EARLY...1932 Frame...History?

[Richard (EV8G)]

i have a 32 frame with the rear support panel on the outside not the inside i have had many 32 frames never one like this it was under the 32 pickup i have from California how many are like this

I have heard of this before, but have not ever seen one personally. I have seen 32 frames that had broken clear through at the rear kickup and had "fish plates" added to the outside. I would suspect that Ford or more likely an after-market supplier? may have made retrofit external plates that could be installed without taking the vehicle apart ("Band Aid") but have not ever seen anything in print. The Service Bulletin is clearly regarding the factory change to add the second channel on the INSIDE, which also requires a shorter rear cross-member. The Bulletin states that they are welded in place, but I think they were riveted in with the cross-member? (Ford did not weld anything else on a 32 frame?)

 

[barryfromvictoria]

I have never seen a Canadian frame with the numbers stamped in 3 places. Some frames are barely readable especially if they are rusted bad. Most were lightly stamped. As they didn`t use any backing when stamping, [like hitting a spring], it would make it difficult to get a deep stamp. I`ve used acid to bring out some no`s with about 75% success.

 

[WHITEY]

On replacement frames...none could have had numbers, because the number was stamped on the assembly line to match the engine/trans unit being installed. The car's master serial number was the one on the power unit and the frame numbers were backups. Frames assembled into cars at factory should all have numbers, including Canadian ones, as far as I know...Canadian A's did not get frame numbers.
After all this time, who can say on this thing. With all the early '32 troubles, the stamping guy could have been busy helping wrestle some mis-drilled part into place or scratching or sneezing...I doubt that anyone was available to notice minor problems with all the major problems they had!
Suhr...REPRO Service Bulletins?? Are your standards slipping?

Thanks Bruce your knowledge is invalueable, seems were are getting to the bottom of the story.

No, my wallet is

Well that website turned out very nice Zach, did you guys build it, if not looks like a good use of the wallet.

this is funny for me Whitey,i thought i was looking in the wrong location for frame #`s. i looked everywhere on that frame i traded you for #`s.Maybe Mel can come on here and let us know if there were any #`s on the 32 roadster i sold him.If i remember correctly,i could not find #`s on that frame either.I have another 32 frame here with no #`s on it either.I called a friend that i sold a 32 roadster to years ago and he says that his has numbers.My best guess is that since ford of canada did not stamp the modle A frames;it took them a while into the 32 production before they started stamping the 32 frames..all canadian 32 stamped frames start with a "C".Chris

Chris its been awhile, good to talk with you man,how have you been.Really neat you chimed in here, I did not know till Bruces post that the modle A frames were not stamped, SO that makes sense that the 32 C frames did not get stamped or started late.

Good stuff thank you guys.

Stefan

 

[WHITEY]

I have heard of this before, but have not ever seen one personally. I have seen 32 frames that had broken clear through at the rear kickup and had "fish plates" added to the outside. I would suspect that Ford or more likely an after-market supplier? may have made retrofit external plates that could be installed without taking the vehicle apart ("Band Aid") but have not ever seen anything in print. The Service Bulletin is clearly regarding the factory change to add the second channel on the INSIDE, which also requires a shorter rear cross-member. The Bulletin states that they are welded in place, but I think they were riveted in with the cross-member? (Ford did not weld anything else on a 32 frame?)

Richard, thanks for the plate info...with so many recalls, its almost as if the service guys were building the cars a second time and NOT just servicing...

I have never seen a Canadian frame with the numbers stamped in 3 places. Some frames are barely readable especially if they are rusted bad. Most were lightly stamped. As they didn`t use any backing when stamping, [like hitting a spring], it would make it difficult to get a deep stamp. I`ve used acid to bring out some no`s with about 75% success.

Barry, makes sense that this could have had a number and just not be ledgeable at this time...Ive read about the ACID process, BUT am very interested to hear how its done, give it a try....Maybe you should post a TECH...

