Well it's official. Friday Dennis Lesky of Ionia Hot Rod Shop will be dropping off my '32 frame at my house! Finally there will be some progress made to the coupe and I will have a god look at where the direction of it is going. I can't thank them guys enough for making the trip down to personally drop it off. It just so happens that it worked out perfectly with a trip that Dennis is taking to visit where he was stationed as a young lad. A couple weeks ago I bought one of their frames because I was not quite sure that I was up to the task of building one from scratch. And let face it no matter how good I built it, it still would have been third rate compared to what they are pumping out up in Michigan. I am really excited to see it and get started on my coupe as this will be my first ground up build. I had to sell a bunch of things to make this come true but they were things that I did not need and where only taking up room. Anyhow, I thought I would share my enthusiasm with you guys. Hopefully I will have the frame sitting under the body this weekend just to see where we are at. I'll keep you guys posted incase your interested!
Congrats! Dennis and Matt make some of the most beautiful frames I've ever seen. It's almost a shame to cover them up!
Cool... What are your plans for it? Channeled? Did you have them make the frame to '32 Ford specs... or custom specs for your body?
I bought one of their frames that they had made to a '32 Ford specs. I measure a bunch of times and figured that it was better to start with one that was put together then to start with just a couple rails. Also I figure that this is perhaps how they would have done it in the early 50's. They would have started with a factory original '32 and modified it as they saw fit. The only difference now is that I will do everything in my power not to fuck up what Ionia has done and make changes only if absolutely necessary to the frame. The only thing that I may run into a problem with the the wheel base which as far as I am concerned should be within an 1.5". If I screwed up and measured wrong expect a '31 Chevy body to come up for sale on the classifieds soon because there is no way I am getting rid of the frame now that it's paid for. As for the loose pants, I am going to duck tape myself before he comes so that I don't look like an amateur. Haha!
I'm stoked for you... I think you made a good choice and that body looks awesome... This should turn out to be a really original and timeless car...
Bad photoshop job but this is sort of the proportions that I am going for. I think this would be close to the original deuce wheel base which is shorter then a '31 Chevy. On paper it looks like a match made in heaven, but the real world may bite me in the ass once again!
Photoshop in those black spokes and tall tires that you liked from that highboy A with hoods thread... or the wheel tire combo off the red A with the chop, from the same thread...
I'm going to assume you have never meet Denny in person right? You will be blown away by how modest and unassuming he is. Truely the salt of the earth. You'd be hard press to find a more decent human being on this planet. Please give him a huge hug when you see him and tell him it's from Denise. Oh yeah, congrats on the Ionia frame.
No I haven't met Mr. Lesky ever but I am excited to do so. I will just relay the message instead of actually giving him a hug seeing how he will already think I'm a bit off more then likely. Thank you Denise. I see you not still mad at me for hating BBQ. As for you Whitey, I would like to Photoshop the Wheels that I have unfortunately I do not have a pic of them. I just thought I would give an idea of the stance.
I may sit a bit lower in front when all said and done. I don't plan to run frame horns, instead I will take a bit from the Spencer roadster or The Bones crew and run the front cross member behind the axle. Either way I will be happy.
Now if I could just figure out how I am going to shoe horn that engine in there and still fun the full hood while looking classy I'll be all set.
I'm not 100% sure, but I think your Chevy is the same size as my '32 Olds body... that's what I've been told anyways. I planned on a very similar look for my Olds... but after getting a '32 ford frame ,with stock ford specs... I'll either have to make the frame wider, for a highboy... or just channel the body over the frame. The body is something like 6 inches wider than a '32 Ford... so it doesn't look good sitting on top of the rails. I really hope yours works out for you... I'm not sure what I'm going to do with mine.
Matt and Denis are RULERS!!! you should be proud to have that frame.. I'm sure it will a piece of art..
Looking at that frame under your coupe it looks like it's kinda short and made outta wood... no wonder you need a new one! I plan on calling the IRS soon to talk about building one for a Deuce 5 window...
Man if you want an Idea I have one, have some muscle there and place the body while pop's is still there!!, he'll spend day's....hahaha or he'll tell you "you're on your own" !!lol
You have me nervous. The measurements that I made told me that between the firewall and the rear crossmember things are looking pretty good. From the rear cossmember back I may need to pie cut the rails and widen the crossmember. The front may need to be pinched an 1 and a half but this is all speculation until I actually set the body on top and measure exactly what I am going to need. All in all, I think that making a few modifications to an existing frame is going to ensure a better platform then if I were to make the frame from scratch. And like I said, if it's really "F'd" up I will be looking for a new Body instead.
Well??? He made it home last night. Said it was nice meeting you, the wife and your nieghbor. Have you uncovered it yet??
Yes actually, The only thing is that a few hours after he left we decided that our home needs Hardwoods and I ripped out the carpet through out the house. Now most of the carpet trash is sitting in the garage and taking up all the space limiting my ability to take pics of the frame next to the body. Your father may be one of the greatest people I have ever met. He is genuinely the nicest guy and took an hour and a half to shoot the shit with us. He showed us the process pics of the 125C as well as his '32 RPU. I can't wait to see him again at the GNRS in January. Just a really great experience from start to finish with you guys. Thanks for everything. As far as the pics go, I should have some up sometime this week in between the floors and work. I have to get my '54 Chevy out of the garage before I am able to actually able to give myself an idea of where I am at right now. As I said again, you and your father are awesome to deal with, and I really can't wait put this beautiful frame to good use. I'll keep you posted.
Only an hour and a half!! You must have gotten the condensed version!!haha He got a little lost going to the hotel that night, seems he and your nieghbor typed in the Viginia hotel instead of the NC. hotel. Luckily he stopped and called me about five miles before the NC. hotel and we got him straightened out. Let me tell ya, talking through how to use a GPS you have only used once yourself is tricky, especially from over 700 miles away!
Hahaha!!!! I was laughing my ass off with that GPS situations. Totally reminded me of my father screwing around with a DVD player. My neighbor doesn't know what the hell he is doing but he stepped in an acted like he did. We thought he was going to Virginia that night so that must have been where the problem arose. If you father would have I could have talked to him all night and picked his brain on some stuff. Of coarse he would have probably had to punch in and get paid with all the questions I could ask a man of his knowledge. Haha! Is nice to know he got back home without a national manhunt called. Those GPS's are the devil.
dude...ya shouldn't be poopin in the garage...we always just go outside... looking forward to the pics...
My dad wanted me to post this picture he took in Virginia Beach. Just goes to show you are never too far from the hamb!
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