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Page 13WEBSITE SPECIAL!Save $100 by selecting Plain steel TIG welded tubular control arms rather than the standard polished stainless steel arms! We feature here Larry Richardson’s ’40 Ford 3 window coupe, designed by Dave Hill, featured in Street Rodder, and built at Fatman Fab. It illustrates our standard height chassis, with 15" wheels all around. More radical stances are delivered by our Ultra Low options and 2" drop spindles. We have a very thorough and more extensive Builder’s Guide that expands on the notes that follow below. You can go through the option list and get a pretty good idea of what your chassis will run. We will send that on request to begin the process of ordering a chassis, which will require a 1/3 deposit to get on the build schedule. We will then put you with our frame specialists to put together a formal quote in duplicate for you to approve and return a copy. That signed copy will be the build specification for your chassis, so be sure that any and all details are properly covered. Both of us will have many conversations in this process, and we have found this to be the very best method of ensuring that you get what you want, and that we clearly understand that combination. You can order a Builder Special chassis in order to do more of the assembly work yourself. The basic rails, x member, engine and trans mounts are included, but no bolt on front end parts, pedal assemblies, or rear suspension brackets or crossmembers. If you add the Builder Special options of pedal assembly, shock crossmember, sway bar, and rear leaf spring mounts, then all the welding is complete and you can add all the bolt on components later. This is an excellent way to spread out the purchase price, especially if you expect to rebuild your body on our chassis and don’t want parts sitting there rusting and in your way. Most people do opt for the complete roller chassis where we have installed all the parts, ready to receive the wheels, drivetrain, and body. The chassis are typically primed with a lacquer based primer to prevent corrosion while we go thru the fit up phase prior to disassemble for final paint. We expect you will sand the bulk of that primer off during the paint prep process. Another option is the epoxy primer finish. We sand all the mill scale off the steel after sub assembly parts are fabricated, and before final weld assembly. This provides an excellent base for finish paint, and is even used as a final finish for road use, as it is waterproof. It will fade over time, so finish paint is recommended. ’35-’40 FORD CHASSISWe are especially proud of our ’35-40 Ford chassis. They fit all those passenger cars, as well as the ’35-41 Pickup. Race bred technology allows us to build these using 2 × 4 × .188 wall mandrel bent tube main rails for strength far in excess of a laser cut and fabricated rail, as used in competitor’s frames. This rigidity is especially important with fiberglass bodies! We achieve the ability to simply tap fine thread holes for component mounting rather than having to weld in nuts, radiused corners for a smoother more original look, and much smoother surface without the heavy grind marks that show up in your paint on those fabbed rails. All the body, radiator, and bumper mounts are provided and will use the same body mount pad and shim kits as on an original frame. You do have to shim the body on any chassis for proper door fit. We allow an additional ½" of space at the extreme front cowl mount bolt. Our experience has shown that naturally sagging doors on 60 year old bodies often require the cowl to be pulled further forward, lifting the back of the door, than stock frames allow. By giving you the extra space, the doors can be lifted to align with the rear quarter panel without having to start all over and raise the entire body. The same natural variations in the tuned fit of original, repaired, and repro fenders comes into play as well. The absolute truth is that those of us who have done many cars know that they seldom fit as nicely as we want today without having to elongate holes in the tin and the frame. Consequently, we do not drill the holes on the side of the frame for the runningboards and fenders. It is much better to fit the components the way you want, and then simply drill and tap fine thread holes where they need to be. Our heavy wall frame easily allows this without all the trouble of weld nuts or threaded inserts. Body boxes are supplied, but not finish welded, for the same reasons of fit. Pickups do not use the body boxes, so they will be deleted on those chassis. The standard front suspension