Technical no frame? build my own model a

Most recent build I went with 7* castor, the car returned to center w/no effort at the steering wheel. (Nice job and covering the steps of const. here!)

 

Alright, most of the welds are now dressed out, front suspension brackets welded, boxed & dressed. Ran out of small sanding drums & my local supplier stopped stocking them so I'm waiting for my order to come to finish the last 10% dressing welds. I have found that the 3/4" drum is my new favorite size!

Thanks to a couple nice gents who posted measurements on my front axle to spring measurements thread I was able to rough in my axle height and shorten the frame 4bar brackets in order to level my front bars to the frame & I'm really happy with the level bars/frame look and my shackles sit nice, thanks again guys for the measurement

Now the million dollar question,

WAS IT WORTH IT ??

Well you can buy a pre fab frame for 1500.00. I have 100 in the 2x4 frame rail material, another 30 in rear xmember material, say 75 in front xmember so 205 in metals and say another 25 in sanding disc/drums etc. So I saved 1270.00 plus shipping. I do have lots of hours in it so you must decide what your time is worth and if it's worth 1270.00 to do it yourself.

BUT, always a but, with the mods I did to my frame it was definitely worth it for me as I would had to modify the 1500 frame to get where I wanted to go. Remember I added almost 5" to total length with 4 1/2" of that on the front rails for motor clearance so I wouldn't have to inset my firewall. Point 2, I changed angles of the frame bends, I started the angles sooner and steeper in order to open up more room between the rails. Point 3, I shortened the rear frame bevels in order to have a full 4" side rails where the triangulate 4 bars. So as you can see it was the best available and financial way for me to go. I hope those that have followed along learned a little along the way and many thanks for the kind words too! 1 last pic and I'll call this thread done. Next I'll work on rear end and cross members. I'll start a different thread on the xmembers as I have a few ideas.

 

Well done and I hope I don't miss your new thread! Maybe you could post a link for the new thread on here so we won't miss it, please.

 

For sure want to follow any thread you make.

 

I followed you from start. Thanks for all the details!

 

I wouldn't try to over think the cost part of it, it's a custom frame built to your specs for only a few hundred out of pocket.
Nice fab job and great tech thread

 

I used to use what we called "winding sticks" in boat building terminology to level out rib frames. Same thing as you've done with your yard sticks. You're doing a great job on this project.

 

Mid 60s Chevelle frames were perimeter frames. Frame went to the edge of the body shell. Model A frame is ladder type. Both stock manufacturer frames

 

Nice job. Very inspiring since I am lookin to do my own soon.


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.

 

@lostone - just found this thread! Great tech, thanks for sharing it. Bumping it back up for those who missed it a year ago as I did.

 

Thank you brEad

Now I'm working on cross members, once I get the tubing bender figured out I'll post and update on that.

I'm too old and it's too cold to be working in my shop right now

Starting to understand why people move to Florida!!

 

Great work. No better feeling than to be able to say "I built that".

 

Thanks for sharing , plenty of cold and snow here also.

 

@lostone, where in Kansas are you located? I hear you on the cold and it’s arriving in force all over the Midwest today. Stay warm!

 

Straight south of you about 2 hrs

 

sooo....

If you're 2 hours south of Overland Park then you must be fairly close to MoKan. Will we see this thing running in August?

(b-t-w; it's -2 here and the KC area; it's 34 in Anchorage)

 

Yeah I'm about 40 minutes from MoKan, spent a lot more time there when I was younger spectating.

Luv to have it running by then but I doubt it, hoping for next year. Now if some of you gents are bored and wanna come over and help wrench I'm all for it! Now for those that can't wrench for whatever reason no problem !! The girlfriend has a need to do list on the house that you could start on for me allowing me to work on the A !

 

Lol! Wish we were neighbors. I suspect I could learn a lot. Gearing up to start my first hotrod soon. ‘25 T bucket with turtle deck, model A frame, 283 and a T5. I have most of the big parts now just have to get it bubbled up to the top of my project list.

 

Bumping my own thread....

Just had to comment its been over 3 1/2 yrs and I hate to say I'm no where close to where I thought I would be by now!!

It's amazing how fast the time has gone since building my frame and again the time has flown by faster than my work on the car. Thought I'd be close to paint and interior by now but I guess that's life and it's ability to get in way of your plans.

 

On the upside hopefully your health is good Lostone.

 

X2 on the best wishes for your health. Life just has it’s own pace and we have to fit our hotrod dreams into that flow. My T is still several entries down the list as well.

Where in Kansas are you located? I’m in Overland Park (KC).

 

Thanks...fantastic info for anyone w/o a frame table!

 

Straight south an hour and a half!

 

Thanks A Bone!

Yep I'm happy with it. It still all measures great if I ever get around to finishing the x-members! Its a roller now with the body on it. The body mounts are all laid out in the floor and marked on the frame.


Once the body comes off I'll finish the body mounts and x-members.

The body mounts are on top of the frame so they won't be visible from the bottom of the car....

 

Great thread, thank you for taking time to post details on your process, I'm learning a lot of new ideas by following along.

 

Very nice! It is amazing how many variations we can have doing different suspensions and layouts. I tend to build mine as I go which leads to more tear downs to flip and roll for welding positioning. I am now doing my k member on my pickup build as I wanted cab position to be more defined before I placed it.

 

My '32 rails came from Roy Fjastadt's son at Deuce Ranch, frame jig wasn't finished. I was in a hurry, no more big shop. Set it up on a rolling steel table, working in my crowded 2.5 car garage.
Lots of adjustments on the rear kickups/'A' rear crossmember, working left to right, walking to other side constantly, tack here, measure, tack there. Re trammel, (using two 4 foot levels, one front and one rear)
Needed a rigid measuring device, a yardstick was good.
Picked up an extra at Home Depot (? maybe someplace else) so I had one on each side.
Something started to get strange...
Measurements started changing, center line wire to rail differed 3/16", checked it 3,4 times. Foundered for an hour, 'til the light came on.
Compared yardsticks...In 36", they differed 3/8"!!! Which one was correct? The American one. Made in U.S.A.
Where is our 'Standard'? LOL

 

Finally ! 5 yrs later ! And I'm building the crossmembers for this frame.

Thought I'd just update this thread with the link to the new thread I started showing how I did the crossmembers.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/build-model-a-frame-pt2-crossmembers.1302603/

..

 

All good things take time !