Hey gang, I will be boxing the C channel in my 72 Lark, in addition to other frame mods. Keeping a dead stock interior so no cage, and 600 hp from a 462 will be rough on a stock frame. ABC plates are simple, Hellwig seems overly complicated. I started playing with some scrap left over from scratch building hot rod frames. Cheaper than either “kits” and probably stronger! Two design ideas, both use a nice long piece of rectangular eighth inch wall stock. One, a 3 x 1.5 oriented vertically would close up the open face and essentially be like two boxed rails together. Just clears rear foot wells and avoids dealing with the center body mount. Pretty easy to cut the ends to extend along the factory boxed areas of the frame. Sorry, no visual Second, a 2 x 3 in at an angle kinda creates a slope similar to the convertible frame. Kinda creates a box within a box, leaves a great space to route fuel and brake lines. But would have to monkey with sleeving that body mount or create another. End cuts get more complicated but could finish off with smaller plates transitioning into the factory boxed areas. Which would you do...or any other ideas?
No new ideas. I did the ABC kit. Easy, it works. Sounds like you have the skill to mod up your own. I thought about adding some square tubing the frame curve at the front to close to the lower rear control arm mounting point at the back. But Tony at ABC did not think it was worth it. We did re-weld all of the all the of the factory welds. They did not seem generous enough to me. Made a big difference. Also did all new poly body bushings.
Your frame looks to be in better shape than mine was. It was nice and straight but the rails need a little help.
Yes, the frame will be rolled out from under the body soom enough. Ive just been under the car eyeballing the possibilites. I plan to weld any factory deficiencies and plate up the lower control arm bracket. Ive seen the rear crossmember boxed up in front of the coil spring pocket. And a few other gussets around the rear X member. Did you build a frame jig? Those large rails that you clamped to?
Frame was really true despite all the waves on the bottom of the rail. So all I did was take a nice chunk of 2x3 square tube and c clamped it to the bottom of the frame. Took some more c clamps and used those to draw the bottom of the frame down to straighten it. Problem was that when you loosed the c clamp the metal wanted to spring back. Solution for me was to make those those blocks you see out of 3/16 mild steel and weld them in. Then tacked the ABC pieces in. Then I took to a friend of mine that really knows how to weld. The tab you see in finished view is the mount for the crossmember. We narrowed the stock crossmember and use the stock crossmember frame mounts.
What ever came of this? Im looking to box my 65 frame this weekend. Looking at all the options, 3" C channel, 3" square tube? 3/16 flat plate?
Sorry Socal I haven't been on this project a while. I don't know the color name offhand. I call it “metallic pea”
So, I finally turned my attention back to “Plain Jane”. I ran 300 pounds of media through a blaster to prep for welding. Started by fitting up the 2x2 eighth inch wall rails.
Your welcome man. More question then suggestions but thanks for having an open line with me. Keep it up man, looks good
Started tacking in pieces. Had my 15 yr old on the plasma cutter while I made patterns and prepped surfaces
Is that angle iron your using? any reason to use that instead of a flat piece of say 3/16 to box the frame with?