My son and I are working on a T project. It's a T coupe that we want to channel over a Model A frame. The problem is the front of the cowl is too narrow to slide over the frame rails. Not by much but enough to cause a problem. I'm sure someone out there has done this before and I need advice. I't running a warmed up banger with a Weiand intake with a Holley 94 on it and a set of headers, and will be fenderless. Can anyone help?
Don't channel it. They look just as good unchanneled, and have more interior room. If the frame looks nice, why cover it up? Unless the body is a pile of rust, why hack it up to channel it? Here is a pic, it's a chopped sedan though. I probably wouldn't do the chop either!
I think you maybe painted into a corner with that idea. If you are running a banger with stock tranny etc, you will not even be able to pinch the frame for the cowl to drop down. If it ain't much, I guess with a bit of work and forward thinking it maybe possible to narrow those bellhousing/tranny blocks and still pinch the frame just a little. Not sure what else could be affected though. If the body is a good one, then think twice cut once or not at all...
Hay, we all look at things different and as most of you guys know I don't think like the Normal bunch of ya. On my 27 on complete A chassis. This one. I actually was going to Channel it. No cutting any of the body panel was needed from my point of view. I was going to take the mid plate to frame mounts out and remove one inch on the Motor side from each one of them. That would give the Cowel more than enough room to slide down over the Frame rails. It would also require the top and bottom Frame flanges on all 4 corners to get a little slice to the outter rail as well as a cut right at the mid plate mounts. Then a pipe clamp top and bottom to squeeze it together and weld up all 6 slices while the mid plate was bolted in place after taking an X measurement to insure it stayed on center line. Nothing real involved or difficult at all but then I stayed the course and went Full Fendered by adding about 6 inches to the running boards and aprons. Just another way to skin the Cat from where I look at things. Hot Rods are supposed to be fun, not difficult. Keep it simple and never believe there's only one way, or like everyone else does it. The Wizzard
You will have to trim the body to clear the frame. Look at this T Bucket, that's what you'll have to do.
Here's another picture of what you need to do. Channeling a steel car requires a lot of cutting and welding. You need to put back what you cut out. You could weld the body to the frame, but you better not want to ever remove it.
If it just a little you could cut 2 slices at the edge of firewall and bend out the flanges to clear the frame. Offcouse you allso need to remove the front of the subframe. Start the widening where the straight part on the firewall start and all the way from the door to front and nobody will notice it.
I onnly need an inch or so on each side. Did you mean cut the firewall on each siode and split the cowl til it slides over the frame and then weld it back up. I didn't understand the part about gong back to the door. The only place I need room is at the very front of the cowl.
Yes thats what i mean. What i mean is that if you start the bend to clear the frame as high and back you can its less chanse that it will be noticed when looking at it. By doing this the lines of the body will be undisturb. If you just bend whats needed to clear the frame you will have a kink on the bodyside. Your other choise is to cut the corner to clear the frame.
26-27 Cowell does not have a flat edge on it. The fire wall is spot welded at the hood side revial and then goes into a radius. Where would you start and stop a vertical cut that doesn't turn into a crease in the side panel? The Wizzard
I would start where the bulge end. By looking on your pics it just need a 1/4 maximum per side. And yes, i forgotten when i first respond that the side have a slightly curve all way down.
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