frame building help pics,advice,etc

[Vdub4air88]

I recently got a 5 window coupe and Im wanting to make a rat rod but I'm have trouble doing the frame I'm honestly new at this all and really need some help advice pics any thing would help at this point I'm lost please help lol

[Ace-Garageguy]

This would be an easier question to answer if we knew exactly what kind of "trouble" you're having with the frame, but here's a couple of suggestions.

First, to get a lot of rat-rods low down, the frames are Zeed. That means the frame rails are cut and reworked to drop the vehicle lower to the roadway. Here's a tutorial I posted a while back to help avoid unnecessary work when doing this, and to help keep everything in alignment.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL TUTORIAL:

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=70728

Second, there's another way to get the front end low. Building a "suicide" front end is a simple matter of cutting the stock crossmember out from between the frame rails, and substituting a tubular one, then fabricating a raised spring perch to allow the front of the chassis to drop down lower. The stock Revell '32 chassis is in the foreground, and a modified one is in the background. The rear of the frame rails here was made from sheet styrene, for more extreme lowering than what I show in the simple-Z tutorial.

Third, "channeling" the body is another way builders get the lowness they're after. That simply means that rather than the body simply sitting on top of the frame rails, clearance is made for the frame rails (which often requires removing the floors and slitting the firewall, etc.). This is the modified frame above, with the body "channeled" over it.

The rear of this model T chassis has been Zeed a similar way (but with differently shaped rear frame rail sections) and the front has also been dropped as in the '32 frame photo above, with a suicide spring perch.

The frame shown above, with the body channeled over it.

Edited November 11, 2013 by Ace-Garageguy

[Dinky]

James, I had the same problem as you do. This weekend i created my own chassis for 32 ford.

Its the first I did so don't be to hard on me :-) And it might change a little.

The plate under the body is temporary to keep the body in place.

Very nice tutorial Bill, wish i have seen this sooner

[Ace-Garageguy]

Very nice tutorial Bill, wish i have seen this sooner

Thanks Arno. What you came up with looks great, and I've seen real hot-rods that use exactly the shapes for frame rails that you have there. Nice work.

[Vdub4air88]

Thanks ace that helped out alot answered pretty everything I needed to know

[Dinky]

Thanks Bill, the credits should go to plastikjunkie. I loaned the concept from his build and created my own, little different but looks a lot.