Let's build an authentic 1932 frame

Next we'll look at what's involved with installing an original Model-A front crossmember. Select a good front crossmember. There's enough out there to use without having to install rusted out junk. Check the crossmember for cracking and repair if necessary. Weld up all the rivet holes and grind smooth, on both sides.

First of is the 1930/31 (Thanks Corn Fed for the correction) front crossmember. A 1930/31 crossmember has radiator mounts which are lower than the part of the crossmember which goes into the rails. See first two pictures.
This crossmember will sit nice and tightly up against the top of the rails but then it's little leg like tabs don't go all the way down to the bottom flange. (The '32 rails are deeper than the Model-A)
A bigger problem though is that the ends of the crossmember are at a different angle than the '32 rails and will need pie cutting. The pie cut is the same as on the 1928/29 crossmember so it'll be covered in the next post.

To bring the little front legs down and the ends of the trough at the back you'll need to pie cut and clamp them down. Spot weld the V of the pie cut to hold it in place and insert a sliver of same guage metal and weld up.

The last two pictures show the modified crossmember installed. No one will see that you'll modified it. Also the method (as opposed to adding material at the top) will maximise your front drop.

 

The 1928/29 crossmember is very nice. Stronger than the later one. I just fitted my first 1928/29 crossmember last week. I thought it was a truck one when it turned up but the seller told me it was a 1931. Corn Fed later corrected me. These are actually 1928/29. The difference is that the radiator mountings are higher than the part that goes in under the rail which isn't a problem with a Model-A but the wider '32 rails come up over the radiator mount leaving a big gap of air between the rails and the crossmember. See first picture. We'll deal with that problem later though.

First up, for all original Model-A crossmembers, is changing the angle of the end plates to match the 1932. The pictures show the angle problem. Pie cut as shown and bend in. Tack weld and check against the '32 rails before welding up and grinding smooth. When you're pie cutting a little bit of the front tab needs slicing off to make it fit between the rails.

 

So this is how I ended up solving the '28 crossmember problem. I got the photos a bit out of order. The last photo shows how I cut an "L" shaped piece of metal of suitable thickness and welded it onto the end of the crossmember. Then blend in with a flap wheel til it looks like one piece. Any holes, pinholes etc, weld up again and regrind 'til its smooth even inside the frame rails where you won't see it. I'm always conscious when I'm building one of these frames that I'm building something which will outlive me, probably be centuries. You wouldn't want to cause someone a problem a hundred years from now, just because you wanted to rush the job. After its finished paint and let dry. The next day you'll find you can drive it forward along the rails to its correct position with a rubber mallet. Drill the rivet holes out and bolt in place.

 

This is great. Thanks for making the effort to show us.

 

So lets talk about riveting the front crossmember in place. I ***ume you've already installed the rear crossmember and the frame is ready for riveting. Check all your dimensions and check for square.

When you're riveting with the air hammer, almost anything you've clamped in place to hold the rivet in place will vibrate loose. You'll need piller jacks to hold them in place and in some cases you'll have to make a tool to hold a rivet in place. Don't be surprised if it takes you an hour to set one rivet. You have 46 rivets to set in total. With two of us we manage 10 mintues per rivet using half a dozen custom tools I've made up. Reckon on two to three rivets per hour.

First of all - length. Insert a rivet in one of your pre-drilled holes. Compress it in tight with a rivet jack or a special clamp, closing up the two pieces of metal to be riveted together. Cut and grind a 5/16 x 1" rivet so that exactly 15mm is exposed. This will give the best round head. Or champfer the hole a little bit and leave the rivet as is.

Now the rest is a two man job. Get your buddy to heat up the rivet with a gas torch til its orange hot, then move in with the air hammer and hammer the rivet round. In most cases you'll need to re-heat and hammer the tool on it again for best results.

The rivets along the top rails should best flush rivets. Chamfer out the holes in the top rail like in the picture. Next rivet in place as described above, then re-heat and hammer flat with a hammer. Repeat. Now you can grind the top rivets flush when you have finished all three for the authentic look.

Note the pitting effect n the top of the brand new painted rails. This is so easy it's childish, just paint the rails and then as the paint starts drying just go over it again dabbing the brush into the paint. The end effect is rails which look pitted!

