Well it's been over 8 weeks since I broke my finger in 4 places and it's now just started healing and I didn't touch the A for the 6 weeks and I finally said screw it and started working on my A again. I haven't gotten the tubing bent for my frame cross members so I started on the floor structure, mostly under the rear seat area. This is a 31 tudor and I want to leave the rear seat in it and it's a pain. So I will have a bump under the rear seat for rear end clearance. I've built most of the main structure from 3/4" heavy wall square tube and the "upper" structure around the rear suspension is 1/2" steel tube. Here is a few pics.
Once I got the actual floor structure built I removed the rear springs and sat the frame down onto the rear end housing. This way I had maximum rear suspension travel up and began building the "upper" structure around the rear upper control arms and rear pumpkin. This, as I said is 1/2" steel tube. I gave the rear control arms about 3/16" of clearance from the top of the upper structure. Right now the structure is sitting on the frame so once I put a 1/4" rubber between the floor and frame mounts I should have a good 3/8" of clearance. Also note I've probably over built the structure but with no frame cross members between the rear cross member and the suspension cross member I'm using floor structure to stiffen that area. Another note: I don't like the openness between the upper arms and will be building structure between them. I have a very good idea on that and that's my next project. Anyway here's a few more pics, one I just have a piece of strap clamped to it just to check my clearance. Any questions just ask!
Well the finger is basically junk, it was broken badly and now the bones sorta resemble a W. So doc said break it again and start over or leave it alone, I'm leaving it soooo it means back to work on the A and hell with the finger. Now I've started filling in the middle, I like the way this should go. Should add some strength and rigidity to the rear. The triangular plate over the housing is actually built out of 3 pieces of 1/2" x 1/8" wall square tube welded side by side. I welded those together to give extra rigidity there then welded the angled 1/8" plate to the top of the welded tubes. Then if you follow the center tube down you'll see I've added another 3/4" tube side to side, this tube (box) will tie into the side pieces once I'm done. I'm thinking about using 3/8" x 1-1/4" or 1-1/2 strap from the box to the side rail exactly over the front bar bushings. Using strap will still give me just enough clearance so I'm not touching the bushings. Now the center bar, it's 1/2" tube and it's flush with the upper side rails. There will be a tube on each side that follows the side upper rails and upper suspension bars, then I'll put a brace between all three bars and call it done and start on body mounts, got some ideas for that too... Anyway here's a few pics... Any questions just ask!
Thats some mighty unique stuff going on there elliptical comes to mind...and nothing wrong with some brick shithouse here and there...Do you have a build going on elsewhere @lostone or is this the base... Resetting the finger makes me howl thinking of it but perhaps you should reconsider...Whatever you decide...Positive healing thoughts your way...
Stogy it started here: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/no-frame-build-my-own-model-a.1076697/ I'm needing a tubing bender to build xmembers so I moved on to the floor structure until I get back to xmembers. On the finger, it's bad enough that they can't even pin it so the re breaking would just be last ditch hail Mary thing.
A little more down to the bracing on the three center tubes. Thinking some 1-1/2 strap either straight across from side to side of the tubes or really to make it nice angle the strap beginning in the front most corner of the center tube and angle it towards the center of both outer tubes. Strength wise I believe the corner to center would be strongest but in this area I don't think it matters much. Also considered using more of the square tube... But the bracing and some weld grinding and that will be done. Btw stogy I see you noticed my quarter elliptical springs too, those too, brackets and all are home built ( thread on here somewhere) They started out as Suzuki samurai springs. Here's a pic....
Yahoo!..... Rear structure done except body mounts! I'm totally happy with the way it turned out as far as design goes. I expect it to be strong especially once the side floor panels are welded on to it and the top cap bolted on. One thing, I couldn't decide what to use for the triangular supports in the middle of the 3 tubes. I got on Google and just started looking at different types of metal and found channel, next I went to home depot sight and found they had 1"x1/2"x1/8" channel, Perfect !! So the 2 center braces are channel which I feel is strong enough. Anyway a few last pics of the rear structure with a quick blast of primer to keep rust away. Now on to the front structure.
Well it's that time, now I'm in the middle of the front structure. Used 3/4" square tube with the angled braces being 3/4" x 1/8" angle iron. I have a few ideas left to go around the trans and a couple thoughts to add strength to the very front floor edge. Played with some 3/16"x 1-1/2 strap today but I couldn't get a good solid 90° bends on the ends of the strap for what I wanted. It'd be nice to have one of those compact benders but I just finished up my bead roller today so the bender will have to wait awhile. Ran out of 3/4" angle tonight so back into a holding pattern until I can pick up some more. Anyway here's a pic of where I'm heading with the front structure
Wow, every time I see a build like yours I gasp in amazement and can't help but wonder how in the Hell did these Model A's ever survive nearly 90 years with floors built out of simple sheet metal cross braces and plywood floor pans, driven on a lot of roads that today would be deamed unsafe. Nice work, that baby is solid.
Easy, 40 horse vs 400, add a few extra 100 pounds to the front for that V8 etc, then double top speed + add to the fact that every vehicle around you is about capable of the same thing but their weight is around an average of 4000 + pounds coming down the road at you, it's easy to assume if ole Henry was dealing with the same parameters he would have designed them alittle differently too
I called my supplier the other day,,,, They said I could not have any 3/4” angle because they shipped it all to Kansas.
This is some nice work,,, This reminds me of a structural steel framed grand entrance style atrium like you’d find on a state of the art hospital entrance or a Wall Street bank’s corporate headquarters.
Thanks guys, I appreciate the kind words. I plan on driving this thing a lot, and I've been known to have a heavy foot too I'm interested in how good I will be able to hook this thing to the ground so the less flex the better. But above all working on wrecked vehicles for the last 40 yrs I want the grand kids safe when they are sitting in that rear seat. Never heard someone complain that something was too safe !! Lol!!
Another day another thing to Mark off my build list Finished up the main front floor structure today, the only thing left is the center structure but for now it's on hold until I figure out the front seats. I'll build the front structure on up into the bottom of the firewall when I get that far. I'll take it to the empty recess just above the floor structure and build pretty much like I did the floor strength wise. Here's a pic of the finished front structure. You can see the straps I put above the trans, again trying to set up a path for the trans to follow in case of accident which hopefully will be down and under!!
Looks great, I over build everything myself. Leave your self enough room to pull that trans back otherwise you’ll be pulling the engine to Remove the trans. If there’s a problem. Rich
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