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Projects My 1928, 5-Window Coupe, build thread. Thanks for playing along.

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by ChoppingBlockCustoms, Aug 4, 2015.

  1. Howdy guys; I've been posting questions here, bits there - figured I should settle down and commit to a lengthy build thread - for your lunch time internet merriment, as well as for my early failing memory ;-). Hell, I'm only 38..! Enough blabbering...

    My Father-in-law came across this body while deer hunting on his buddies property, that he just bought. His friend said that I am more then welcome to get it, or it's going to the scrapper. These are the picture that my FIL text messaged me:

    photo.JPG

    photo1.JPG

    What you DON'T see in those pictures is the entire frame, with some brackets, etc, still buried in the ground. Needless to say, I came unprepared. To dig that is...

    But I wasn't leaving without the coupe! We luckily found an old broken shovel in a nearby barn and was able to dig it free and eventually pull it out with the truck.

    This is after we had it loaded and was on our way home:
    IMG_0176.JPG

    IMG_0177.JPG

    This was back in March of 2012. I got it home and it then sat for about 2-1/2 years while I finished up home projects, etc.
     
  2. Fast forward a couple of years. Got the coupe into the shop and actually cleaned it up some to get a better feel of the condition. Cleaning it up helped visual matters a lot:

    IMG_0081.JPG

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    Over all, it was pretty solid, with the Right hand side being the worst off. But it's coming totally apart anyway to fix rust issues at the seams, etc.
     
  3. drifters cc
    Joined: Feb 16, 2010
    Posts: 178

    drifters cc
    Member

    Awesome looking coupe and a heck of a cool starting point. Back from the dead!
    It is August now and from the look of the trees and the mention of deer hunting it would seem you could have 8 months of progress on that thing by now. Are you holding out on all of us?
     
    lothiandon1940 likes this.
  4. The moving forward plan is pretty simple... I'm using ASC '32 Ford rails - that will be fully boxed with a blown 331 Hemi.

    Starting off with these rails:
    IMG_0102.JPG IMG_0103.JPG

    The rails have been jigged and pinched to fit the 28/29 subrails.
     

  5. Deconstruction of the body continued... Found some more rusty issues, etc. A few stress cracks. Nothing that can't be fixed... IMG_0338.JPG

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    I tend to get busy and "forget" to document steps... The entire body is taken apart, down to the individual panels that I will take and sandblast at some point.

    The next point was to make a subrail jig based off of this original one. This one is too far gone to repair when I can buy an entirely new subrail replacement.
     
    davweed34 likes this.
  6. PKap
    Joined: Jan 5, 2011
    Posts: 593

    PKap
    Member
    from Alberta

    Love that line" pretty simple, 32 rails and blown.331 hemi"
    Awesome


    Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
     
  7. After the body was off, I squared the old sub-rails up the best I could and fashioned a small jig table with appropriate jig markers, etc. I tried to verify original subrail dimensions from the internet, etc and didn't have a bunch of luck though. So I forged ahead with my own taken measurements.

    New rails are layed into place and clamped tight to draw them out:
    IMG_0531.JPG

    Checking fitment with the stock Cowl/A pillar dimensions. It lined up really well:
    IMG_0533.JPG

    IMG_0535.JPG

    Seems like a nice, correct, fit.
    IMG_0536.JPG

    Surprisingly, the new rear cross member seemed to fit spot on as well.
    IMG_0540.JPG

    IMG_0541.JPG
     
  8. Installing the cross braces was a little more tedious that I thought. I fab'd the cross braces and attachment points exactly like Ford did on the originals...

    Which involved pie cutting, stair stepping and rewelding the cross rails to follow the contours of the subrail stampings.
    IMG_0562.JPG

    IMG_0566.JPG

    I elected to not do rivets, but rosette welded to "resemble" rivets. When it's painted you will never know the difference. The subrails did get welded on the bottoms too for added strength. But I didn't want to get them too rigid either.
    IMG_0572.JPG

    IMG_0571.JPG

    Check for squareness..... check!
    IMG_0585.JPG


    And for shits-n-giggles, I overlaid the orginal subrails to compare the two - to check my work and the accuracy of the repo rails...
    IMG_0578.JPG

    IMG_0579.JPG

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    And the finished subrails:
    IMG_0590.JPG

    IMG_0591.JPG
     
    volvobrynk, kidcampbell71 and hipster like this.
  9. hipster
    Joined: Mar 1, 2014
    Posts: 98

    hipster
    Member

    nice! Looking forward to seeing the results!
     
  10. Which leads me to this point...

    Anyone that has experimented with fitting 28/29 bodies to '32 rails knows the fitting issues. They don't just "fit". The subrails need to be modified. LUCKILY I have a brand new, solid subrail starting point... to cut up. Ugh.

    Granted this is just chucked up there, you can easily see the issues... model A's are flat... '32's... not so much.
    IMG_1300.JPG

    IMG_1301.JPG
     
  11. After lots, and lots of research on how other people where fitting these, I came up, with what appears, to be an ORIGINAL idea on how to fit the subrails to the frame rails...

    Quick under view shot showing the spacing:
    IMG_1733.JPG


    IMG_1734.JPG

    So I decided to just rejig the back rails and reangle them to fit, up, INSIDE, of the subrails.