Thank you

Stefan

 

[Bruce Lancaster]

On the plates...inner ones from factory were just spot-welded, I think just to keep them in the rail until the rivets went in. I would guess that ones installed at dealer were just riveted, and I have seen two frames with that stuff bolted, interesting because all of the bolts had odd tapered heads...could the factory have actually allowed bolted construction and supplied special bolts when early frames were reworked??? Seems odd that 2 had the same oddball bolt heads.
I have a fairly early pickup frame, also bolted back there, with formed EXTERNAL platyes at kick-up area and early crossmember/no reinforcements inside. The external plates are fully formed channel fitting over the frame perfectly, so I think most likely factory made. Don't know serials...one frame was in a friend's stash, and pickup frame was heavily pitted.

 

[Richard (EV8G)]

On the plates...inner ones from factory were just spot-welded, I think just to keep them in the rail until the rivets went in. I would guess that ones installed at dealer were just riveted, and I have seen two frames with that stuff bolted, interesting because all of the bolts had odd tapered heads...could the factory have actually allowed bolted construction and supplied special bolts when early frames were reworked??? Seems odd that 2 had the same oddball bolt heads.
I have a fairly early pickup frame, also bolted back there, with formed EXTERNAL platyes at kick-up area and early crossmember/no reinforcements inside. The external plates are fully formed channel fitting over the frame perfectly, so I think most likely factory made. Don't know serials...one frame was in a friend's stash, and pickup frame was heavily pitted.

Did you (try to) take one apart??? I was not aware of the spot-welding... If the external formed plates came from Ford, there should be something in the parts books??? There was alot of "aftermarket" stuff made for commercial/trucks, so these external plates were probably some of that?

 

[Bruce Lancaster]

The '32 parts book is near worthless for following changes, and lots more stuff was never mentioned in the Bulletis either. I think everyone was too busy fixing problems to properly document parts changes! If the parts book (I have the common early one and the December one, as well as body, hardware, and a BUNCH of foreign ones) shows one part, and the restoration books tell you about the 5 variants, the next one you find at the fleamarket will be a 6th type. Even the paper varies...the Cole column in V8 times discussed the several different owner's manuals for 18's. I lent my little collection to a friend and he immediately discovered ANOTHER variant.
The inside reinforcement plates seem to have a spotweld on the forward area at least. Never took apart a frame except for one with massive kickup mods, but I assume this was an assembly convenience. Whatever it is, I don't think it was meant to be structural.
On the frames...numerous early variants, probably numerous different fixxit kits for both factory and dealer. Only one variant is really in the bulletins, I believe some others were covered in service letters.
Parts book is pathetic on frame stuff...frame assembly listed is presumably the late one made after several variants, but number has no suffix to indicate that it was developed over time and no earlier parts are shown. Front crossmember has a b suffix, but no clues on the a version, license bracket and 2 lengths or rear crossmember are indicated but nothing else!
And...shock absorber are reinforcement shows an R suffix, meaning replacement part only, so it is maybe just the dealer service piece, rather than the production one??
'32's are really badly served by the parts books!
Whatever the external braces are, they are on a frame with no inside ones...I think the lack of documentation on them is actually meaningless because so much is clearly missing from the book.

 

[just 32]

Photo of my very early V8 Fordor ( sn# *18-949*) just out of the barn in Maine in 2008.

 

[just 32]

Photos of the built in pedals with the unusual k-member on my very early V8 fordor.....built during the last 2 weeks of March 1932

 

[WHITEY]

I had a house in Freeport, right up the road from where I think that pick was taken. I remember the sedan being for sale but did NOT
know it to be an early car, just VERY nice that's a great car.

 

[svm99]

I used a piece of a K-member to repair my frames k-member. The flange is relieved around the battery area and I had not seen another one like it. It just happened to be a piece I acquired. It appears from the pictured frame that the relief in the K-member flange is early. Am I right in this assumption?
Paul J.

 

[32phil]

As I have posted before, I have a Standard V-8 sedan, low mileage ( 48 K ) serial # 18-203120 I believe this to be one of the last 32 Fords built. The crazy part is it too came from Maine ( Skowhegan ? I'm not sure of the spelling ) What are the chances of one of the first and one of the last 32s wound up in Maine ??