Yes, I searched first.. My friends early 70s streetrod with Corvair IFS, etc. It was crashed and the frame is racked. His goal: a 32 framed highboy with no body mods to the cherry, good paint, body shell. He prefers transverse front and rear spring setup. On the searches, I read that the only "flat top" 32 frame made for A's is the Brookville?, and that those are not pressed rails, they are welded plates with sharp radiuses? And what about the cowl pinch? And what happens in the rear wheel arch area? He sent me pics of a repro (coil rear), perimeter frame, that the 32 rails "end funny" in the rear wheel arches? Any help is good, thanks.
Fairly certain you'll have to cut the rear section of floor subrails to clear the rear rail hump. There is a kit made out in Colorado to do this.
Thanks, Do you know where we can find a pic of how his are done towards the rear arches? I forgot to say that a flat top is not a "must have", and if the frame is a 32 style sway back, does anyone make those wood body shims to fit the A body? By the way, that is 40+ year old laquer paint on a mint, never rusted body. That's why he can't do a mini-channel.
I never looked at the rear floor in his car, but if it needs cutting there, that's not a big issue. Saving the exterior paint, and getting a quick build is most important. Edit; here is the only rear pic I have here.
The pinch for for the cowl on a 30-31 is only about 3/4", and it is mostly for appearance. We're doing this coupe for a friend of mine,.. other than the pinch and a little work on the firewall foot area,... it's just a pair of reproduction rails, on stock 32 Ford frame specs. and of course modified rear sub rails on the body.
Harms Way; how and where to the 32 rails end at the back? Just at the back pan? And it sounds like the rear rails don't need to be pinched inwards? That looks like what he was talking about. How about body tapered shims?, you made yours?
Just screw an oak strip to the top of the rail and make it flat with a disc grinder, take it off, seal it, paint it black, put back on the frame, done.
The Brookville 32 Ford/30-31 high boy frame is a very nice, well fitting frame. It has a quality look and the requires very little DA work to paint or powder coat. Brookville will set the frame up for you, engine mounts, trans mounts, frame horns or no horns, rear cross member configuration for cross coil overs, cross spring, or what ever. Calumet Collision Hot Rod shop just did one for a customer and although this was rougher body it still did not require any outer surface mods that would require body/paint work. The quality or "proper" look your after really requires the proper fit to the body to rails and the "pinch" at the cowl---no matter whos frame you use----in my opinion BILL RINALDI
We abbreviated the rails approximately 6" behind the rear cross member, and the back of the frame was not modified, there are a number of really good threads here on the HAMB on putting a 30-31 Coupe on Deuce rails. This body actually sat on a totally stock 32 ch***is, while the body guys chopped it, I will look to see if I can find some pictures.
Give Gary a call at Blackboard Hot Rods. He built the frame under my '29 A Roadster and one for my buddy with a '31 A Coupe. Both are very nice, well-built frames, done at a very reasonable price. Gary is a good, honest guy, and was great to work with. http://www.blackboardhotrods.com/ Malcolm
Harms Way, that A looks really good. Do you know the diameter and manufacturer of the rear tires? They seem to fill the wheel wells nicely.
F&J, here is a pic of the '29 I have been helping 56 NoBrakes build. The ch***is was built by Duane at the Kiwi Konnection. This will give you some idea of how much subrail must be cut out. We also bobbed the frame just behind that rear most round tube crossmember.
Wow, I picked a good day to ask for help...everybody sitting around waiting for the call to slice the turkey... Thanks for all the help so far, and also that subrail pic really tells me where the rear rails end up. thanks a lot.
You're velcome. Some here may disagree with me, but after doing the '29 build I believe that placing the A on the duece frame is not going to be a "quick build" as you wrote in post #5. There was a lot of fabrication involved for our build. I wish I had a pic of the replacement subrails we fabbed but I checked and no joy. Your results may vary, but in the end nothing looks as good with a Model A highboy as a duece frame. Good ruck.
This might be an interesting read for you,... Model A body on 1932 frame subrails Model A on deuce rails
I'll second the Blackboard hot rods frame. An unbeatable price and after hanging out with him, it's obvious he is very meticulous and only will ship a frame when it's up to his standards.
I'll add another for Gary at BlackBoard Hot Rods. I had him do a perimeter frame for my brookville bodied roadster, and he did an excellent job and is very reasonable, not to mention great to deal with. He delivered my frame to me at the race track in Fontana, since he was in the area and I also was for a school related trip. Would definitely do business with him again.
Blackboard Hot Rods. http://www.blackboardhotrods.com/ LRS Ch***is. http://www.streetrodderstuff.com/ Riley Automotive. http://www.riley-auto.com/
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