I was told to install a 28 to 31 body on 32 frame rails you have to pinch it? Can someone please explain to a newbie what it means and how its done? Thanks!
You don't HAVE to pinch it but many prefer the look. What happens unpinched is you see the framerails protruding outside of the body at the cowl. By pinching you bring those rails in so the cowl sides and framerail side line up.
It means to cut and reweld the framerails to follow the narrower body of the model A. I actually prefer the look of an unpinched frame and it's definitely not necessary, especially if you're going for a truly "old timey" look. not pinched...
Pinching a frame means to narrow it in the front. Remove the front crossmember and "pinch" the rails together, depending on how much it takes to get the body directly over the rails. It can be a tedious job to get it to fit just right. Best to have a frame table to get everything square and level. There are several companies that sell 32 perimiter frames to fit Model As, might want to get some measurements along the entire length of the frame and start from there. It's not a job for a novice, but if you adhere to the " measure twice, cut once " rule, you can do it. Good luck. That's a good thread Tman posted, it'll show you how it should look when done.