Thread: whose Chassis does everyone like?

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I have a Pete & Jakes 32 highboy w/ ladder bar rear and I beam front. I’m putting a 302 in it and using flathead ford mounts. Have had a few problems w/ the mounts but Pete and Jakes has been great. They were willing to ship the frame.....yes frame back to their factory at there expense to fix the issue. I am happy with their service. I think it is the luck of the draw. Some of the best builders have bad days. It is how the company deals with their problems that make all the difference.

Here is who I used www.nnfiberglass.com
I work for Meguiars so I have the benefit of seeing everything everyone has out there. They have great quality and a good price.
Hope to have my car done in about 3 weeks and so far it has been perfect

I like my own!!! I start with a set of Deuce rails, put them in the jig and build everything the way I want it. Nothing against the store bought frames, I just like to put my own together, it gives me a lot more flexiblity in the build... Just another fussy geezer, I guess.!!

I used a SoCal frame and can't say I was totally happy with it - the frame was too narrow in the rear for the stock gas tank or spreader bar. Plus, I found out the hard way that you can't remove the trans with the motor in place - sure it has a drop out trans mount, but the mount for the rear traction bars goes under the trans output shaft. Plus, their brake pedal hit the clutch throwout arm (with an Ansen scatter shield) and clutch linkage was not offered or easy to build.

That was only a small part of my problems with SoCal. I'll save the rest for another time.

Real old post, but.....

The Brookville '31 that I'm finishing up has a TCI chassis. The only problem that I had besides some gouged aluminum and scratched chrome parts they reluctantly replaced, is the fact that the welded in SB Ford motor mount brackets were installed 1" too far back. In one respect, it helped as far as front of engine to radiator clearance, but it required me to cut the Brookville firewall (which was supplied wrong as well) and move it back another 2 inches. That is, 1" for the TCI screwup and 1" for Brookville supplying a 3" rather than the 5" recess I ordered. I probably have over 3" water pump to radiator clearance. It looks good with the engine way back.

As far as ground welds, some were a bit more than I liked but still within reason and cleanup with my grinder. I originally painted the frame and filled in the areas that couldn't be smoothed out but then had it powdercoated which removed my filler - but the powder coat material did a good job of refilling anyhow.

Check the engine setback. Not too bad of a tradeoff for a couple of screwups.

Originally Posted by new 32 roadster

I used a SoCal frame and can't say I was totally happy with it - the frame was too narrow in the rear for the stock gas tank .

Most aftermarket chassis will be too narrow ...
They build purposely them narrow ... to go under a wide variety of bodies from different manufacturers. So it is easier to have the frame a little too narrow ... so the body will fit down over the chassis. Even a original 1932 Ford chassis ... will sometimes have a fit issue with a repro fuel tank



That's the reason I prefer to use original Henry Ford issued frame rails and fuel tanks when available

Originally Posted by Deuce

Most aftermarket chassis will be too narrow ...
They build purposely them narrow ... to go under a wide variety of bodies from different manufacturers. So it is easier to have the frame a little too narrow ... so the body will fit down over the chassis. Even a original 1932 Ford chassis ... will sometimes have a fit issue with a repro fuel tank


That's the reason I prefer to use original Henry Ford issued frame rails and fuel tanks when available

Sound great - but you have the corner on the originals - so the rest of us have to make do with aftermarket and fix to fit.

You know I am finding all this out now. I recieved my frame rails last week, along with other parts. The Vintique SS spreader bars are too narrow, if I go by the blueprints for the frame. About 5/16" in the front and 7/16" in the rear too narrow. Now I don't want to have a problem putting the tank, etc. in so I am going to fabricate my own spreader bars. I'm using seamless tubing and will either powder coat or have chromed, not sure which. Also I am not boxing this frame, I am going with Model A front crossmember, 32 Ford K member, and a modified 40 Ford rear crossmember. I may put in some partial boxing plates, but they will have holes as in the late 30's fords.

If you already have the NICE SHINY stainless steel bars ... why not just make a small spacer ... or even washers. Once installed ... they are not visible. I did this on a friends 32 for him.

I made a one spacer. Just put the spreader bar end down on a metal piece the thickness you need and trace it out. Trim to fit and sand and detail ... SIMPLE ... and 4 hours shot ( I work s - l - o - w )

Maybe, if I had the spacers chromed or better yet make the spacers out of SS and polish them. I just didn't want to make it look like it had been slapped together with parts that didn't fit.

Just trying to respond once in a while as I work out a time consuming job that should be done by September. I guess you have seen the picture of a
'33-'34 Ford Tudor (original) with a block under the left front wheel at the same time another block is under the right rear wheel? That shows the ability of the early Ford frame to twist although the front and rear axles are straight. That means that the early U-channel frames were designed to twist but when one uses a rigid boxed frame the suspension has to allow any such twist. I am quite pleased with the '29 Brookville frame I have since it is obviously jig welded and very straight but my four bar set up will have to handle any such twist. So what I am wondering is why you are avoiding a full boxing of the frame? With modern four bar suspension you can have strength and twisting ability. I guess the X-member weld-in kits help the strength a lot but you might also want to box the region near the engine mounts with a modern engine. The early original engine mounts bounced around a lot and often cracked the steel part of the mounts due to vibration from 4-bangers but maybe a V8 is a lot smoother. If it were me, I would box the frame in the front and around the X-member at least, but the width problem is something you have to work out yourself. I will say that my Bebops 'glass body mount holes are spot on the Brookville mounting holes. I have other problems but the frame is not one of them.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist?/Teen Rodder

The reason I'm not boxing is I'm using a 37 rear (single cross springand an original K member/39 tranny and a flathead V8.

Ralph, that sounds very good, exactly what I wanted to do but I could not find a good flathead. I still have a Merc 4" crank and rods but the North Pole is not close enough to talk about boxing and sending a crankshaft even if you wanted it. After the Internet settles down the next thing we need is a low cost Teleporter!

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist (?)/Teen Rodder

More thoughts on Boxing. The more I look at it the more I am thinking I may have to box the front portion of the frame. The model A crossmember is full width, but it still does not go all the way to the flat sides of the rails, leaving a gap of about 3/8" in front and 1/2" in rear. Very hard to weld in with any kind of strength. Add in the fact that I need a solid place in which to weld the front motor mounts to, and boxing seems to be the best solution. But I cannot box the drivers side rail all the way back to the K member because I will be putting in a 56 ford truck gearbox. By the way, does anyone have measurements or a pattern as too the exact location of the steering box? Does it go in the same basic location as the original 32 box?

Since you have new, blank rails, you can just about put it anywhere you want. That being said, the "ideal" is to have the pitman arm in alignment with the rear mounting/pivot point of the hairpin/split bone/4 bar, whatever (unless you're using a stock style wishbone).
You might be interested in this to get, or use as a guide to making your own; http://www.speedwaymotors.com/p/6002...temNo=91632021