Toppers Tuesday

The old weatherman said it was going to be hot and he was correct. Driving a roadster to Toppers today would require the 55+ sun screen lotion. It seems all of us are subject to some dermatology work in our old age and I have my appointment next week. The conversation today was about the Primer Nationals being held in Ventura on Sept, 4th & 5th. The show has a new name, Ventura Nationals but it is the same event as in the past. I will be headed to the Labor Day Cruise on that weekend and hope it is better than last years show.

The promotors of these weekend shows invest a lot of time and money to provide us a place to show our cars and have fun. I support most of them but the $35 — $50 fees add up over the summer months. I select about a dozen shows to attend and I am happy with that decision.

The subject today is the hot rod chassis fabrication business. I have always been intrigued by the many variations of the Deuce chassis being constructed for the hot rod. Some are doing the stock thing, others are making minor changes and finally the old staples of SO-CAL, Lobeck, P&J, Deuce Frame and Cornhusker continue to crank out several traditional style frames a month. The price of these chassis if you just purchase the perimeter frame are very reasonable and you are way ahead of the game to purchase rather than do it yourself. I just sold mine and if I were to build another chassis I would buy one done from one of the above sources. I would save money and time which is important in today’s economic climate.

Here are some nice pictures of chassis being sold today. The registration is going to be a problem down the road on these chassis so get yours done today.

Stay Tooned!

Lynn

Ionia builds some nifty chassis with precision bevels and unique designs. This unit accommodates a turbo 350 transmission which is my favorite transmission in hot rod. Note stock chassis adjacent to this frame. The k-member is completely fabricated by Ionia.

Here is another modern traditional styled chassis ready to make someone a nice hot rod.

The tubular chassis has always been my favorite when building a new frame from scratch. A simple design provides a great deal of strength while offering a pleasing design. I am not a fan of the rectangular tubing being used in many chassis today.

A quickchange is mandatory for the old hot rod racer look. Winters is the way to go and they are now priced very reasonable and provide great service if required.

IRS can build you a super styled Deuce chassis for about $8K which is in the ball park for similar chassis. The quality of the welds and design will make you a happy camper.

Bruce builds some one-off chassis’s in his shop in Texas. Take a close look at the inner boxing plate which is another Deuce frame made to fit inside the repo rails. The motor mounts are quite sturdy.

I am a Champ fan but they are a little large for the Deuce. Ron’s Rearends in LA can put one of these together for you if you have the pieces. Mine ran about $600 bucks for everything.

A jig helps but is not required if you take you time welding up the boxing plates and crossmembers. Note simple top of frame jig.

A pair of legs for the rear of a stock chassis makes a very nice old style center section. You can purchase these from the vendor.

A vintage Halibrand makes a nice rear end for a hot rod. These units are pricy and are usually worn out with a broken pinion housing.

Another simple jig for boxing the frame rails. You can make one of these at home for a few bucks worth of steel at IMS.

Today’s Deuce Sedan….FOR SALE

This little beauty is for sale in CO and would make you a great car. Just think a ride this will provide you with instant gratification for about $125K or less.
Think about it!