uses our Stage II version, with polished stainless steel control arms, urethane bushings, full size iron disc brakes, manual rack and pinion, and conventional separate coil springs and shocks. Upgrades include power rack and pinion, coilovers, Ultra low crossmembers, Airride, and Shockwaves. Different bolt circle, diameter rotors, and finish options can be used as well. We discuss this in detail on page 5 and 9 of our catalog and website. Our x-member is made using 1 × 2 .120 wall rectangular tubing. The flat surface easily accepts body mounts and allows 1½" more space to run your exhaust, compared to using 1 5/8" diameter round tubing. We like the look better and it’s more functional. The trans mount will be drilled per your spec sheet, but can easily be moved on the parallel x-member rails should you change the trans later. The bolt in mount is easily removed to allow any trans service that may become necessary in use. Mounts for Chevy small and big blocks, and Ford Windsor engines are standard, along with any of their matched automatic transmissions. We can mount other combinations, generally with a small additional charge. It may be necessary for you to supply certain dimensions or even set up parts we do not have on hand. The same goes for manual transmissions, which are generally set up to use a hydraulic clutch mechanism. Our frame specialists will be pleased to discuss any special requests. Manual pedal and dual master cylinder assemblies are standard, with power assisted units as options. It is very important to note that we use dual diaghram vacuum boosters exclusively, as we have found that single boosters simply do not supply much reduction of pedal effort. The power booster assemblies use a Corvette style dual master cylinder which is valved for 4 wheel disc brakes. Proper residual pressure valves must be used (2 psi for discs and 10 psi for drum brakes) for proper operation. Remote reservoir, billet master cylinders, and hydraulic boosters are also available on request. Clutch pedals can be added as an option, and will use Wilwood master cylinders to serve hydraulic slave cylinders for clutch operation. Complete brake line plumbing is available, strictly using DOT approved steel hard lines and braided stainless steel hoses. Stainless steel hard lines are based on aircraft use and probably quite safe, but are not DOT approved, and as such cannot be installed on our chassis in our shop. We do include all necessary valving for the system as installed on your chassis. The hard lines are attached with plastic clips pop riveted in place for easy removal prior to finish paint. Part of the brake option lists to either rebuild the rear drum brakes on 8" rear axles, or new drums on 9". Cast iron front disc rotors and calipers are standard, in either ’75-80 11" Ford Granada rotors, or ’82-87 Monte Carlo (12 × 1.5 MM stud) rotors for Chevy pattern. Ford pattern is 4½" bolt circle, while the Chevy is 4¾". Many rodders are confused by trying to measure this bolt circle directly, but the fact is that an odd number of lugs will measure 1/4" less than the true bolt circle. In other words, 4½" Ford pattern will measure 4 ¼” center of one lug to another across. We can offer endless options of bolt pattern, four wheel discs with functioning emergency brakes, drilled rotors, and aluminum hubs and calipers. Wilwood, ECI, and Baer are our primary suppliers. Please check out all the options in our Chassis Builder’s Guide, and discuss them with our chassis specialists. Ford 8” rear axles are standard, with 56½" hub to hub ’70-77 Maverick used for 8" rims on cars, while 58" ’75-80 Granada axles used for more nostalgic 7" rims, and to clear the 49" wide beds on pick ups. They are sandblasted, and complete but have not been rebuilt in any way. They will almost always have a 2.79 open gearset. For the average hot rod with a small block engine and non overdrive trans, they will serve nicely. Overdrives will work better with something in the 3.50 to 3.70 range. We can provide upgrades for gear ratios, positraction, 9" axle assemblies with 28, 31, or 35 spline axles. Quick changes are also available, as are custom IFS rear assemblies. Vette rear IRS is not recommended as they are too wide and bulky, making proper tire to fender placement difficult. The standard rear leaf set up will use Chassis Engineering 2½" wide leafs with shocks and rear sway bars. Posies rear spring kits are a no cost option, and have an advantage of tucking up into the frame higher for a cleaner side view of your hot rod. They are 1¾" wide, which for some reason concerns a few rodders. The Posies front mount tucked in the frame may