Forgive my total cluelessness. I've been searching my local classifieds lately for a hot rod project. I come from a bike building background but am I total newb with cars. I did a google image search and searched around on here but couldn't figure it out. The ad just says 1930's car frame. Anyone got any idea what it is? If it's useable the price is right.
Sure it's usable. For what? Hang around here long enough and you will be amazed at what guys can do. But can you do it too? Gotta be realistic.
Chevy or Dodge. Without seeing the rear or the axle it is a little hard to tell. But both GM and Dodge use parallel leaf setups.
The front cross member doesn't look like the one on my '29 Chevy. Can you get some more photos, and maybe some measurements of the leaf spring length, and center-to-center of the front axle spring pads? There is a link to a straight axle website around here somewhere that would help to match some of this info if you could post it on here. Most cars from the '20's to the late '30's, and trucks well into the '50's used dual front leafs like that, so it could be just about anything. Later, Kinky6
International used parallel leaf springs too. Mine all have Ross steering boxes which are clearly marked. I can't tell what that box is from the picture.
need better pictures! keep doing the research, i think that frame might be for a "big" car. it looks like it has fancy shackles, a set up for the big tube bumpers and with the crossmember over the front axle i would bet the radiator/grill shell sat even with the axle.
That could be Dodge from the late 20's too as those were pretty rugged frames for the time. I had on that I tried to use on one of my early attempts at a roadster. This is the late 20's Chevy frame that I have for a project that someone hacked the rear crossmember out of before I got it. Almost everything except Ford had parallel leaf springs in that time period so it could be from one of several hundred different cars. More photos with good shots of how both front and rear springs mount, the crossmembers and the front axle and rear axle if it has one might jar someone's memory of what it started out as.
This might help. Posting from my phone and it will only let me attach one pic at a time. If this doesn't jar someone's memory I can post more.
If the price is right grab it! You can surely make it work. What kind of body are you thinking about???
This is the only other pic I have. He's only asking $150 for all of it so I'm really not out much if I do pick it up.
Looks close in size to Chevy frame, but rear kickup looks more like Essex. (trim about 12"-16" off the rear, and you've got the Bill Niekamp rails.) Nevertheless, Model A front crossmember, tube rear/transverse springs would get you 'on the ground' with adjustable wheelbase. (moving rear where you need it, within 'reasonable parameters') Essex rails: (small Hudson, they were popular for the kickup, rail cross section, and front 'sweep'. Very adaptable for hot rods/race cars) I've used Essex, Plymouth, Chevy, Model A, and '32, (naturally) But when doing up a frame, it first comes all apart. Then the crossmembers, mounts, etc.; AFTER the planning of engine/trans and body placements. So...The more desireable the frame shape, the less 'slicing' to make it right! This one looks excellent! For the asking price, it looks superlative!
after looking at the picture of the back half of the frame and comparing it to the frame on the 1925 underslung dodge - it looks to be a 25 dodge - you can check out pics of the underslung 25 dodge on the net - jaxx
I've got 30s IHC, Dodge truck, Chevy truck, here right now, it's not one of those. Certainly no newer than that...