[oldguy829]

Can't seem to find this in any of the posts, so, either I have a big problem or I'm such a newbie I should have known this. I bought an abandoned project (basket case). Just put it on the forum today. Its a 28 ford tudor sedan, with a TCI frame. allegedly the frame is for a 28 sedan. The doors do not fit, there is a 1/2 inch gap at the top of the latch side. The door opening seems to match the door (side to side), so it looks like a case of the body being jacked out of square (humped up in the middle). As I'm taking it off (going to clean and repaint the frame) i get a big shock. The bottom of the 28 body has a little channel iron going around the edge that doesn't line up with the frame. In fact the body only sets on the frame in a couple of places. The TCI frame stops at the rear axle, but the body hangs over the back another foot or more. The rear is real weak where they cut out for the shock mounts and the front is wider than the frame. I feel like it needs a comple floor welded to the body. Will someone take a look and give some advice?
Thanks, and snide remarks will be tolerated.

[Henry Highrise]

OK, All A- models originally came with a wood floor. So what you have to do now is make a framework out of 1 inch square tubing or something like that and then put a sheet metal floor in. You will have to make a framework to go from the back of you frame to the back of the body also and cover that with sheet metal. It is not that bad of a job , I had to do it on my coupe. Yes your body is wider than your frame because thats how Model_a's are. A 32 body and the frame are the same width but not on a A-model. When you make you frame work for your floor consider where you are going to bolt it to the frame. The reason your doors are out of line is because you need that framework and floor in there to keep it plumb and in square. The frame work for your floor will need to be welded to your body. You want the floor and the body all in one piece. Before you lift that body off and rack it around anymore than it already is weld some cross braces in temporarily to help hold it from racking more. Hope this helps ya out some.

[oldguy829]

Thanks, I was hoping you'd say that. Better to put more work in this one, than find out I needed another frame. Would you happen to have any pictures of yours when it was at this stage? I haven't studied it yet, but I'm not picturing where a 1' square framework would go. Also, how thick should the metal be for the floor pan?
BTW, I'm in San Antonio. How close is that to "the deep south"?

[Henry Highrise]

Weld a piece down each side of the bottom of the body, you will have to make some slits in it to get it to curve for you then weld it in place as well as welding up your slits that you made for the purpose of bending or curving. Then about every 12 inches weld a piece in that goes from side to side, sort of like floor joists in a house. Weld some flanges to bolt it to your frame with rubber between them, you need about 3 mounting bolts on each side. Anyway when you get all the floor ribs in just cut out some sheet metal and cover, You can weld this from the bottom side. I sloped the toe board at the front on mine. I do not know what guage metal I used but it was about a sixteenth of an inch thick. If you have any seams, just weld them up. Its not that bad of a job to do its all pretty straight forward, just got to get in there and do it. Jack, block pull or what ever you have to do to get your body square before you remove it and then weld in some temporay cross braces etc. to keep it that way while you remove it.

[adtkart]

Originally the Model A body sat on wooden blocks between it and the frame. Without blocks, the body does not sit well on the frame. The rear of the body was also supported by the brackets for the rear bumper, because the original frame did end at the rear axle.

You might want to check out a book on restoring the Model A. It would provide alot of information on how that body is supposed to be assembled. That will help you decide what modifications you need to make to fit that frame.

[oldguy829]

Thanks guys. I've ordered some books, hope that helps.
Henry, If I've got this straight in my head, it ends up raising the floor inside by an inch, but that is only noticeable at the door openings.
I was planning on moving the gas tank and battery under the back seat (separate compartments) so I will need ventilation holes there. Any comments on that arrangement?

[jalopy45]

Go to Wescotts web page for the measurements, so that when you make you sub frame it will line up with the frame. www.wescottsauto.com

[Henry Highrise]

My floor turned out to be the same height as the original wood floor, Where my body bolts to the frame I made provisions to keep the height right. My fuel tank and battery are in the trunk on my coupe, I have a wall between the trunk and the main body compartment. My gas tank is vented out underneath the car.

[oldguy829]

Thanks guys. We built a jig and moved the body onto it. Problem is now very obvious. The body is humped up 3/4 of an inch in the middle. Previous owner had welded in the roof, apparently with the body not level, so we cut the top in half, also cut it loose above the front door pillars. We've put some weight on the crossmembers and will give it some time to settle back down.
The plan now is to make a couple of plates to overlap the frame rails and the body rails to tie them together. Then go to Henry's plan of reinforcing with 1 " tubing.
We want to put the gas tank and battery behind the front seat, and will have to raise the floor back there to make them fit. Looks like I need a gas tank about 21 inches wide, 16 inches front to back, 8 to 10 inches high with a filler pipe out the side. Have any suggestions??
By the way, Spadaro's (sp) didn't show any parts for a pre 32.
Thanks again, Don

[Henry Highrise]

Sounds like you've got it figured out and are on the right track. If we lived closer I would come and help you.

[oldguy829]

You could be in Texas and still not be close.

[Kenneth Thibault]

Gentleman, enjoying your mailings back and forth and though I would join in,
I also am going to build my own gas tank under the rear seat as I don't see any other way. saddle tanks won't work because of rear bar suspension I bought a pair and then had to send them back, then I bought a tank for a 32 and hated the looks of it and sent that back.
Another question is what would make a good donor mini van for my seats front and back

[Henry Highrise]

I don't really know Kenneth. My coupe best I remember was like 42 inches from door panel to door panel, so I could not use bucket seats any wider than 20 inches. I took my tape measure to the junk yard and started measureing seats. I would up using a set of buckets out of a Volvo.

[Michaelbc]

You may want to consider the middle seats from a Dodge Caravan usually work well in coupes, roadsters and pickups. I have used them in the 28 model a pick ups that I had and a friend of mine had used them in his roadsters.

[Kenneth Thibault]

Thanks for the info do you happpen to remember about what year?