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Steakneggs

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So I emailed Wasatch Steel for a price and availability, I just got a reply, they have a 20' stick of 3" x 1.5" x 0.120" for $58.67 including tax!
For 255 Horsepower, is this adequate?
 
I believe that's what Total Performance used for their frames and there are a lot of them out there. Torque might factor into this decision, I doubt that horsepower does.
 
Metal Supermarkets just quoted me $150 for the exact same thing. I politely asked why their quote is 250% as much.
The Vortec 350 is rated to make 330 ft-lbs of torque, but I suspect the tires will slip before the frame is damaged.
At $58.67, I can get started fairly quickly.
 
Best price I've seen in a long time. Yes it will be fine and the more HP (over 500) you add, the more cross members you should add.
They call it a ladder frame and to stiffen it up is to add more rungs, so to speak. engine cross member--trans and so forth.
 
I hope you guys can forgive my not having the $58.67 right now, but 'tis the season.
While we're waiting for me to scrape it together, who makes soft yet durable rubber engine mounts or bushings you'd use in your own builds?
 
The plans that HenrysT suggest are really good, but TBucketPlans.Com offers a 5 book set for $40, and they'll give you Youngster set for free:

T-Bucket Master Plans Digital Downloads Package - TBucketPlans.com

A few words of warning, Youngsters frame is a constant 23-1/2 wide, CCR's is a constant 26-1/2 wide, the others taper from about 23 wide in the front to about 30 inches in the rear. Firewall widths on 23T bodies vary from about 25-1/2 to about 27 inches. Fiberglass molding isn't a super precise process, the width can vary 1/2 inch from the same manufacturer. Have a body on hand before you start cutting & welding; mock things up in wood first!
 
I now have funding for my 20' stick of rectangular, and cash for cutting discs for my angle grinder, and 3/32" 6011 electrodes for my welder. No responses to my emails for the 3" tube.
 
They call it farmer's rod, it works ok on everything, it's reasonably easy to start an arc with, even on rusty potmetal, and I've found that trimming it down to 2" lengths makes initial tacking easier, especially if having to hold the work instead of the electrode.
I got the 3/32" for exhaust pipe and auto body, but it works fine on 0.120" also.
I first learned welding on a Lincoln wirefeed MIG, at Rome Driveshaft for a year, but I've since done way more with stick.
6011 done right is stronger than the mild steel being used for the frame.
 
6013 is usually the rod of choice for non rusty mild steel general welding. 6011 will penetrate deeper and burn through rust and paint, but doesn’t build like 6013. We used 6011 to burn through galvanized steel decking to spot weld it to red iron but used 6013 or 7018 for all other general welding when I worked steel. 6011 will work, it depends on what you are used to using and the desired result. I keep various rod on hand, but the mig has become the go to for most. I will never give up my ac buzz box, but it’s no match to the old Lincoln pipeliner... smooth and steady. Weld all day and the last weld was the same as the first one, it didn’t heat up or gouge like the millers tended to do after running them for a while. Miss those days, but glad not to weld all day, every day!
 
I've decided to make 60* cuts for the kickup, a but of layout on cardboard with tools shows that on a 3" beam you lose or gain 1.75".
I'll be hiding my reinforcements inside each joint, using the drill and rosette weld method.
 
Everyone says to buy the body first, but I probably won't ever have $400 at any given second, let alone money for shipping, so I'm going to go ahead and cut my steel per Youngster's plans. I bought cutting discs for my angle grinder. I have a bare LSx block and a RWD 4L80E, so that's what I'll be installing in the standard SBC location. Whomever I sell this to can buy a running 5.3L LM7 from Pick-N-Pull for $250, have the ECM reflashed for $75, and be good to go.
 
Do you plan on building a car? Or just building a frame and selling it? Flyer gave you some solid, accurate advice. If you build the frame first and then get a body, you may end up having to modify the body to make it fit the frame. I am interested in your project, and I love your enthusiasm. I built the car in my avatar as a very low budget project..I bought the book about how to build a T Bucket for under $3000, and I used much of the info from that book. I’m hoping to take my first test drive in the next week or so. Best of luck!
 
DEFINITELY get the body FIRST! Use the plans that you have for the frame and adjust the measurements to fit the body.

Jim
 

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