Projects 1932 Ford 3 Window with 389 Pontiac

Curious about the plates stitch welded to the outside of the front rails.
As to why they were put on.
I don't see anything that isn't fixable, but, if you have to pay someone else
money to do that, it becomes a tipping point for decision.

 

I'm sorry I can't agree with the new transmission and rearend. I'd use what was there. But that's just me.

 

Don't change a thing...

 

I have an ideal that the plates were put on the outside to stiffen up the rails rather than box them. There was a lot cut away around the steering box. Ken doesn’t have the fabrication experience to do that himself.


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Great lookin' old hotrod. Seems like you have the right idea. Keep it as close to the early config as you can.

 

Just my opinion but I'd save the original frame. I would also run the transmission that is in it.

That Pontiac 389 will definitely put out more horsepower than the original flathead v8 would have. Those plates welded on the outside of the frame most likely were the equivalent of boxing the frame. So if you remove that outside plating you probably will have to box the frame. Since your running fenders, running boards, and its channeled the frame is really covered up anyway. Is it possible to clean up what is there so it looks nice ? It could be a way to keep the strength/history of the frame and at the same time would allow you to keep the original frame and save all the labor/expensive of removing all the plating.

 

That frame is NOT hacked by any means. I could show you worse that's driving on the road today.
Yove got an amazing piece of family history there. I'd lean to rebuilding whats there, motor trans and rear. Keep the frame. Just finess it and finish it a bit more.

 

Im kinda in the same boat with my 40 ... It has been in the family since 62... It has not seen many mods since the completed build in about 67. That being said, I bounce around on what direction to go myself.

I lean towards retaining its soul and building it up as it once was... I look forward to seeing how your build turns out!! Good luck!!

CW

 

You've gotta use that frame. No offense to the shop, but I'd bet the guy doesn't want to work on it without it looking perfect because his name will be on it. And the crude stuff done back then just doesn't fly today. But that's the soul of that car man. That car has a story book longer then you've been alive. Get some local hamb guys over there on a weekend and maybe they can help get the frame cleaned up a little, but honestly I'd just roll it the way it is. The way my dad built it.

I would also run the original trans and rear end. That way you'll have the same feeling your dad did in 1959 when he blasted that car around, proud as hell. These cars are buggys man. They won't ride and handle like a new car. But that's what makes them fun. Nothing beats driving an old car that drives like an old car.

 

That frame is not all that bad peel off all the old scabbed on plates, blast it and get it to a good shop with a good frame jig and someone that really knows what they are doing and they can bring it around fairly quickly. You are not building a show car. As long as the frame is structurally sound and dimensions out right you will have a good reliable base to build off of. I don't know what your shop's rate is but from I am seeing you should be able to save that frame for much less that trying to use a repop. A lot of shops want to take the easy way out. Personally I would save that frame!

 

Preach it brother Chris!!

 

Agreed. And if you are still trying to get it driving in a timely fashion due to your dad's health I think this is the way to go. There would be a lot less hurdles to cross since its already been a running, driving car at some point, vs the T5, open driveline conversion. And with the 389, I'd pull the pan and valve covers, give it a once over, check the valves and see if it will fire if it all checks out. Don't over think it. Just my two cents.

 

For the greasy underside parts, I scrape and brush off as much dirt and grease as I can then blast it with oven cleaner from the 99 cent store. It rinses off with water and doesn't smell afterwards. Do it outside with good ventilation and put down some drip pans to catch the goo. It should clean up nice.

 

Amazing that you are the care taker of Family history . Keep as much of the car as you can and get it back on the road . Drive it and enjoy it. Old cars are a blast to drive. Because you drive them not like the modern day computer on wheels which thinks for the driver.

 

I'm no fabricator, but I can eat crayons in Texas with the best of them.

I made my torch cut junkyard frame piece ... match my frame from a paper pattern .... I read about that here on the HAMB. Just traced my frame with a pencil. With cutoff wheels, and a grinder .... took me about an hour dicking around maybe to shape the patch piece to match my paper. Took less time to cut out my screwed up "on truck" frame piece. Angle vee'd the patch edges and did the same to the new large hole in the frame.

My Snap On tool dealer neighbor had a stick welder. Wish I could claim that part of repair .... but ..... NOPE. He hammer welded it in less than an hour. Laid bead, 2 big f#cking hammers ... with the weld laying between the percussion of BFH's ... cool and repeat. Felt like I could do it .... but chose to just pass him cold beers. I'm great at that.

I didn't take pictures .... because mine was a lame ass, daily late model. I had to improvise because the loser shops in Dallas wanted to swap the whole f#cking frame. F#ck that, and f#ck them !!

