Have done some reading and just want to make sure I have this right.... An A coupe body will set down over a 32 chassis when you channel it, although its very tight at the firewall???
On a stock 32 dimension frame I would say no. A 30-31 gives you a little more room at the firewall, but you would end up cutting the subrails totally out, and you would not have too much to work with. You could make the frame about 1-2" narrower, and life would be alot easier.
Thanks Tindall, in all the threads I read I missed yours. There isnt a floor in the body so thats not an issue and sorry guys should have mentioned its a 30/31... and stock 32 chassis.
Having done even more reading - got to love the search function, there looks like a little work around the cowl posts and just the rear of the frame to square up the frame against the body???
I built my '32 frame using a stock center cross member (1932 stock Ford). There is no way the body will drop down over the rails. The frame at the firewall is an inch or so wider than the body even if you cut out the front body mounts as shown on the various posts. It looks to me like the frames shown have been pinched. Either that or my frame got wide some how. PanheadGuy
Do you want to channel a Model A on a 32 frame, or run a highboy, and get rid of the gap between the body and the frame?? ROB
My 31 on 32 rails roadster has what I call a mini-channel. The frame shown was built to stock 32 specifications and a front & rear stock length spreader bar was used as a spacer along with a frame table to assure squareness. The only real alteration to the frame was to spread the rear frame rails out 3/4" per side so the frame would be parallel to the inside of the wheel well. Car sits nice and low and with a transverse rear spring changing height at the back is easy and in fact the car sits 1" higher now. This pic will give you an idea of how the front lower cowl sits over the 32 frame. A small fwiw - the body is Brookville set up for the 32 frame so this will give you an idea of what the trunk is like. The gas cylinder is from a Taurus wagon and too strong for the light Model A trunk lid . . . which means you better be ready when you pop the latch. Gotta do something different there. (The big aluminum bracket was used to figure out angles & ratios and a smaller aluminum bracket replaces the big one.) The firewall is recessed 4". Leaves plenty of leg room for the driver. ChryCo soccer mom mini-van two passenger (middle) seat on a home-made frame and it has two more inches it can slide rearward and five inches forward if need be. Lots of room for the 455 Buick engine. This cut required so the body can drop that last 3/4" over the frame. Chopped 2" 32 windshield posts bolt right to the stock Model A stanchions. A little grinding is required on the stanchion so the windshield can roll back. If you do this, check that a 2" chopped Model A windshield will fit. I think it will, but I'm making my own windshield frame, Windshield mockup. The top bar sits about a half inch lower now and in this pic there is no lower bar so when the frame is done it will look very chopped. The 32 top fits the 31 quite well with the only modification required, section the single horizontal top iron bar 2". Look close and you can see the excess overhang. Using the 32 top with it's slightly tilted forward rear window area looks far better than the Model A tops vertical run in that area. (I have pics of a Model A top and 32 top if you would like to compare those.) All in all, a fairly easy project that makes for a better looking roadster than the all 32 body and frame.
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