I need a '32 body measurement, more really, a roadster, but I suppose any will be close in this area. I have a Brookville roadster body and a Rolling Bones Hot Rod Shop chassis. I know the chassis is dead perfect measurement wise, since it came out of their fixture that every other one of their cars has, most of which use Brookville bodies. Here's the issue. I bought this body about a year and a half ago, had a guy metal finish it, do some lead work in the cowl area and get it ready to go. I had a frame I built and test fit the body... didn't fit. Hmmm... It was tight where the wheel well meets the quarter panel in the front, I thought it was possibly my frame. I took the body to a local reputable '32 builder and we tried it on an ORIGINAL '32 frame, same issue, body didn't want to fit, still tight. I put the body off for a while until I got my Rolling Bones frame home to make sure I had the frame I was going to use to fit the body to. Well tonight, I went to fit the body, same shit again. I pulled some measurements and it's 43 3/4" from the side to side measuring inside the subrails where the corner of the wheel well meets the quarter panel. The frame itself is 43 3/4" in the same spot. I'd have to force the body down over the frame the way it is, and with paint, it wouldn't even begin to happen... SOOO what to do at this point? I was seeing if anyone here had this measurement on a '32 body? I'll be at the Springfield swap meet tomorrow and I'm going to stop by and measure some of Brookvilles other bodies. I've never seen anyone have this problem or even hear of it. Reputable builders have seen my body and have told me that it's not right. I'm at a loss of what to do at this point. I've already had problems with the guy doing the metal work, this body just seems to keep giving me problems.I have a feeling Brookville will just tell me to get lost. I bought the body directly from them, and picked it up there in person since there close to home here. So if anyone has this measurement, it'd be greatly appreciated. Here's a picture of the area I'm talking about:
May I offer a suggestion. Since these were new the fit was less than perfect. You may have just incountered a body that is right on the spec. Can you put a portapower in and spread the bottom of the body a bit??
Yep a common prob.Mine measures 44 1/4 but i made all my subrails so did them to suit.Guess that extra 1/2 would solve your issues.You need to cut and weld or if you're lucky heat and spread..bummer.
Yea, I could do that, I've even checked it out and looked to see what I was dealing with, but I don't want to buckle the quarter either, there's not much there to spread without something else giving. I know the fit since they were new was never really the same from one to the other, but I have NEVER heard of this issue with any other Brookville body, no one around here, and the Bones guys have never encountered this either. I'm thinking I just got a narrow body. Yea, the extra 1/2" would DEFINITELY solve my problem.
Here's a picture I took at the Rolling Bones open house. You can see the body has probably 3/8 to 1/2" between it and the frame. My body would be scraping paint off the frame.
Yes I know what you mean. I have a 28 on an original 32 frame with a 6in Zeee in the back. I spread the rear of the body, before the kick up, by cutting the floor cross members and extending them 1 1/2 in. Then had to redo the whole rear floor and rails
I guess I could take out the center cross member and work from there. I already have the rear floor out since the Bones frame uses a different rear floor setup. It's just a huge kick in the ass when you spend upwards of $11k for a body that doesn't fit worth a damn and have to cut apart to make work. It's a matter of getting 1/2-3/4" of an inch overall. I might try to spread it a bit and see what it does to the door gaps and panel fitment.
I only have a Brookville body at home that i setup by myself, but i bought an assembled body 3 years ago and bolted it to an orginal chassis and it was a perfect fit. Michael
Yeah, that is bad... But since you have the rear floor out, you can easly modify the the body crossmember and make it wider.
Why don't you just try calling them and talking to them? The worst that could happen is they tell you to go fuck yourself, and then you're no worse off then you are now. At best, you may be able to solve your problem. With this much invested, go for the phone call, or a trip over there, as it can't hurt! Good luck! Bob
I'm heading there tomorrow. They should be at the Springfield swap meet, if not their building is only about 20 miles away from there. Worst case I see it now... pull out the center crossmember, put in a turnbuckle, hope I get enough room without it buckling the quarters and weld it back in.
Info; WESCOTTS AUTO RESTYLING [800 523 6279 or web] has a dia. of factory specs on 32 frames. wont help this time but nice to have for reif. NEVER use a stock condition 32 frame to set up or for referance. There is nearly always a BULGE top of the arch over rear axel housings. this can extend quite a way, have incounterd this many times in my jig. The cause ; heavy tank of gas, rough country roads and bumps from the rear all add up over the years to drive the rear frame ends down, resulting in the buldge. ANY Aftermarket frame SHOULD not present this problem. Will try to measure this area on my orig. 32 roadster body mounted on mod. orig. frame [perfect fit] Vett rear end control arms may be in the way. Wescott glass bodys mounted on TCI frames some times require grinding in this area. aint repo. fun?
shit for all the time you spent talking about it on here you coulda went out there with a cut-off wheel and a welder and fixed the issue yourself. this is hotrodding not a kit car. sheesh, take care of it and stop talking about it.
Your problem is that you had the body finished THEN built a frame, in your own words. Now you gotta backtrack and make something move to fit, body or frame. Cutting wheel and or monkey on a stick in your future. Thats why you mock things up early on. Good luck.
Thanks so much for explaining this as it clarifies for me why my Brookville roadster body is a very snug fit on an original, stock frame . Needs a good shove to get it on there. I'll have to be very economical with the paint in that area. Chris
its your chassis 9 time out of 10 does the body holes line up? you need to spread the body a bet to fit? mock up in the early bulid up is a must with all the new stuff .
I stopped up at Brookville today, I told them my situation, and come to find out there was in fact a problem with the subrails fittings too tight. It wasn't me going crazy or the frame. They're going to get it straightened out for me and make it right. Stand up guys and a stand up business.
I have had only minor hole alignment issues on the 15 or so Brookvilles I've done, but they've all been on chassis I have built.
please post the results of the repair that brookville recommends. i have the same problem with a perfect original frame and one of their roadster bodies.
My Brookville body was really tight on my chassis. Chassis built on my jig had another Brookville body fit on with room to spare. I just cut the rear crossmember out, shortened it 1/4 inch on each end, then pulled the frame into the crossmember then re welded the crossmember back in. Pain in the ass but by the time could have hauled the body to Brookville I had it fixed.
I'll post what I find. I'm taking the body up there tomorrow. There's a lot of info I have right now on where the problem is and what happened with it. They want to look at my roadster body and decide if their fixtures need to be modified or fixed, from the way it sounds I'm not the only one with this dilemma. I have some pictures that show the misalignment in the subrails, each side is about 3/8-1/2" out, so 3/4-1" overall, pretty big margin there.
you bet... kenny at brookville would never tell anybody to take a walk. been deal'n with him for almost 15 years and they stand behind there product! you'll be happy very soon....
I'm sure I will, sounds like we're going to work together to make sure one of the fixtures isn't screwed up or something, seems to be that the subrails for the roadsters are all over the place, I'd suspect a bad fixture.
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