 

So lets take a break. Those who smoke can go outside for a cigarette. The first thing outside is the jig I built from a very early '32 V8 frame. It has loads of tools showing me where to locate all the holes, and the crossmembers. It took weeks to build but it was worth it.

Next up is the view from my shop. Rolling corn fields framed by stacks of 60s muscle cars awaiting restoration. So many cars - so little time!

And finally a picture of the laser cutter next door cutting my repro '32 pedals out of 10mm thick steel. The steel is so thick it takes the laser over an hour to laser out 20 pedals.

 

If you want one, a standard '32 frame with Shadow Rods front crossmember costs €3500 plus €200 extra for painting with rustoleum. An original front crossmember costs €300 extra, the heavily modified Model-A rear crossmember, €500 extra.

Ed

 

I have a website in Germany and have been advertising this frame for six months now. I've sold three to Switzerland but not one to the whole of Germany. 80.000.000 people and not one wants one. They're all to busy trying to look cool to build hot rods over here :-( Sad but true.

 

don't know the answer to that one Bob. Have thought about it before but thought it won't make much difference either way.

Ed

 

Ed, I plan to buy some JW '32 rails when I have the funds, just were do you start to measure from, or do they come predrilled for crossmembers?

 

Bob,
The JW rails are very nice, However they have the C notch stamped in them and the way it is stamped It is a dead giveaway that the rails are not "real henry", when I am doing a traditional style frame I use the ASC rails. As they look like henrys with no C notch. as far as measurments go. Get on wescotts fibergl*** site and click on tech and print their 32 ford frame blueprint. Some of the measurements have been a little diffren't from some of the stock frames I have had But for the most part they are dead on. Also if you are building a fenderless 32, move your rear axle center back 1/2" as they look better this way, If you leave it in the stock location the tire looks like it is too far forward of the wheel well. At least that is how I build them anyhow.

 

Ed,
Outstanding work! those crossmember Mods look great. thanks for posting I am going to incorperate Some of your tech into my roadster frame I am getting ready to start.

 

This is a fantastic post.

I ***ume you are going to all this trouble to fool someone that it is actually an original frame? registration authorities perhaps?

 

It's more original than half the restored Mustangs which leave the shop. It's a "restored" original frame. The pitting effect is just a "nice to have thing".

 

Maybe, just maybe, it's to put a "traditional" frame under a hot rod instead of some street rod nonsense, and not about trying to fool anyone, it's about the correct frame for the car...

 

The only replacement parts he is using is the rails......Not much diffrent than replacing quarters, doors and fenders on a 57 chevy...(imean is that 57 chevy original still)...kind of a fine line when it comes to some of this stuff. On a stock 32 the serial number was on the left frame rail, engine (if it was a 4cyl) and the transmission bellhousing. So if the car was parted out several years ago and 3 diffrent guys got each one of the parts that contained the serial number. Who actually has the right to use that serial number for their car?.....I know on harleys 69 and older according to the law the left case is the motorcycle, I have seen guys replace a old harley motor with a new aftermarket motor, and just restamp their serial number on the new motor, Then they sell there old left case to a restorer, Well guess what by law they just sold their bike to someone else, And all they have now is a bunch of parts.....Kinda the same thing with a 32 ford, It doesn't matter what kinda of body you have as the body has nothing to do with the serial number that is used as proof of ownership. ***le goes to the frame, engine, and transmission bellhousing

 

Really nice stuff Edward, thanks for sharing.

Will Kimble

PS: '32 4 cylinder does not have serial # on the block, only on the flywheel housing.

 

You're ALMOST right...the serial number was stamped on the frame rail and the flywheel housing...not the engine itself, nor the transmission bell housing.

 

Flywheel housing/transmission bell housing....You say tomato....I say tamato....LOL either way the flat boss just above the inspection cover, Also the early 32 trans did not have a removeable inspection cover. My 4cly 32 five window was stamped on the left side of the motor (just like the A's were) but it was a B motor with a fuel pump. Numbers were the same in all three places. And when I sold the motor and transmission I ground the numbers off.

