Hot Rods So how long does it take to make a dadgum frame?

This sounds like a great chance for some of the lesser known pros to stick your foot out and build a chassis for 3wLarry.
Is everyone really that busy.....
Good Luck, I hope to see a thread called " building a chassis for 3W Larry" soon.

 

Sure, but they spend six months beforehand gathering all the parts. Bob

 

I feel for you Larry. As for the "buy a welder and do it yourself" mentality, a lot of us us don't have the years it takes to become competent in welding/chassis fab/suspension wizardry. You can hire talent and experience, but you can't buy them at the Lincoln store. At least Larry can do paint and interior work so he won't be waiting on THOSE clowns, right, Larry?

 

Larry, if you had a fellow who has done rod building frame work,
and a stock A frame (or the dimensions) it takes only 2-3 days to rough out
a 'stock' frame from 2 x 4 stl tubing. The greater time is in the details.
Add a morning for a "Zee" if yours requires one.
(The frame rail notch 'flare' out to the rear width, equals [3] hacksaw blade kerf cut-widths)
Paul's frame thread covers a great deal of the process. He used (wears) suspenders...And a belt! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/frame-basic-frame-fabrication-condensed-version.87556/
I would trim the front frame horn profile in, beginning at the radiator.
Less fab time, depending upon the look you are after.

 

True, however there's sure to be welding needed for body, brackets, tabs etc. At least a small mig any child can operate sure beats running around town constantly.

 

Are you comparing Larry to a small child?
Small children everywhere are going to be insulted.

 

This 27 is built on a pretty much stock A frame. How close is this to what you want as far as frame/body esthetics? KISS seems like a good plan to me. Buy a stock mint frame and you are half way there.

 

If Oklahoma was closer to California I'd swap the frame work for upholstery in my truck. So I'm no real help.
How about we start a HAMB barter program

 

The local kids are used to it. He spends his mornings on the porch declaring his superiority.

HAMB barter program, excellent idea. I don't have any specific automotive talents to offer but I have a forest of redwood trees and a saw mill.

 

i look at this type of project like a GOOD glass of wine, a properly prepared seven course meal or a FINE cigar. all done with the RIGHT people. it needs to savored not rushed through. it needs the ritual of hunting the right parts, finding the unique pieces that make it special. getting the look and feel, without the compromise, rushing adds to a build.
avoid 1-800-please-send-me-a-hot-rod-like-everybody-else's-from-the-orient-dot-com

 

I guess I could just put it on the real nice stock Model A frame I've got sittin in the corner like this T roadster is...

 

Everything we do in life is with compromises, you just have to decide what your priorities are, time of build, cost of the build, details of what parts are going to be used in the build and what you are willing to compromise on, then proceed with the build and be sure to take plenty of pictures to share with us!

 

belair
That's about the funniest thing I've read here in a while!
My wifes not gonna like it when I tell why there are coffee stains all over her notebook pc.

 

A small child would just modify a Model A frame and get to work! Time is money or whatever. The days are ticking by! No window Larry should be working on the body and getting things together.
As for him buying welding equipment and other frame building things to learn himself.....remember the thread about the guy with the frame that fell apart because an amateur built it! We don't want his cat getting hurt!

 

Larry, I didn't read through your entire thread on the history and finding and purchasing the car. So, even though the frame is gone I don't know if anybody knows exactly how the frame was constructed.

But by looking at this photo, it looks like maybe an entire Model 'A' frame was used front to rear with some modifications made to fit the 'T', and maybe the portion of the 'frame' that follows the contour of the body is just more of a separate piece welded onto the sides of the 'A' frame rails.

You could have a simple 'A' frame built to fit your needs. That would be much quicker and cheaper than a one-off custom frame. Then, mount the body & bed and have a thinner gauge (easier to bend) sheet metal 'cap' made to match your body. Have it welded on and blend the welds where it shows, and you'd have exactly (in appearance) what the original Hot Rod had.

 

Yep.

 

To save some time and money you could get a welder and build your own frame but just TACK it together. Then take it to a good welder and have it finish welded.

Or cut and fit the pieces then take them to the shop. I have done this when I was building something and did not have a good welder. It helps if you know a guy.

 

No mater what you do GOOD LUCK!! you'll make it killer .

 

I built my first T bucket exactly that say. I cut it all out and carried the pieces to a friend who welded it all up. On a lot of the smaller pieces I tacked them together with a little Monkey Wards welder with welds that held good enough to take the part to my buddy to have him welded up.
Most of the time is going to be spent in cutting and fitting with only a few hours of running beads if it is like most frames.

Just a thought. Goodguys is in Fort Worth The first weekend in October. I'd think that more than one vendor would have a Model A or 32 style perimeter frame ready to go at "show price" If you are patient enough to wait until around noon on Sunday the price usually gets even more friendly.
Or go a bit further afield and contact one of the "production" frame builders that knocks out several a week. That would probably mean truck freight but it might go a long way on the time line thing.

 

Larry, have you considered some of the smaller shops like @bobbleed or @Salt Flats Speed Shop? Both those guys are super-competent in the frame building department.

 

just so we get the lingo correct between frame and rolling chassis...

. Last time I quoted a guy $1,000 for labor to build a 32 frame , he started bringing wishbones , rear and front end , motor trans. And shocks...

I said FRAME ......what he wanted was a rolling chassis, I said not for 1,000 bucks , his response was.... It's only a couple little brackets... Shouldn't take you long.... I sent him packing

Sounds like what you want is a rolling chassis to bolt your body on .... So in reality that is a complete hot rod build really minus paint interior and wiring

Maybe that puts the time/cost issue in better perspective?

 

^^^A little bracket or two?
How hard could that be...
Sounds like the r-e-s-t of the build? As to $$$, agreed!

 

The frame on this T on an A frame, is among other things Z'ed in the rear. Deuce frame rails would not require a Z......just saying.

 

While nothing is being done on Larry's frame, can we find out who built the first Z'd frame? Did someone build one before him and standing on the other side call it an S'ed frame? Bob

 

Any time someone brings in "something easy that won't take long" that has never done such things, it makes me cringe! The reality is 95% of the time, the guy will think your ripping him off. Most often I would be better off sitting on my butt looking out the window rather then busting my butt making an unhappy customer that is going to tell everyone he meets how badly I screwed him over.

Larry thinks he knows what he wants but can't even make a sketch of it. Then he has ideas on how it should be done, in his mind, so that will save him a bundle of money, even though several people have told him a couple of better ways. Then he has unreasonable time frames, and expects someone to drop whatever they are doing to do his project NOW. Like mentioned above, I think he wants a custom built rolling chassis that he can bolt a body on, for less then the going price of a production built frame. Good luck Larry, I'm too busy. Gene

 

The first problem is what you want it made from. Nobody makes frames out of dadgum anymore!

 

Best post in this thread!!!!

Roo

 

damn gene...did I piss in your post toasties or sumthin? Why do you keep mentioning saving money? I never said I wanted a custom built rolling chassis.I want a frame to set my body on...that's all this thread is about. It ain't about money.

 

Man I am sure glad a newbe(me) didn't start this thread!! He(I) would have burned at the stake for not building it myself! Just finished mine!! Pete

 

25 bucks an hour? You need to get this buy back on his feet. Sober him up, get him laid, get her laid, get her lawyer laid, whatever it takes. Plus with his welder at your place you can learn to weld the small stuff together, then claim you did the whole thing yourself.