Projects fit the frame to the body , or the body to the frame ?

Did Brookville put nutserts in the frame for your Model 'A' cowl bolts? I believe they are seperate from the subframe. Drop those bolts in place and see if things begin to make sense.

 

yep , same on the other side . i did take the bolts out at the firewall mount and slid the body forward about a half inch to at least line up the wheel well arch. the frame is still a half inch to wide at both sides.

 

well i got a reply from brookville . they say my body needs to be "spread out " and listed all the stuff i could buy from them to replace my subframe. i asked for the measurements they use so i could compare to my frame . my gut tells me they may have fouled up my frame at some point . the mounting points seem to be shifted back a half inch . i slid the body forward a bit to line up the wheel well arch . still the frame looks to wide and the mounts are now off .

 

yes , they installed the body mounts . they all line up OK . i put bolts in the farthest forward mounts at the firewall just to keep the body in place , but like i say , all the other mounts lined up .

 

Compare the provided measurements.

Brookville builds these in a jig. If it is wrong, the jig is wrong.

I have seen very few early Fords with correct dimensions after 85-ish years.

 

OK, I have the same chassis so I took lots of measurements after work. A picture is worth....so

 

Sorry meant to post more. The first one is of the cowl area, furthest front mount, with close up of measurement. The other pic shows the measurements just in front of the wheel well where the offset was in your 2nd pic. Took other measurements as well. Width of the body at the back of the door appox 441/2, chassis at same point using body mount holes inboard from the door jambs is 44 3/16.. body reveal at cowl appox 32 7/8 wide..chassis width the same at approx same point.

 

Sorry about the duplicates.

 

thanks for those measurements dino . mine are same . i think my body is the issue . PM'd you as well .

 

I thought we were at the other end- yup, the problem with the '32 frame, or even a "kick" in the back of a stock frame- stock subrails are flat to fit the stock frame. Everything changes real quick ($$$$$)

 

Not necessarily! Dino hasn't tried to fit his body yet so is probably going to have the same problem as you. Plot thickens?

Chris

 

Have you taken measurements off the body? Have you compared body mounting hole measurements on the body to the stock frame? Cross measurements to check for square?

Stock frame measurements for reference.

 

not sure if there is such a thing as standard when it comes to early Ford bodies. think 'averages' - as they were built in many different factories.

 

Given what I have seen, I am inclined to agree.

 

Do you see the 2 tabs they have inside the frame? Those would be the cowl A pillar, I think from them to the outside of the body is less than 2". So if the cowl is bolted to those tabs the frame will be outside the body at that point.

 

Doesn't matter who built the chassis you fit the chassis to the body always, the body has the shape that you are after not the chassis.

 

I can't believe that Brookville told you that your body has to be "spread out". When you spread the quarter panels you must modify your doors, subrails AND cowl. The door arc mimics the quarters and the doors are hinged to the cowl! If anything I would modify the chassis to fit the body. The first picture you posted shows what looks like a pretty nice body, don't mess it up. Hundreds of guys have put Model A's on Deuce rails and I have never heard of Brookville's solution.

 

Got the coupe up in the air for some detailing so took some measurements. These are frame width from outside of rail to outside of rail.

First measurement measurement was where the rear arch comes down to the frame, 41 1/2".

Next is about 2" ahead of the cowl. Couldn't do it AT the cowl as the trans makes it awkward. A hair over 29" at this point.

For my money the frame is too wide at the front also. Included shots of mine sitting on the 32 rails.

 

Paul, can you get a measurement of the cowl bolts to the outside of the body or are they covered? the ones at the hinge pillar. See the photo Dean provided for referance. Thanks, Oj

 

It is @3 3/8" from the center of the bolts to the outsides of the body. This is the bolts that are directly underneath the hinge pillar.

 

Thanks, that is a relief as I was afraid it was much less.

 

Bear in mind though that on my frame these bolts are in the middle of the rail, NOT inset.

 

I'm surprised Paul's frame is much narrower in the cowl, but it would have to be if the mounting hole is in the middle of the rail. As far as the difference in the measurement before the wheel well, keep in mind Paul's is a custom chassis built by one of the best. Still, my body measurements put the frame a hair inboard of the body or flush to it. The OP pm me with an inch narrower measurement in body width than mine, so he figured it's the body.
No, I haven't put the body on yet, but I think it will be OK. It won't overhang the frame as much, but again it's not a custom chassis either.

 

go with this !

 

measurements on my frame are 44 1/2 at the wheel well cut out , 31 at the firewall mounting point. dino64 has 44 7/8 just forward of the wheel arch on his coupe body , where my coupe body is 43 7/8 . thanks for those numbers wex65 , loved the TRJ write up !!

 

Happy to help. Shout if you need anything else.

 

Brookville Roadster subs out some of the frame building to two local Dayton hot rod shops. They are made by hand. Id verify the measurements with Brookville just to make sure.

 

the guys at brookville sent me a file with all the measurements of their frame. everything jives . as another person posted ," brookville uses a jig" so nothing was done wrong on their end IMO. the frame i purchased was built extremely well . all the issues are with my coupe body .

 

Good deal....yep they use a jig...'mass produced by hand' ......wonder how the body got like that?

 

Body looks pretty good going by your earlier pictures.With the firewall in, and if the stock firewall "feet" aren't bent in, how can it be too narrow across the bottom?
I just measured my'30 coupe, and at the very bottom of the cowl side panels, in the front, if you hook a tape on the little 3/16" return, it's 31 and 1/2" wide.
Spreading the cowl is not the answer.

I STILL think that new frame is set up wrong. (sorry)