require some mods to the rear seat footwell on certain original bodies, most commonly ’35-37 cars. Rear sway bars are not used on pickups, as that would create understeer. We do recommend front sway bars for heavier engines, top heavy woodies and panels, and rods driven very hard on mountain roads. Certain combinations of rear disc brakes and 4 bars will require special rear sway bars. Four bar rear suspensions are available with stainless or plain bars, and parallel, triangulated, and Pro Link variations. Coilovers are standard with 4 bar rear suspension. We can also use Airride Technologies Coolride airsprings with separate shocks, or the ultimate Shockwaves, which include a billet aluminum adjustable premium quality shock with the air spring wrapped around it, like a coilover unit. The adjustability of the Shockwaves gives you the ultimate in adjustable spring and shock rates to deal with varying loads, road surface quality, and handling. The standard equipment will put you into an acceptable performance range, while the complete adjustability of Shockwaves can dial it in just right. Or, all wrong if you don’t take the time to learn how to use the adjustability. Narrowed rear frame rails for wider tires can be built. A 2" narrowing per side will allow the use of 10" rims, but will require mods to the fender wells. If you are using a reproduction body, we are able to supply a Manufacturer’s Statement of Origin (MSO) and 17 digit VIN number which will assist you in getting a proper title from your local DMV. We are a legally listed manufacturer with the Federal Government and our MSO is the same paperwork provided with any new car. Many states allow you to title the car as the year it most closely resembles, and inspect it as that year. Some others will require you to title it as the year we built the chassis, and typically then inspect it as to the year of the engine used. Fortunately, the general practice is to use the emission specs for the earliest year that engine type was built, that being 1968 for a new crate 350 Chevy. Since there were no emission specs outside of California in 1968, the engine need not meet any emission limits. There are 50 states with 50 sets of ever changing regulations, so visit your local DMV Enforcement officials to get the local requirements. It is a violation of Federal law for any one other than the original manufacturer to supply a VIN number or to stamp one on a car. Therefore, you must request this service before your chassis leaves our shop. We cannot supply you a number to stamp on it later, and will only supply the paperwork for reproduction bodies. We thank you for your interest, and urge you to discuss your ideas with our sales staff and chassis specialists. We have many pleased customers now, and would love to be a part of fulfilling your dream car! David Laney’s ’39 Chevy Coupe chassis and tinwork by Fatman Fab Vernon Nesbit’s ’40 Chevy (our shipping manager) chassis and tinwork by Fatman Fab 35-40 Ford Chassis Builders GuideThank you for your interest in a Fatman Fabrication frame for your 35-40 Ford. Before you begin there are a few things we would like to discuss and point out. First, PLAN YOUR PROJECT!!! Know how you want it to look when it’s finished. This will be repeated many times because it can’t be said enough. Do you intend for it to be hi-tech or old style? Billet wheels or painted steelies? Pro street? Pro touring? Ground scrapping low? Who’s going to drive the car and where? Is it going to be a low mileage show car or a freeway flyer for cross country cruisin’? Establish parameters based on reality and not just wishful thinking. Blown big block motors rarely make good long distance cruisers. Big inch wheels look awesome on some cars but tradeoff ride comfort for looks by requiring short sidewalls that don’t absorb road shock. Remember, there is a tradeoff to everything, so save yourself time, money, and aggravation by planning your project. Second, keep in mind you are building a car. You may be using an old steel body, but Henry was not very exact in the manufacturing process 60+ years ago and there are minor variations in all these old cars. There is some excellent quality ‘glass bodies but each has its own variations and tradeoffs. Some are not even made to fit on a 35-40 frame. Not everything is exact and some minor modifications are likely on every step of the car, so plan for that and test fit everything before you paint or powdercoat anything. But, after building close to a thousand of these frames we have them dialed in pretty good. All of our frames for the 35-40 Fords are constructed of 2”x4”x.188” mandrel bent rectangle