I've also never ground off arc welded plates from an old hot rod frame .... so dunno' sh#t about that. (BUT) If this dumbass typing can cut some chunks of metal and cardboard .... so can you.

I'd also love to see it come back close to what it was and better. I think what the ones that know better think .... fix that frame ... and banjo axles are cool as hell. Alot of front engine dragsters smoked the slicks track length with narrowed banjo axles.

I like 5 speeds for long distance but unless you're really doing long distances when done ... why make it more time and cash consuming .... for the here and now ? Great in town hot rod waiting.

 

Cost / time .... just get a new chassis built with all your wiz bang parts , keep the old one and parts maybe you can revisit it in the future as a father son project with your kids when you gain some more time and skill also

 

I can guarantee that once you replace that frame, a ton of other things will snowball on that car needing "redo" or "replacement". You will have a great new straight jig-built chassis, and then find the channeled body doesn't fit straight anymore, and the doors won't close right. So it will require that rod shop to replace all the rockers in the body. And all the wood in the B pillars. That will lead to a complete teardown of the rest of the body to fix all the little cracks/rust/spots and a ton of bodywork and paint.

Then there are all the rest of the minuscule items required to build a car that will need replacing since you have changed the whole drivetrain. All the steering, pedals, exhaust, etc. Where is it gonna end? I thought you were trying to honor your Dad's cool old car and get it done for him to enjoy?

 

Good to see this get featured, Id lost track of the thread.
That shop is trying to talk you into a street rod build, baby stepping you into it. Resist, Fight, Kick, Bite your way outta there and stay traditional.

Really a great build, lets see where you take it.

 

My 2 cents, keep the old frame and keep everything as close to the original hot rod so as not to lose the feel of the original build.

 

Getting that car safe and drivable is job 1. That car is more valuable as close to what is as possible to keep it original. That'll please your wife( $$$) and your dad, since he built the car. Restoring a car is like trimming a tree, good intentions at the start and by the end, what you have doesn't resemble what you had.

 

I have to say that frame is not that bad! Looks very fixable.

I hate to say this but you might want to try another shop. A new frame and a tko is going to leave you with a different car.

 

Just finished reading this whole thread and I hope your Dad is still doing OK.
First off I'm gonna be 81 in 2 days and reading this thread makes me wish I had kept the 32 3wdw I sold back in the late 50s. I'm in fairly decent health yet and have a well equipped shop plus a lifetime of building hot rods and race cars, and a gearhead son who would love to be in your shoes building it for his Dad.
I agree that frame is fixable and not too bad as is for a full fendered car that is built to be a driver and not a showcar.
The driveline I have mixed emotions about, as I realize the time frame pinch plus keeping things as much like Dad's hot rod lean strongly towards using the current trans and rear axle.
But I also know that back inna day it wasn't at all hard to shred the teeth in an old Ford trans or break an axle. In those days I did it regularly with a flathead, LOL. And back then, you could get another rear end or trans dirt cheap at the junk yard.
I know it would add to final cost, but maybe for now build with current driveline, fix current brakes and drive it with your Dad while you can using a "feather foot" until you're in high gear?
Then later on you can install a more modern driveline that will take the power and troque of that Poncho.
Good luck, keep us informed, and carefully consider any advice, including mine, that you get before you implement it.

 

I have to agree with the others - that's a time capsule, and it deserves to be kept the way it was. If you pull the body off and start thinking about a repro frame and other "upgrades", you'll add months, if not years to the rebuild, and it will never be the same car.

Get the brakes refreshed, new fluid lines and get that 389 in there.

 

I have seen the frame in person and since it is channeled no one is going to see the frame we could spend a bunch of time fixing it up to be safe or build a new frame that is strong and safe that poncho motor will have no problem tearing up that old frame keep the frame hang it on the wall as a memento but if it was me I would use the good pieces like the front and rear cross member and let the shop build a good strong frame so you can hammer on the car and drive the hell out of it with no worries


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I saw your car last Saturday. What a great find. I'll be following along in person. You and your dad are going to have a blast.

 

Very well said. Hats off to this comment.


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If you need to be shown one more reason to keep your frame. Now be warned some guys reading your thread have seen these pics plenty already but...
I want to slap these to far to be saved clowns.
Here’s my 32 frame beginnings



Then a trip through my subdivision tri-level turd garage


I’m not trying to steal up this sweet thread or show off. It’s just that these original frames deserve saving.




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^^^^ Damn !!!!

Nice save.

 

Dude that is a whole different level of wow.... Was it a boat trailer to start, or maybe used to storm a castle? Holy cow that is a great job.

 

I'll post some pictures tomorrow if I remember....if you saw the 32 frame I am saving for a friend of mine, you'd realize that yours is almost mint by comparison.

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