails? I thought the scout frame would basically be a square box, Pics would be cool if you have them.
Please post some pictures of what your starting with. I'm having a really tough time visualizing a chance for sucess with what you've given us thus far. Frank
I personally like '32's channelled so I'd like to see ya build this the way YOU want to with the Scout frame. Prove all these '32 'purist' (elitists??) WACKOs wrong!!! (they cannot see the forest through the trees) Just be sure to post pics.......
I can't get back to the shop until the weekend to get pics. The frame is shaped similar to the 32 with nice curves front and rear but maybe just alittle more pronounced.The above view is very close to the same.Like said before I know it won't be easy but it will be cool.I have no problems with"purists" But it seems that SinisterCustom has vision of what we're doing.Not bashing anyone for opinions but we want to do it our way if we can.
I completely understand the desire to be different....but I just don't think it would look right with anything else under it. For $600, I would really recommend you just buy the duece rails.
Hmmm, that's interesting. This frame looks nothing like the one we have.Will try to post pics. this weekend
Rich, Build what you want to bud with your buds. Door shells are available through Brookville. You might be able to just buy the outter skin/shell and create a inner structure from there. I also am curious of what you are starting out with? Does it have a floor? Do all of the homework that you can to insure a quality but different build. Is is gonna be channeled? Have you thought about what type of front & rear suspension that you are gonna run, Steering, Engine clearance,. Pedal set up? Think about it, post some pics. Kevin
Thanks for letting me know about Brookville.There is no floor or at this point no car, only parts and ideas.Using a Willys straight front end ,not sure of rear suspension.Engine clearance may be an issue with a 348 but we don't think so.Lots of thinking and planning to do before it really gets started and then mocking it together to see what we've got. Thanks again Rich