3" tube frame

[ram rod2]

Hello all. I have an opportunity to buy a well used t-bucket(real cheap)no engine or tranny its been setting in a farmers field for ion 25 years. It looks like the frame is made out of 3" pipe or tube hard to tell.I guess my question is was this the norm back then? In all the t-bucket does not look bad needs a lot of rebuilding and TLC but i have concernes about the frame. ANY THOUGHTS??

P.S. May the lord watch over and bless you youngster!!!

 

[stroker]

In not knowing the exact history of the frame, I would opt to put a new chassis under it. The piece of mind in getting a safe platform for your ride outweighs any bucks you save using the old frame. Also, I don't remember 3" tubing ever being popular for frames.

 

[old round fart]

Frames are the basis for a real expensive project. Don't pinch pennies for such an important part.

 

[ram rod2]

thanx guys. I was planning on a new frame anyway just got my curiosity

 

[donsrods]

There was some really scarey stuff being built back then, and there still is (look at some of the current rat rods) but for the most part people are building them better than they used to. I bought a 34 Ford roadster drag car years ago and the builder made his own rear radius rods out of water pipe and flattened the pipe in the front, drilled a hole through it, and that was his pivot point ! Every weld on the car looked like a blind man had done them.

If the rest of the bucket looks good either buy or build a proper frame and you will be better off.

Don

 

[fluidfloyd]

ram rod2

Just for your information, there were plenty of cars built with 3" diameter tubes. I've seen plenty of gas dragsters built from thin wall 3" exhaust tubing back in the day. Not the right material choise but for the most part they did get away with it. The most noted car to use 3" tubes was Carrol Shelby's famed Cobras. When they started stuffing 427 big blocks in them they suffered torsional twist in the floor plane. Many racers added extra cross members to combat this problem. Reminds me of most typical T-buckets...Very little torsional stiffness. Another large diameter tubed car was the '63 Corvetet Grand Sports built to do battle with Shelby and his Cobras. They used 4 1/4" OD tubes and they too suffered some torsional issues althought not as much as the Cobras. That was due mainly to tube size and a wider chassis. The Grand Sports were around 2000 lb. cars ready to run and all five are still around.

That being said, 25 years is a long time to be sitting outside much less in a field. I would be interested in seeing pictures of this car in you have them. Nothing wrong with a big tubed chassis if it's done right. They are more difficult to design brackets and suspension attachment points to and the floor/body clearances can be a problem but it's not impossible. Just a few thoughts on the big tube concept. Have fun!

George

 

[Hotrod46]

If you live in an area that has or had a lot of oil field activity, then it could be 2 7/8" well tubing. It has been used to build all manner of things because it used to be very cheap (sometimes free). The down side is you don't know the condition of the stuff. It was usually abandoned for a good reason.

New frame time in my opinion.

Mike

 

[Ted Brown]

If this car has been out in a field for 25 years??? what is there that is still good enough for you to want to buy it??? and/or does it have plates and reg. already? If it had plates back then, maybe, as that can be updated pretty easy, and that can be a hard part on a new build these days... Hope it is real cheap. Good Luck with whatever you decide... Nothing really wrong with a 3" round frame, of the right wall thickness...

 

[ram rod2]

George thanx for the info! very interesting stuff! if I get it I will take pics.

Ted yes the t is reg. and titled it has been blocked up and covered. as far a cost its almost free

 

[donsrods]

The title alone is worth quite a bit of money and sure saves a lot of trouble at the end of the build. I bought a T project one time simply because it had a good 1924 title. The rest of the car was crap pretty much, but that title was what I was after anyway.

Don