Fitting a '29 roadster to 32 rails...help

I need some help/advice fitting my '29 roadster body to my '32 rails. My frame is pinched in the front to match the body and the rear is bobed. I have the rear of the body fitting nicely over the frame, however there is that nice gap in the middle due to the curve of the frame and the flat bottom of the model a. I would like the body to sit flat on the frame. How are you guys doing this. I have read about people doing a "mini- channel" up front and I have read about people "pie chutting" the cowls to get the body to sit flat on the frame. I plan on running a hood and sides if that helps...please help.

 

this is how I did the front of my 30.

 

Looks good! You did the "mini-channel" up front. My concern with that method is that the 30/31 body is wider up front. Are you going to run a hood and sides?

 

always liked this one, dont know if you can see what you need in the pic..

 

The front cowl looks like it is sitting on the frame. Makes me wonder how this was a done...

 

It is wider, but when I pinched the frame I did it according to 29 specs on the Wescott drawings(avail on their website). The reason I went with the 29 specs is I wanted it to sit more "over" the frame than "On" it.I don't plan to run a hood or sides, so I don't know what mods you would need for that.

 

My frame is pinched to the wescott specs as well. I'm not sure what mods I might need to do either...hoefully someone will chime in with some help.

 

shoot me a pm with your email and i could send you the bigger pic, if ya like. it sits on the frame, right to the edge. i have a tudor at the shop that is the same way. the tudor body is far from stock so im not really sure what was done to the body or frame.

 

I was thinking of a spacer tween my 28 rpu body and 32 frame, it's not to thick and I don't think it will be noticable. I will be watching this thread.

 

Here's my son's '29 on '32 rails in 1982, we used a tapered piece of hard wood between body & frame, & just painted it along with frame color.
Hope this helps!-------Don

 

thanks, the pictures do help. I am hoping to mount the body to the frame with out wood pieces...we'll see.

 

On my last 29 highboy project I did a pie cut from the cowl reveal in front of the door to the firewall and dropped the body down so there was no gap. It wasn't as difficult as it sounds and with a shortened radiator and sectioned deuce shell it really gave the car a nose down look. I studied the 29 highboy that Mark Morton (HopUp Mag) owns before I did the cut. I think it is one of the finest examples of that type of car.

 

That's how MANY A/32 cars were done in the olden days, a thin shim of wood painted the body color... That said, I did not pinch the frame and did the mini-channel up front. I also curved my cowl panels to follow the reveal in the frame. (1931 body)

 

For a traditional build I would want the wood shim to be noticed.

 

Hmmmmm??

 

I too have the same problem, I plan on doing a mini channel, and then piecutting the cowl so it matches the reveal better.

 

How is your body sitting so flat on the frame?

 

The picture is a little deceiving, there's about a 5/16 inch of gap underneath the doors.

 

Wow! you would never know that there is a gap based on the pictures. Your car looks good so far. Are you planning on running a hood and sides?

 

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As in a normal A on duece rails you will need to cut the grill shell 2in up the side to make the alignment between the cowl and grill shell correct. If it is a original grill shell I would sugest buying a repo and cutting that. If you channel the body you will need to cut the shell a bit more. Brassworks makes a 2in chopped radiator for this application.
Check my Avitar for correct alignment

 

Thanks Fuzzy Knight you have been a big help.

 

I pie cut my cowl... like the others have mentioned...

its not a big deal to do...

 

I like that. Looks clean.

 

Yeah, I had seen quite a few that do that, I haven't cut mine up yet since I don't have a radiator just yet. I have to find a 2 or 3 inch chopped radiator for a flathead. It is a vintiques repop shell, so I don't mind cutting it.

 

Do you know how much you cut off?

 

Thanks, it's not a bad gap, but it's enough for me to notice. I plan to run a hood top eventually.

 

I think that I am liking the pie cut idea more and more...I like the look of the body sitting on top of the frame and it allows me to run a hood and sides much easier. Maybe tomorrow I will attempt the pie cut. Dose any one have any step by step pictures of the pie cut?

 

I didn't cut too much... just lay a piece of metal tubing on the frame and mark the rise in the front.. should tell you exactly.. its been a while since i did it...

i had a 2" chopped walker 32 radiator, and had to hammer down the top moutning points to get the hood line correct...

 

Thanks.

 

Good info, I plan to do mine soon, nice to know that a 2" chopped radiator will work.