Rusty Bowtie

General Category => Early Chevy/GM Discussion => Topic started by: chevygarage on April 11, 2023, 09:48:52 PM

Title: frame dimensions
Post by: chevygarage on April 11, 2023, 09:48:52 PM
hey guys, i wonder if anybody could tell me if a 1928 chevy roadster frame is the same or close to a 1929 chevy frame. i'm not sure what the car is on the 1929. we have a 1928 roadster body, the frame is pretty much hacked up and we found a 1929 frame. what is the major differences. thanks in advance for any info. jeff and drew.
Title: Re: frame dimensions
Post by: sammons on April 12, 2023, 10:08:45 AM
I did some searching this morning and came across a thread on VCCA. Looks like start of '28 frame was 4" longer than '27, and shared the same rails as '29. Main change to '29 was crossmember design and placement.

Maybe someone on here can be more help. Here is the link(if it works)
https://vccachat.org/ubbthreads.php/topics/407869/28-chassis-unique-features.html
Title: Re: frame dimensions
Post by: chevygarage on April 12, 2023, 10:29:56 AM
Wow. Thank you sammons. That's some great info.
Title: Re: frame dimensions
Post by: sixball on April 12, 2023, 12:42:13 PM
The frame was lengthened in '28 because the plan was to go to the six cylinder engine that year. The six wasn't ready. The four cylinder was used so the front crossmember and front engine mount are different from the '29. There may be some small differences but I think your '29 frame will work out depending what kind of build you are doing.

Maybe this will help. I can't seem to find the '29 info but you can compare these measurements. There are full speck drawings out there I just don't remember where they are.  :(

http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/chevyresto/28index.htm (http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/chevyresto/28index.htm)
http://
Title: Re: frame dimensions
Post by: chevygarage on April 12, 2023, 01:25:32 PM
Thanks sixball. I already have that web page. But thanks for the other info. You learn something new every time you talk to someone.
Title: Re: frame dimensions
Post by: sixball on April 12, 2023, 07:18:59 PM
I'd like to see more about your build.
Title: Re: frame dimensions
Post by: chevygarage on April 14, 2023, 09:23:43 AM
hey sixball, not much to say about it, my son got this car a few years ago, had ideas, a 454 laying around and thought it might be fun to stick this big boat anchor in and see what happens. well my son isn't rolling in the dough so it's slow plus life gets in the way. i'm working on a 55 chevy that takes all of my time. i like to fabricate so that isn't a problem, i have plenty of tools to do the work. i know the bodies had wooden frames but we bought square tube to fab up the frame work. my sons into the rat rod rust scene, rockabilly. he has his own ideas on how he wants it to look. he wants the big wheels, he doesn't like the leaf springs in the front so we might go coil overs. when we actually start something i'll start a thread on the project. that might be a while.  here are some pics. the one is of my radiator cover for my 55, i like to fabricate.
Title: Re: frame dimensions
Post by: sixball on April 14, 2023, 11:55:07 AM
Cool projects! That is a nice roadster body and I like the look. There are different levels of rat rods. I hope he takes the more traditional hot rod side of things. I know that can be more expensive but the looks come out more of an old time hot rod in progress.  I like the big spokes not sure how they will hold up to a big block. The Ford "buggy spring" suspension can be built to perform very well while having that old time look the car has now. I'll be looking forward to you build thread. Your '55 looks good too.

 I'm trying to get my '26 back on track. I understand the life gets in the way thing especially this winter and now it has burst into weed season.  :o
Title: Re: frame dimensions
Post by: chevygarage on April 14, 2023, 01:54:35 PM
Well that's an old pic. We got rid of the wheels and suspension. That's why we're looking at this other frame to stay chevy. And yes he is more hot rod. And we do understand that the big block is to much for this little car but just going for the look.
Title: Re: frame dimensions
Post by: sixball on April 14, 2023, 11:12:14 PM
The more Chevy the better.  ;D  I'm sticking withe the parallel front leaf springs but that makes it harder to lower without a really ugly dropped axle. Mine won't be really low. The plan for the  the rear suspension will be a triangulated 4 link with quarter elliptics for the bottom links. And the crazy part is I'm replacing the old weed with new wood. But I'm moving very slow.  :(
Title: Re: frame dimensions
Post by: chopper526 on April 16, 2023, 08:52:17 AM
That roadster looks like it's going to be a lot of fun, I'd like to get my hands on something like that. There was a time I didn't like the ratrod look, not anymore, it's just another form of expression and that's cool.
Sixball, this is something you probably already thought about, but when I wanted to lower the front end on my parallel springs I reversed  the eyes, it dropped it a couple inches.
Title: Re: frame dimensions
Post by: chevygarage on April 16, 2023, 07:30:03 PM
Just picked up the frame. The guy had all kinds of Chevys and fords there. I gave him the web site so he might be checking in sometime. The frame measures out to what we've been finding out. It gives us all the points of interest that we were looking for. Happy day.
Title: Re: frame dimensions
Post by: sammons on April 16, 2023, 08:15:11 PM
Cool, glad it will work for what you need. 👍
Title: Re: frame dimensions
Post by: sixball on April 16, 2023, 10:38:33 PM
That is a nice looking frame. That should serve you well. Will you box it? I'm not boxing mine but my engine will not be as torquey as yours.

Chopper, I plan to modify my axle to fit on top of the spring. That will lower it about 6". (the thickness of the spring pack & the thickness of the axle) If there is enough room between axle & frame I will look at reversing the eyes & shortening the rear shackles. The front of the spring goes directly into a knuckle on the frame.
Title: Re: frame dimensions
Post by: sixball on June 20, 2023, 12:19:53 PM
Is there any progress here? I could use some inspiration.  :)
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