I have a 32' Ford Roadster Brookville body, new boxed frame, pinched 3/4" on both sides, Brookville shell, Rootlieb 4-piece hood. I am getting down to the nitty gritty and need some seasoned advice. Where is the best starting point for fitting the body, hood and shell. Also, whats the max I should have the body sitting off the frame on rubber mounts? Thanks in advance!! BigJ
32 Fords did not use a set of rubber mounts. Henry used a gasket type of heavy canvas belt material. Most decent rod shops have it. I buy mine from Lobecks. Theirs has a sticky backing on one one. It ends up about 3/16ths ... or maybe 1/8th installed. I always bolt the body down snug. Then I go to the cowl area and get the doors fitting. The deck lid ( rumble lid ) can be adjusted side to side and up and down no matter much how the cowl is adjusted. Then I mount the radiator and the shell. The hood goes on next. LOTS of shimming and adjusting to get the shell in the right place so the hood fits properly. LAST I usually have to shim the fuel tank up a little to get a good fit between it and the body. FACTOR in all your stuff is repro ... and just keep ypur patience. It just takes time.
Notice Deuce Roadster's car is setting on it's tires. If you jack the frame in a weird spot to make adjustments, then set it down on it's tires, the alignment may be off again. Even the most rigid frame will flex a bit.
Everything Deuce Roadster says is on the money, and when I've done all that my goal has always been to end up with paint stick gaps???
And you will have to do it all AGAIN ... when you blow the roadster apart for paint. You can mark your shims ... be real careful and all but the fact is ... you will be starting all over agian when set the body back on after painting the chassis and the body.
Duece Roadster gave you excellent advice. I'm wondering why you have a pinched frame with a 32 body? I mounted my body in similar fashion to Duece's. I first bolt down the front and rear alone, then check and shim the gaps in between. The frame to body welting is also available from Mac's in either the plain or with self stick. Use a hole punch to cut the holes for the bolts. Jim
Great advice. I'll also ad that you can drill a couple of 1/8" holes through the floor rails into the frame (once everything is where you want it) and use those as alignment holes after paint, to aid in the refit/assembly. Also through the firewall feet into the frame, door hinges into the doors and radiator feet into the crossmember. Helps to keep chipped paint at bay!
I had a lot of trouble with the gap between the cowl and the hood. The gap at the bottom was about 1/2 wider than at the top. Brookville body, original firewall, original shell, Rootleib hood, ASC rails. Couldn't lower the radiator/shell without the hood hitting the frame. Would have had to raise the front of the body a huge amount. Had already reworked the top of the frame where it kicks up in the rear to get the back of the body down so the gap between the tank and the body was correct. This should have helped my problem. Borrowed original hood and shell from freind thinking that might have been the problem, fit the same. Made patterns off of unmoslested frame of the side elevation, mine checked out almost exact. Never could figure what was off. Ended up bending the front of the frame down about 5/8" from the firewall forward. Everything fits fine now and cannot tell I bent it.
I pinched it to hide the gap between frame rail and hoodsides when you don't run fenders.. thanks for the info
This link is to a how-to on a '30-31 roadster, mostly relevant here: http://abarnyard.com/workshop/door-2.htm The two bolt lugs on a '32 cowl, right by bottom area of firewall, are adjusters, remember...tension there tilts the cowl, which is your ground zero.
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