tubing. They are made to follow the original shape and form, and to fit with original body mounts. We include radiator mount brackets, bumper mount holes, drill and tap the topside body mount and gas tank holes. Body boxes are also included. We have found that 60 year old and repro runningboards and fenders seldom fit together well without ‘tweaking’. We suggest you fit them, then drill and tap 5/16” fine thread bolt holes into our 3/16” thick frame rails in the proper location. Then the bolt holes will be where you need them, rather than having to ‘stretch’ a hole in a fender to match a predrilled hole. We have been accused of building our frames “too heavy duty”, but we pride ourselves on a strong, rigid frame which you’ll find is an extra big benefit if you’re using a fiberglass body or parts. And besides, why build anything on a questionable foundation? Front suspensionFatman frames come standard with Stage II suspension, which uses coil springs and stock MII shocks. The ride height is approximately 4” lower than stock height. Track width comes stock (56 ½ “) width which works well with normal street rod heights, as long as 6” front wheels with a centered, non-offset hub are used. If you want to run extra-low, use 7” or wider rims, or use traditional style offset wheels (such as original halibrands, 5-spoke Americans, or wire wheels), you’ll find that tire to fender clearance is very tight. Billet wheels, and some after-market wheels are available with special backspacing to increase tire clearance, but of course your wheel selection will be limited. Another solution is Fatman’s exclusive narrowed (54 ½ “) option. By narrowing the mounting points for the control arms 1” per side, tire clearance is greatly improved so that extra-low ride height and full wheel selection can be accommodated. Narrowed frontends will require a frame notch and are only available on stage III coilovers or stage V shockwave. If you want to run extra low, you can use drop spindles or our ultra-low option. The drop spindles are more expensive, and will reduce ground clearance. Our ultra-low option mounts the crossmember 1 ½ " higher in the frame. Chevy engines normally fit fine, but Ford engines are even harder to fit and aren’t recommended. The ultra-low option is usually used on 35-37’s which sit higher off the frame than 39-40. Also the narrowed option is recommended with the ultra-low to help with tire clearance as pictured below. Stage III coilovers are our most popular option for the frontend because slight height adjustment, excellent shock, and good looks that match the polished stainless tubular control arms that is standard on all frames. QA1 coilovers with 12 way external shock adjustment are now standard on all Fatman frames. Air ride comes in either “cool” ride (Stage IV) or shockwave (Stage V). “Cool” ride has the air spring in place of the coil spring and the shock mounted behind the control arms. Shockwaves are similar to how a coilover looks and mounts with the shock inside the air spring. A compressor system is needed with both options. Another consideration with air ride is the brakes. Because the air springs are bigger in diameter, a caliper with the banjo bolt on the bottom instead of the side is needed. The Wilwood caliper option, complete Wilwood system or Baer brakes are recommended. Manual rack and pinion steering is standard on “roller frames”, but power steering is available as an option and is generally recommended. The power steering option on narrowed front ends requires a special rack and is higher priced. Shocks are probably the biggest factor in ride comfort and handling of a car. Shocks are the ‘brains’ of the front suspension because it controls the velocity of the suspension. NASCAR teams take dozens of shocks to the track but only a couple pair of springs. Monroe gas charged shocks are standard on Stg II and Stg IV and do a good job, but Carerra and QA1 have adjustable shocks that we can provide that allow you to fine tune your ride comfort and handling of your car. Stg III and Stg V have the adjustable shocks standard. BrakesSomething to keep in mind as we discuss brakes is that some people use bigger brakes to “fill” their new big billet wheels or as a “dress up”, without thinking about the safety aspect. 35-40 Fords generally weigh about the same as a stock Mustang II car, but remember bigger brakes are better brakes. You have never heard anyone say “if I had less brakes I could have really nailed that car”. That is why all Fatman frames come standard with ECI kits that use early GM “big” piston calipers and provide 65% more braking capacity than the stock Mustang II, and twice as much as other kits that that use the small piston GM calipers. These 11” disc brakes use OEM parts that are easily serviceable units using parts that are available at your local auto parts store, should you need to make emergency repairs. 