Length questions, please help?

[DavidLee]

Maybe I should vvait until I get the body tub, undecided on Haler vs Speedvvay, but I'm not finding anything anyvvhere about hovv much of the frame length goes behind the tub. It seems to me that I can be building the frame right avvay vvhile I save up for the body tub. If only I knevv a fevv measurements. Speedvvay gives an overall length of their tub, but I have no clue as to the portion of that that extends forvvard of the frame kickups. If I had that, I could ad in engine length, vvhich I knovv, and figure out the length to make the frame rails. Does the body tub butt back against the frame kickup? Then about hovv long is the overhang, from the top front of the kickups at the lovver end, to the rearmost tip of the tub? Or if anyone could kindly measure the length of the lovver part of either tub? I'm liking the extended Haler, but I have more confidence in Speedvvay. Thanks!

 

[old round fart]

I would not build a frame without body, engine, and radiator in hand. To much depends on looks of each part with each other to guess. You may make one out of wood first.

 

[Dezolde]

I agree w/ ORF.

My CCR rear of tub overlaps top front edge of kick up by about 1". Length of kick up, from that point back, is 8".
I added another 8" extension in conjunction with 20" bed.

 

[EX JUNK]

I would not build a frame without body, engine, and radiator in hand. To much depends on looks of each part with each other to guess. You may make one out of wood first.

I AGREE with "old round fart" 100%! I would also make a mock up out of 2x4's before cutting up any expensive steel tubing. You could then set your body on and turtle deck or pickup box along with the length of the engine and radiator/grill shell. You could then determine the placement of the front axle and rear end assembly. I took it one steep and made plywood cutouts of the OD of the front and rear tires. This manner of forethought will allow you to see in actual fact how your build is going to look. Step back as far as you can and check the profile. How a car profiles is very important as to how it is accepted. IMHO

Jim

 

[Gerry]

No chassis showing at the back. Kick up is inside the body line. Horse's for course's depending on the look you want. Only you can decide what you want it to look like. There are no rules.....

 

[Spanky]

David, this is how Speedway shows their body mounted to their frame, and is also the way my Spirit body mounts on my Spirit frame . . .

 

[choppinczech]

No chassis showing at the back. Kick up is inside the body line. Horse's for course's depending on the look you want. Only you can decide what you want it to look like. There are no rules.....

View attachment 13596

That's so freak'n cool.

 

[choppinczech]

I AGREE with "old round fart" 100%! I would also make a mock up out of 2x4's before cutting up any expensive steel tubing. You could then set your body on and turtle deck or pickup box along with the length of the engine and radiator/grill shell. You could then determine the placement of the front axle and rear end assembly. I took it one steep and made plywood cutouts of the OD of the front and rear tires. This manner of forethought will allow you to see in actual fact how your build is going to look. Step back as far as you can and check the profile. How a car profiles is very important as to how it is accepted. IMHO

Jim

Me too. For me, it made a lot more sense to make the frame fit the body. Though I still ran into issues.

The absolute best way to do it would be to have ALL of the parts on hand. But that never happens in real life.

 

[DavidLee]

So I emailed a bunch of suppliers, I'm now leaning toward Unlimited's tub, their length is 46.75", then for a SWP 454 add 30.5, add 2.5 for the radiator thickness, plus a fan, plus some air gaps, and set the engine forward enough to clear a large cap HEI, which will help with driveshaft length, it works out around 84", a bit less than Youngster's 88".
Thanks to those who posted pics / links.