Say you've got a '28 sedan body and....

...it's pretty rough. What's the best strategy for getting it squared up? This body in question will be shortened through the side windows and chopped a bit too. I've got my ideas on how to go about this. but was wondering if anyone else makes more sense. I got this body from Chadillac by way of Jason Smith of the Hot Rod Garage in Sand Springs OK.. Yes Chad, a few years later, it's finally home.

I'm torn between knocking the body down to it's basic elements and tweaking and bending to bolt it back together. OR, keep the body whole, get it all squared up, then commence some panel replacement and repairs? ...and NOT blow it apart. Let's hear some advice....other than, "that's a piece of schitt, find another one...

Another thing....the subrails are actually pretty decent and I want to channel this thing about an inch over a set of '32 rails.... I'm thinking of cutting them loose and re-installing them an inch higher up into the body and the body will sit that extra inch, channeled over the rails.

 

Looking for good, solid suggestions from guys who've done this!

 

That's a piece of schitt.

But stick with it. From experience; if I had known 2 years ago what I know now, I would have braced up my A body with some square tubing before cutting it all to hell. I'd tweak it up until it's all straight and true, then brace it real good and break out the sawzall. I'm only 24 and this is only my first A so it's a good thing to learn as a first-timer.

 

I wondered where that thing was... figured a scrapper got it!!

 

I don,'t type well enuff to answer your question, but here is my wifes 28 that I chopped 6" & shortened 4". Maybe it will give you some ideas?

 

I'd hang the doors and get them fitting right, that should tell you how square it is.I'd cross brace the crap out of with square tubing and then cut and move the sub rails.

 

I don't believe I would cut the subframe out of it for the drop. Leave the perimeter intact and set it on the frame where you think it looks best, then build another subframe to fit that and tie to the original one... make any sense?

 

You dont have to use steel to brace with by the way.First off build a level plat form .Then use wood 2 x 4 for bracing and jacking ,then use steel..........For bracing, sqare that puppy up.Build the frame to suit later ,And also the subframe last after squared up and braced....

 

I have started with bodies alot worse than that one. I always squared up and fit the doors as stock, then chopped, channeled, etc. It eliminates variables one at a time.

As far as channeling, I agree with the previous posts. Leave the perimeter of the subrails in tact. If not, you could have that body going 6 ways from Sunday.

 

Oh, and ya, like everybody has said, start at the doors and work your way back from there.

 

I could probably get you in touch with a guy who can help you visulize the end product. You know......like a sketch or an illustration.

 

I'd NEVER trust one of those guys! They draw stuff all distorted and such....

 

cut and raise the subrails. . keep it together, square it up with tubing and start cutting.

 

With the amount or rust on that body I'd take it apart and have it blasted first. The T shaped bead that bolts between the rear panel will blead rust forever unless you blast, prine, and paint it. I personally like working with clean metal. HotRod31 posted some inspiring photos for you. Bob

 

Model A.....It was probably off by a 1/4 inch when new....don't make it too nice.

 

HAha, that will not be a problem.

Yeah, I like the proportion of that freshly blasted sedan, 'cept for the wheel arches, that is about where I'm heading.

I totally understand getting door fitted and and working, would tell a lot. Also, our buddy Don Marks told me a long time ago to make a body right before you cut it all up. I understand the whys of that as well.

One thing I'm corn-fused on though. is if I don't cut the sub rails loose, at least a portion at the front and the rear, I won't get the mild channel I want, right? No?

 

You got that right! But they just look more bitchin' with a little artistic "adjustment", isn't that right Del(?)!

 

FWIW, I think Stu started his super fly mo-sheen with a worse body than this.