    But in order to get the body to drop down, first I had to bob the frame rails off on the rear roughly 16":
    IMG_1737.JPG

    IMG_1738.JPG

    If anyone needs the rear frame extensions, let me know. They'll be going in the classifieds soon!

    Next up was pie cutting and re-angling and welding up the rear of the rails to not swoop out so much.
    IMG_1739.JPG

    You can see the outward swoop. these needed to be straight and parallel with the rear subrails:
    IMG_1740.JPG


    Rear rail corrected and finished. I also added a small relief step to allow the subrail to sit down flat on the rails. Keep in mind these rails will be fully boxed as well.
    IMG_1741.JPG

    IMG_1742.JPG

    Both sides are stepped: (hey, look - there is my model A body... on the floor!)
    IMG_1744.JPG


    Now that the frame is ready to receive the subrails, the subs needed to be sliced and diced...

    Basically I cut open the entire top of the rear rails like a tin can to allow them to drop over the frame rails
    IMG_1745.JPG

    IMG_1746.JPG


    Here the subrail is "test" fitted to the frame:
    IMG_1749.JPG

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    And it fits.

    Quick view of the step area showing the subrail fitting:
    IMG_1757.JPG

    This inside portion will require a but more fab work to curve up and maintain the same drop lip.
    IMG_1758.JPG

    Then came the fun part of reinforcing the rear subrail sections. The outside part was easy.
    IMG_1759.JPG

    IMG_1760.JPG

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    And that's basically where I am as of right now.
     
  12. Well... I am subscribing out of pure envy. Excellent stuff.
     
    ChoppingBlockCustoms likes this.
  13. Man, finally, between work and home crap, I get some time to wrap up the subrails. I had to finish the inside yet for the channeled area.

    First step was to make the new inner floor structure lip. I decided to try my hand at hammer forming on a wooden buck to form the new piece:
    ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1445745625.996174.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1445745656.032502.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1445745684.821380.jpg

    First pass at the roughed out piece:
    ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1445745747.408267.jpg

    It actually turned out pretty damn good. Initial fit up was close, just needed a little tweaking and some trimming after the stretching.
    ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1445745824.825266.jpg

    As a refresher, this is what I'm altering:
    ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1445745906.042311.jpg
     
  14. Skip ahead a few hours and no pictures later...

    Both sides are basically done. I didn't have any fine discs to metal finish it, so that will be later this week.

    ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1445746156.533551.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1445746190.979535.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1445746234.298295.jpg

    And to illustrate the kick up from a traditional model A subrail - which is totally flat:
    ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1445746323.465086.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1445746363.049444.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1445746410.976013.jpg
     
  15. very nice work! subscribed
     
    ChoppingBlockCustoms likes this.
  16. Started on boxing in the frame rails yesterday. This is going to take a while. Lots of trial and error fittings.

    The frame rail lips are pretty wave, as evident in the pictures. So I had to heat and persuade the lip with a hammer & dolly to smooth them out.

    image.jpeg

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    volvobrynk and kidcampbell71 like this.
  17. RainierHooker
    Joined: Dec 20, 2011
    Posts: 2,031

    RainierHooker
    Member
    from Tacoma, WA

    Very cool. Looking forward to seeing where this goes.
     
    ChoppingBlockCustoms likes this.
  18. Damn ...... novel as hell approach on the sub rails. Ingenuity at its finest ! Please continue ......
     
  19. Johnnee D.
    Joined: Aug 16, 2005
    Posts: 244

    Johnnee D.
    Member

    love it... keep up the good work...
     
    ChoppingBlockCustoms likes this.
  20. Did a little more rail boxing.

    It sucks.

    ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1448338002.817286.jpg
     
    cadillacoffin likes this.
  21. Pete
    Joined: Mar 8, 2001
    Posts: 4,745

    Pete
    Member

    Excellent step by steps.
     
    ChoppingBlockCustoms likes this.
  22. ...this is a great 'how-to' thread, very nice work, kudu's to you for saving that model A.
     
    ChoppingBlockCustoms likes this.
  23. I'm watching, a great thread!!
     
    ChoppingBlockCustoms likes this.
  24. wheeldog57
    Joined: Dec 6, 2013
    Posts: 3,181

    wheeldog57
    Member

    Great post. Boxing the rails UGH! Seems like miles and miles of weld, right? You will need them strong if you are putting a hemi bullet though
     
  25. It totally does. But what is really making me mad right now is I tried taking a short cut and ordered boxing plates from Speedway motors #Speedway and they aren't even close to fitting in the middle sections. So I have to pony up and go by some other sheet plate and now am making my own... Which I should have done from the start.
     
    Last edited: Nov 24, 2015
  26. wheeldog57
    Joined: Dec 6, 2013
    Posts: 3,181

    wheeldog57
    Member

    That blows, I work on power plants so I have "access" to plate. I just go in the metal dumpster. It is a shit-ton of work cutting, fitting, cutting, fitting, welding, grinding, welding, grinding, blah blah blah. But, I love doing it, hahaha
     
    ChoppingBlockCustoms likes this.
  27. general gow
    Joined: Feb 5, 2003
    Posts: 6,407

    general gow
    MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    really neat solution to the subframe kickup over the frame rails. looking forward to watching this come together.
     
    ChoppingBlockCustoms likes this.
  28. artificer64
    Joined: Nov 26, 2011
    Posts: 39

    artificer64
    Member
    from maine

    Fine job, excellent work.
     
    ChoppingBlockCustoms likes this.

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