Projects Can Anyone Identify this Old Frame?

This is in the field behind our house, reasonably complete and begging to be made into a speedster.

 

the boys here tell me this is '28-'29 chebby… is the shock the same ?

 

Looks like it to me.

 

not a chevy, no torque tube. unusual to see drop center rims with wood spokes.

 

Those six lug wheels with that style cap retainer....look GM to me.

 

That spoke wheel would look nice hanging on the wall in my living room.

 

wouldn't the round front axle be dodge?

 

The round pinion flange looks a little "Dodgy" to me.

 

Early GMC had "GMC" on the back of the axle housing. Also the front crossmember doesn't look right for GMC. I have a 29 and this doesn't resemble mine.

 

International.....or Dodge ?

 

yup

 

Pull that baby out so we can see the front axle.....

 

See if you can find a number on those shock absorbers as that will narrow it down too. Apple Hydraulics has a chart with part number range and what used them. And like others have said a clear pic of that front axle would help too.

 

If I had room for it I would have already made an offer on it, (they have an assortment of rotten lumber, old tires and rusty barb wire, I was going to offer to haul it all away and clean up the area a bit. Failing that, $100) I might make an offer on it anyway but I don't want to get them all worked up thinking they have a priceless piece of automotive history.

But there's some good information here that gives me an idea where to look on the frame for better identification.

 

I'll check.

 

Wheels look Buick to me. And the frame in back has some Buick like features. I'll suggest around 1929-1931 Buick.

 

270, the rear axle is open drive not like a Buick torque tube.

 

Shock arm is different than SJ's maybe-chebby, axle end rotated 90 degrees at connecting link. Shock body design is probably common to many marques.

I can't clearly see what tb33+ is looking at to think it's a tube axle. If so, it could be Franklin, Hupmobile, etc., etc., as well as all Mopars. Is it an Elliott type axle? That would probably put it in the 20s.

If in reasonable shape, rails would be excellent for a vintage Indy/"Big Car" project.

Procure it, break it down, save mainly the rails (won't take up much room), maybe the cross members if they can be shortened; toss out the front and rear axle, or sell them to your buddies for trailers, or research to see if they are Duesenburg or Rolls Royce, etc., then put them in Hemmings; clean, paint, stain and varnish the wheels, sell one to harpo, use one for a hose reel, sell or set up on either side of your driveway entrance the other two.

Tell the owner you "could use it for a trailer I'm thinking of building, although I'd probably have to replace the running gear with more modern axle/wheels", not "I'm building a Maserati Indy car replica".

 

Studebakerjoe, I see a rear that has an open drive "look" to it, but it also appears identical to a 30 Buick Marquette rear.
However, the Marquette wood wheels used 10 spokes, while the frame in question has the 12 short wood spoke wheels typical of Buicks around 1930, so I'll admit I'm not sure what we're looking at.

 

front axle looks round in the photo, not an I-beam.

 

Desmo heres a better look at why he thinks tube axle. 270, we also don't know what's happened to it over the years. It could be a mix of parts as well.

 

I was thinking the same thing.

 

1930 Buick Marquette had open driveshaft and the frame looks correct. 1929 big Buick had different trans crossmember.

 

greybeard, I agree with the Marquette rear, but the front shock setup is different and there are 10 spokes Marquette vs 12 on this frame. Maybe Lasalle? Or Viking or?

 

Had the same thoughts of a Lasalle, because they also had wheels that look like the ones on the mystery frame.

 

I have a 1931 Buick; has wood spoked wheels, ten spokes as I recall, so not likely compatible with the 6 "lug" hub shown in the pics. Also, I don't think they were drop centers. Not very accessible, or I'd go take some pictures. I plan on building a vintage Indy racer using the rails, eventually (Future Project No. 17).

 

Desmo, any plans for the rear axle?

 

1931 Oldsmobile? 12 spoke wooden wheels. Open drive rear axle. The chassis pic isnt great but the axle ends look round like in the op pic and the front shocks are the same style with the same type arm and link. What does evveryone think?

 

'30 Oldsmobile… neat...
Some of the guys use those early GM frames under model As and '32-'34 trucks as they tend to follow the body's shape more than a stock A... and they have a very handy frame kick up...
Weld on a pair of model A frame horns, an A crossmember and you have a cool hot rod frame...
and mine was real cheap...
.
I have another '29-'30 chebby-ish frame cut off just before the kicks, $25.00...
the cost of a Montreal steak...