Question about frames used for hot rods...

[JollySipper]

I have the frame from the '34 Ford pickup. I was wondering how likely is it that a hot rod would have been built on such a frame....... I have a Deuce chassis also, but I'm liking the '34 chassis better. I was wanting to use the front suspension from the deuce on the '34 frame, and use the truck's banjo rear.

What are the chances that this could have been done back in the day?

Thanks for any help.....

[Rick L]

Go for it!

[Draggon]

Typically, the stock '34 frame would have been used under a '34 hot rod. If you're thinking in traditional terms, putting an earlier or later body on it, while uncommon, it could have been done. Back then many folks were building hot rods with what they could scrounge up. No problem with using the front suspension from the '32, but again, if you're thinking in traditional terms, and I-beam axle would be more common than the tube axle that comes in Revell's '32 kits. 

[JollySipper]

Thanks for the replies, Guys!

Glenn, that's basicly what I'm doing is scrounging parts for this build..... I'll be putting a Model A body on it if all goes well.

[JollySipper]

Here's what I have so far.... Monogram Model A body, '49 Ford engine with the tail shaft cut off of the transmission, '34 Ford chassis. Still have to figure out a floor and exhaust, I have pretty much everything else.......

What do you guys think, is this a viable project? I'm not a hot rod builder usually, so I'm not 100% that I'm going about this right.

 

[stavanzer]

Looks Great so far!

I'd say you are on the right track. Some of the early rods where a collection of Castoffs, & Junkyard parts, bashed and welded together by 16-17-18 year old boys, who were highly motivated, but not always very experienced. They cut,bent, pounded, and in some cases, just botched together their cars. That said, it was always done with great enthusiasm.

Have fun! 

[Ace-Garageguy]

Many model A bodies were and still are installed on '32 Ford frames.

The model A frame has a wheelbase of 103.5" and is built quite lightly.

The '32 frame has a wheelbase of 106", and is considerably stronger. The additional length makes it easier to put a V8 engine in the car (it came with Ford's first flathead V8), and the additional strength from deeper rail stampings is better for higher performance applications. The proportions of the A body and the '32 frame also work well together visually, assuming the body is correctly located.

The '33-'34 frame was not as popular a basis for model A body swaps, as it has a still longer wheelbase of 112". But because it is even stronger, and wider, it's a good choice for a big honking engine like a hemi, and the '33-'34 chassis X-member was often swapped in to A and '32 frames too.

NOTE: One of the most important things you need to be aware of, as with any build, is the proportions you end up with at the end.

Proportions make or break a hot-rod, and the same parts can make a fast looking, graceful car, or a goofy looking joke.

Here's a HAMB thread regarding '32 vs. '33-'34 frames...

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/32-versus-33-34-frame-rails.787542/

 

[JollySipper]

Thanks, Alan and Bill..... Reading the thread at the link, it seems it would be perfectly acceptable to use a '34 frame, though not a popular choice. I'll be able to channel the body over the '34 rails much easier than the '32 frame.

Regarding proportions, it is gonna need taller tires from looking at the pics..... that would help balance the tall roof better.

 

[Dave G.]

You actually could section out a couple of scale inches or so of those front frame rails pretty easily. You could leave it as is too, just sayin. It's your car, build by your minds eye.

[EngineerBob]

JollySipper, I also like the direction you're heading, very East Coast hot rod with the stock roof height and radical channel. Look at pics of hot rods that you like and nail the look most important and the accuracy less so.

[Draggon]

Looking good so far, except...?...that engine needs to go back almost a scale foot! IMO if you leave it where it is, the proportions are way off. If you decide to shorten the frame like Dave suggested, you might check the stock wheelbase on a '30. Anything shorter is going to look snub-nosed. 

[JollySipper]

Cool, Thanks for the additional input guys! I've decided to use the flathead in a further-along project (which should be done pretty soon....) but I have other engines I could add to this project......