At our monthly club meeting last night Frank ask me had I ever swapped a body for the same year but a different style,he has a finished chopped '32 3 window glass BeBob coupe and after a few years he has decided he would be more comfortable & happier with a unchopped 2 door sedan. I told him I have never done it but I'm sure there has been many sedans, Model A's on up swapped for coupes and roadsters, have any of you tackled a finished car and done this kind of swap, were there any major problems. HRP
Swapped a 40 coupe body from my running driving car for a 40 tudor sedan body since my family had grown. Only problems were it took me much longer than planned because I got carried away updating the chassis.
Since there is only One 32 chassis for all 32 body styles I wouldn't expect any issues. There could be something special done for the First build to work with an aftermarket Body but you would think that would be obvious.
I've never done it myself. I knew a couple of guys years ago who traded bodies on a pair of stock bodied same year Model A's The bodies including interiors were in real close to the same shape and they just unbolted both bodies and swapped them and bolted them back on. Both wanted to keep their own chassis rather than swap cars. if memory serves right the guy who had the coupe was looking for a sedan for his growing family and the guy with the sedan had always wanted a coupe. I'd say that there are a lot of Deuce Roadsters or coupes that have a chassis that left the factor with a sedan body on it though.
‘32 frames are all the same, as are general body dimensions. It should be simple enough. Body, steering column, throttle linkage and wiring (A/C and heat if he has them), will need to be disassembled. Everything should pretty much just go back in the way it came out once the body is swapped.
I have had my BeBop 5-window on and off the chassis 3 times by myself. Put bare 17" wheels on the rear to keep from having to raise the body over the 31" tires. Jacked and blocked front and rear a little at a time until I could get 8' 4X4's under the body. Raised and blocked the 4X4's til I could roll the chassis out. Just took my time.
Yeah, he ask me if I would post the car for sale here and I broke the news to him and that his car is not hamb friendly, big wheels ( not when the photo was taken), independent front suspension & engine. That's when we started talking about swapping bodys. I believe he could sell the body. HRP
In 1960,my buddy Steve Reep,got a 4door 30A. He never really wanted a 4 door,but it was only afordible A,to build a hot rod at the time he got. In 1961 we found out there was 2 door sedan body in a old junkyard. Steve made a deal,and got the 30A 2 door sedan body. Took a few weeks to get the 2 door body in shape. Then we made the swap,an repainted it red. I added the pinstrips an name for Steve. Our next big thing was adding a Ford Y-block V8. This pic is Steve an I just finished off V8 add. You like our open air garage car port,Steve Mom had a fit about the oil spots though. Steve seated an I'm on fender.
A 32 coupe body has a deeper wheelwell than a sedan, so be sure his rear tires aren't real close in there. HRP you can compare to your sedan's body to see the difference.
Not sure what they were thinking, but my uncle told me the story of him and his brothers swapping a deuce roadster body onto a model A Chassis sometime around WWll . Never found out what happened to the 32 Chassis, or the body for that matter, and the uncles hav long since passed.
1. Any chance it would not match what’s on his title. “coupe” changed to “sedan”, or does it just say “2 door” on it? 2. Is his aftermarket frame boxed and drilled for the BeBop body, or are both drilled stock?
Everything should fit except the rear fenders, but they could be trimmed to fit. Then it's time to study. What can he sell his body for? Can he find a suitable sedan body? I've seen a couple of 4drs lately but not 2 dr unless a complete project. Weigh all the options and decide if maybe better to go with his first decision to sell his glass car & buy a Henry.
Read an article in Lowrider that mentions a guy swapped 3 frames in 10 years due to 3 - wheel`in and wearing out the frames. It was a 64 Chevy. Talk about a lot of work.
Easy peasie (as long as the frame was stock or built to stock dimensions). I’ve only done it twice, but the second time was easier.
I helped with a model A years ago, 3 guys started on Saturday morning, finished it on Sunday and drove it to school on Monday.
Dad used to tell me about an old farmer in Nebraska that had a coupe body and a roadster body. Fella swapped it every year. Roadster for the warm weather, coupe for the winter. I believe it was a Model A but not sure. Dave
A rodder down here many years ago removed his steel 32 roadster body and dropped on a 32 closed cab PU, it was more practical for him plus he had the additional benefit of a PU bed as well as being a closed and not open body.
My 39 Chevy coupe is on my 2 dr sedan's original frame. I was in the middle of redoing the sedan (dropped axle, one piece cut down hood) in 1979 when I found the coupe. Built a different coil spring frame for the sedan then, still have both.
Since you guys love pictures sedan in progress before coupe was found "new" sedan frame final result (1980 photo)
If he decides that he wants to sell the coupe body, PM me with what he has and what he wants for it. I think dealing with the interior details about what he wants to remove/keep and sell may be the hardest part of switching.
I don't know the current status but you used to be able to change bodies in California by filling out a "Statement of Facts" at the DMV. Ask them. Charlie Stephens
On the 30s era Fords it is fairly simple, they sedan, coupe, roadster and even pickup all used the same chassis. it is just a matter of removing one body and installing the other. Sometimes a hole or two needs to be relocated. In the '70s I knew a guy that had a '30/'31 sedan that he raced and drove in the winter, in the summer he had a roadster that he cruised. he had swapped the body back and forth so many times that he could do it in an evening.
Since it’s a glass body with what I assume an aftermarket chassis, it’s not as simple as if swapping original bodies on a stock chassis. I would expect all of the body mounting holes aren’t correct for a stock body. Expect some time for fitting the body and drilling new body holes and access holes. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I had a friend who swapped a 40 Ford from pickup to sedan. That was easy. On a 32, if you have the original firewall or any firewall, it's not bad. If the firewall stays with the body and the components locations are different, it will get interesting. In Kansas, you can't swap bodies without re-titleing the vehicle.
yeah, in this cars the car is glass and the firewall is made to the body, a real steel Henry '32 you could leave the firewall in place with all the fuse panel/heat & air intact. HRP
I swapped the bodies on my 40 2dr with my 36 3W..... and sold the 40... Sent from my SM-G965U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
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