Trying to figure out what this frame is for found on my uncles property it was there before he bought the property 40 years ago. Any help would be appreciated.
Definitely 1928 to 1931 Model A Ford. Post question on fordbarn.com to narrow it down further. I think the brake cross shaft will narrow it to 1931 but I am not sure. There should be a serial number on the left frame rail behind where the body bolted and you can get it to within a couple of months. Charlie Stephens
The other way to tell if it is a 28-29 or 30-31 is the running board brackets. 28-29's had cast brackets where as the 30-31's were stamped.
Pulled the frame out and found the serial # Feb 1931. Now I just have to figure out what body was used on it.
Well, unless you find the body, laying nearby, you'll never know what it was originally. The frames were the same for all passenger cars and light trucks
Not exactly; there were at least 3 different front cross members, a couple different emergency brake cross shaft arrangements, and different holes/brackets depending on month of production. Similar, yes; same, no.
I knew I should have been more precise. I assumed everyone would know what i meant by "the same". Yes, there were variations, by year and by design. For the pedantic, the frames were the same, at the time of assembly. As the chassis moved down the line, any body could have been dropped on it.
Onliest clue to body type, and a partial clue at that, is spring leaf counting AND measuring. Parts book would take you part way there, but then you also need Marco's chart of spring leaves from over on Ford barn as there were DIFFERENT springs for different bodied with SAME count but different thickness of some leaves! Crazy and unproductive but interesting research project. Some plants stamped rear spring count at I think left rear of frame to tell the assembly gang what was needed for the scheduled body drop. Start at front...10 or 12 leaves...I think 12 was only a HD dealer install for dirt road farmers, not original assembly. Many choices in back. Chart here... http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=93655&highlight=spring+leaves Complicated, requires color coding, will drive you crazy...the letters at bottom are key. They identify the part number suffix for each spring to correlate it to body type. Have an aspirin!
Bruce, TMI man. Bruce will always have the absolute most correct and complete answer to anything old Ford. Glad you chimed in. In answer to the original question that frame is for a traditional T on an A frame build. Or if it is "FOR" free it is for a traditional gas/fuel roadster build at the beaner's house.
As a further key to decode the Marco chart...page 580 in service bulletins pictures the springs and lists by bodies applicable for each. Needs to be combined with the marco chart to fully ID the ones that have same count with different leaves... The C spring with 7 leaves is the winning ticket...that means you found a roadster, even though no one can tell... take two more aspirin, do not pass GO.
Looks like he's got the rear spring still mounted, so he might be able to narrow the body style down a little. Has anybody ever seen the supposed stamping at the rear of the frame with a spring count? Any pics?
I've seen pictures on Fordbarn. Don't remember exact location, but logically it would be at a rear corner. Again, I don't remember, but perhaps on bottom, since frame went down the line upside down until axles were on and it was flipped for engine and body. I believe it was connected with certain of the 30 odd assembly plants, and was not a generalized Ford procedure. To complement that...a number of the plants stamped 2-letter codes identifying the plant on the body crossmember at the rear of the removeable floorboard. There was a number, possibly indicating sequence position of that particular body! Some of the Ford Barn people spend their lives peering at old iron through a microscope, then corresponding to get supporting info from their pals...
bruce, please tell me you have an apprentice by now?? if not I volunteer your brain for the first viable brain cloning experiment
Screw cloning I am up for a transplant. Not to kiss Bruce's ass but he has always impressed me, knowledge is a good thing and he never tries to make anyone else look dumb while he is sharing it. Ok Bruce I'll send you a bigger hat now.
isn't that what brain cloning would be... just to mess with him though I think we should have the donor body be some cute young thing..... I can only imagine the faces of guys being schooled on old fords by a young girl.... ok Bruce, I'll send you a Smaller BIKINI now
I'd get that guy with the piece of pipe away from it before he starts beating on it! Looks to be in pretty good shape for sitting on the ground for more than 40 years. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
The Jalopy Journal