 

Question about the top rivets in the front cross member, what kind of tool do you use on those? I have done several model a's in origional 32 frames and ended up threading those rivets and bolting them in. wish i knew about the shadow rods part i used one from posies and added the end plates and feet, the good part about them is the top holes are in and line up in an original frame which is a bad thing if you use repo rails. a couple other things i have found helpful are buy a good powerful air hammer and i usually form the rivets about halfway by heating and using a ball peen hammer forming a sort of round head. Helps keep the rivet straight.
Great series.
PS where are you in Germany? My son and family live in Keil.

 

I'm down in Baveria near the beautiful city of Bamberg, which many will know because of the large US military base there. Also not far from Schweinfurt, another large base.
The flush rivets weren't that hard. Just heat and then set them with the air hammer just like a round head rivet then heat again and keep hitting it with a hammer til it's flat. Then I ground it flush with a flap wheel.

 

Laws change and vary from country to country. The frame number is actually only a copy of the engine number but few 32 Fords still have their original engines and I guess in most cases the ***le remains with the ch***is. I suppose the left rail is the car. Over here you can replace old rusty or bent rails and transfer the number into the new rail. You then take your new frame and the old rails in for inspection and they cut the number out of the old rails and destroy it. They then enter a note on the ***le recording the transfer. It happens all the time with accident damaged cars which get new front clips put in them. I'd guess most of the body shops just weld that bit in the new panel and that's it.

 

Front fender bracket holes.

The pictures show the dimensions / placement of the front fender holes. If you are actually going to build a full fendered car you might want to wait until your fenders are fitted and drill the holes using the fender bracket as a guide but if you're running fenderless or just running cycle fenders you'l want the original fender bracket mounting holes there.

The inside of the rail curves a bit at this point so I used my square with the stock facing towards the holes. See pictures. It isn't a true right angle but if you use my measurements and use the square the way I did you should end up with the holes in the right place.

The measurements back are from the front end of the rails, top and bottom.

The measurements next to the holes are the distance down from the top of the rail.

The holes measure 9mm in diameter.

 

These are the last holes to drill!

All the pictures show the holes with 3 values.

1. The first value is the distance back from the front of the rail measured along the top of the rail. Use a square as shown and mark off a line.

2. The second value is the distance down from the top of the rail.

3. The third value is the diameter in millimeters.


Picture one. Use the set square like this.

Picture two. These are the holes for the front shock. If you've fitted a Model-A front crossmember the front hole will chop into the end of the crossmember so may ****** the drill bit. Use a battery powered drill, they don't kick back as violently;-)

Picture three. The pilot hole for the steering box hole. Drill the hole out to the same size as your guide drill on your hole cutter. I'd advise you to leave the other mounting holes until you've fitted your steering box. You can then drill through from the steering box and get your holes in the right place.

Picture four. These are the first two of the three fender mounting holes for the front fender. The hole 47 5/16" back goes through the K-member leg. If the hole is still there in your K-member leg, you can drill it through from the inside.

Picture five. This is the rearmost mounting hole for the front fender.

 

Edward, a great how to thread. Thanks for including all the nitty gritty details. And you are very generous sharing your trade secrets!

The frames look fantastic.

Mart.

 

And now we're finished. This is the finished frame. This one has a '32 rear crossmember but that'll be replaced with a Model-A. When fitting your rear crossmember it's best to do this with your rear axle, spring hangers and spring in place. You may be using a different rear end. You may want to increase your wheel base by 1/2" to center the rear wheels. Don't forget to trial fit your tank if you intend to use a stock type tank to check for clearance issues. The tank will also space the rails at the rear correctly.

Any questions, you can email me at ed@edsrodshop.de

The pedal boxes still aren't ready but should come in tomorrow. I'll post pictures as soon as they're here.

Right now I'm working on converting a '36 rear axle and bones to a true triangulated 4 link system using Model-A front wishbones as the upper links. As soon as I've finished it I'll post it.

Cheers

Ed

 

This is incredible. Thanks so much!

 

Not really Mart. It'll take you so long to do it without all the special tools I've made that it'd be better just to order one from me. 3700 Euro including rustoleum paint. By the time you've bought (and in your case imported) a pair of rails, a K-member and front and rear X-member, the rivets and the riveting tools you won't have much change left over i think;-) I think shipping to England would be about 400 Euro.
Still you don't need one, you found one behind a cricket pavillion didn't you?

Ed