 

What I was trying to say earlier is to cut just inside of the subrail's outside attachment points. You are still leaving the outer perimeter of the subrails attached to the body to hold everything together, then go down and talk to Steve about either bending you up a pair of subrails that conform to your frame rails, or letting you use those ultra trick shrinker stretches to do the deal your self. Then set the body over where you want and put it together.
By their nature the subrails are shaped like an upside down "U" abount an inch deep. to go down the amount you want to go, theoretically you just have to take the inside lip off of the subrail... If that sounds as confusing to you as it did when I just wrote it, call me, maybe I can confuse you even further!

 

No, I get it! In fact, that's actually awesome about the U shape...makes sense! I was kind of excited about making my own custom fit subrails so there I go.... hahaa

 

Jeem, one way to square up a body is to build a platform out of a sheet of 4 x 8 x 1/2 thick plywood with a framework around it to get it off the ground. Draw a centerline down the exact center of the 4 foot wide part and then scribe off more lines at 6 inch intervals down the entire 8 foot length.

Now you can put your body on this platform and use the centerline to get it aligned side to side and then use the measurements down the length of the body to move things around until everything is square.

Here is the platform we made to build my Son's Brookville rpu body. He did the same thing when he built the first fordor sedan he did.



This will give you an idea of what I am describing.







Don

 

Awesome Don. I will do this. The markings will greatly aid in squaring everything down the center and diagonally. Everywhere. Sweet.
I was going to do something similar on my garage floor, but as long as I take on stuff, I'd never be able to leave it in one place for that long.

 

That looks pretty sweet!

 

We found that to be a great way to align all the body panels. You simply use screws or sheet rock screws to fasten the subframe down as you true it up and things can't move on you. If my Son hadn't come up with that platform we could have never assembled the Brookville body that came in a hundred pieces. (Well, maybe not a hundred, but it sure seemed that way. )

Don

 

Really slick Don!

 

I'm trying to be good and finish my other projects before I start this, but now that I got the body....

We'll see.

Gotta get the '37 done first!!!

 

so you weren't willing to wait till i die for my A body

i like your idea for a 1 inch channel on deuce rails, in fact i had the same idea. i guess great mind think a like.

later jim

 

Regarding the channeling,there was a post on here along time ago where the builder just cut the cross braces from the subframe and shifted them up so the top of them were level with the subframe top.Then drop the subframe over your rails up inside the U shape that was talked about previously,if that makes sense.All depends really on how much wider you want your body opposed to your chassis.I only have about 3/8" from the outer edge of the chassis to the outer edge of the body so I am having to make a whole new subframe.Good luck with it.

 

Jeem, one way to channel the body is to completely cut out the old subframe entirely and build a new one from scratch. In a lot of ways it ends up just as easy and makes a cleaner job.

When my Son got done putting the Brookville body together and everything fit like it should, we cut out the whole subframe and he had a local metal shop bend up some flat stock (I think 1/8 wall) into sort of the shape of a "7". If I can explain this so you understand it, the one leg of the bend was maybe two inches long and the other leg was about 5.5 inches. He wanted the overall channel to be 4.5 inches to cover the frame up, and that extra inch was so he could slide some 1 x 2 box tubing under it to form the cross pieces.

The reason he had them shape it as a 7 instead of just having them bend it at a 90 degree angle is that the model a body tapers in at the sides so the 7 shape conforms to the body better and lets the top piece lay flat. Here is a picture that might explain that better.





He welded those new pieces to the inside of the body, running from the cowl to the back of the body, making entirely new subframe side rails. Then we cut 1 x 2 box tubing and formed new cross braces to tie it all together. Having those pieces bent saved a lot of fabrication work on our part and the cost wasn't bad at all.

Here are some other pictures that might help explain how he did it, and maybe give you some ideas for yours. If you only want a one inch channel that would be fine too, as you would only have to get the bent up pieces to have a 2 inch leg on the top and on the sides, and by the time you put some 1 x 2 under the top lip you would end up with a 1 inch drop.

Don







And finally, you bend up some 18 gauge sheet metal and cover it all up . A sedan could be done just like this, only longer.