I'm currently working on a 31 Sedan that's going to sit on a 32 frame. I have frame diagrams from Wescotts & DeuceDaddyDon. I do not have pictures of this specific issue, at the moment. The frame consists of the following parts, and is currently built to 32 dimensions, no pinches etc. -ASC rails -40 Style center X member - Model A / 'dropped 32' front cross member - A Rear cross member When mocking up the vehicle, the front of the rear wheel well sits on the top of the rails. I have trimmed out the rear subrails. Its ~3/8 shy of clearing the rails at the wheel wells on both sides. I'm stuck on cutting the wheel wells, or pulling in the rear of the rails a bit - like Wescotts print has. I see lots of information on the cowls, but never much on the rear. Im interested in guidance on this. Thanks in advance for any help.
During my many years in the chassis business I did countless deuce chassis for 30/31 bodies. I had my own formula which worked for me and my customers. First I used a 1.75 pinched spreader bar at the front and let the cowl width take care of itself. At the rear I pulled the rials in a little over a 1/2 inch on each side which allowed the wheel well area to just squeeze over the rails. I did my own 32 style sub rails over the frame kick up. At the cowl I did something most guys on here don't like but I wedge cut the cowl from the doors forward which allowed the sub rails to sit tight on the frame. Easy to do and the cowl sides ran slightly uphill like a deuce. That also allowed the use of a 2 inch shortened deuce radiator which gave the perfect hood lines. In the rear I always used a 56" housing centered 9 inch rear or a QC. Suspension was about 50-50 between coil overs or a buggy spring.
Thanks Krylon32. Id thought about emailing you again directly, but thought someone else here may need the information as well. Is this along the lines of the cowl pie cut you mention? We'd talked about this before too, but I didn't fully grasp it at the time. You'd pie cut this section, to get the cowl 'foot' down to flat so the subrails were flat & the lower bead followed the 32 frame line a little better? I marked the cut in red.
That's how I did it. Isn't very much, really quite simple and it works. I'm sure there's guys on here with other opinions?
The stock 32 frame and the 30-31 cowl are really close to the same width, the 28-29 cowl is narrower. The stock 32 frame has a kickup from about the hinge pillar. Some leave it is, with a gap between the body and frame or a taper section of the cowl. Some will flatten it which has the advantage of allowing a stock 32 or stock height 30-31 radiator being used. Gary basically moved the kickup forward to the firewall which is kind of a neat subtle touch.
With Krylons post, and a short phone call - I'm going to narrow the rear of the frame, starting at the tail end of the reveal. This should let the wheel wells clear the frame rails. If I get into cutting the cowl, Ill post it. Thanks!
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