5 lug 4 ½ “(Ford pattern) is standard. 5 lug 4 ¾ “(Chevy Pattern, w/ 12mm x 1.5mm metric studs) is also available but use the above mentioned small piston GM calipers. Talk to the Fatman rep. about the options that are available for bigger brakes if using Chevy pattern. We have several options from Wilwood. As mentioned earlier when talking about air ride we have to use the small piston GM caliper with the lower banjo bolt location to clear the air spring. Wilwood has an aluminum GM big piston replacement caliper with the banjo bolt in the proper location and still uses OEM brake pads. Complete Wilwood big brake kits are available that uses aluminum hubs, 4 piston aluminum black calipers with 11 inch, 12 inch, or 13 inch rotors. Drilled rotors and polished calipers are options on these kits. Brake kits from Baer Brakes are also available. Keep in mind that larger brake kits require larger wheel/tire combinations. Talk to the Fatman rep about what will fit. Remember bigger brake options are cheaper than a new fender or grill that you will have to buy because a new Honda that you rear ended has better brakes than you! Above all, think safety first. Master cylinder and power brake optionsManual brakes come standard and work well with common disc/drum combination brakes. They leave extra room for exhaust routing also. Power assist brakes are a great option and are recommended with disc/disc applications. To make it easier to service the master cylinder, remote filling kits are available as is a “cooler” looking aluminum reservoir kit. Chromed and polished booster/master cylinder kits are also available. We use standard automotive steel brake lines for brake plumbing. These are D.O.T. approved, show quality looking and will last a lifetime. When you see the bent lines you’ll swear a machine did it. We also use braided stainless flex hoses from the frame to the calipers. Metering valves are used with disc/drum applications. 2 psi residual pressure valves are used between master cylinder and discs, and 10 psi residual pressure valves are used with drums. Rear SuspensionWe use Chassis Engineering parallel leaf springs on the rear. They can be setup to accommodate either the standard or ultra-low ride heights as mentioned earlier. They provide excellent ride quality and adjust for changes in load (people, gas, and luggage) very well. They are excellent for stock width frame, but don’t work well with frame rails that have been narrowed to accommodate larger tires. 4 link rear suspension (either parallel or tri-link) is used with coilovers or air ride. We often recommend the air ride on the rear due to the flexibility afforded with the variable pressure. Coilovers do not accommodate changes in load well as they have a given spring rate that may be comfortable in a empty car, not heavy enough in car loaded with extra stuff. The air ride can be set for a comfortable ride and proper ride height at the push of a button, regardless of the load. Don’t forget a compressor fill kit is required with an air ride suspension so there is an extra cost and there is less exhaust routing area. On some cars the floor drops down below the top of the frame and will get into the 4 link bars, so sheet metal may have to be modified. Sway barsRear sway bars come standard on all car frames to help control body lean. We seldom use a front sway bar because of the nearly 50/50 weight distribution and good roll center on Mustang II based suspensions. If using a big block motor then one is recommended. Also if you want a “G” machine that has excellent cornering qualities, then choose this option. Plus, if the “mid life crisis” guy with the new Corvette thinks that your “old” car is no match for his, you will have something for him. Beware; some ride quality suffers to make it handle better. Again this all goes back to what kind of car you are building. If using rear disc brakes with coilovers or air ride suspension with either disc or drum, a prostreet style rear sway is required. RearendsFatman standard ‘roller’ frames include an 8” Ford rear. These are used rearends from Maverick and Granada passenger cars that have been sandblasted and primered. If you will take the time to rebuild the brakes, replace the axle bearings and seals, you will have a good serviceable rearend with a set of ‘highway’ gears that will last for many trouble free miles, at minimal expense. We can rebuild brakes and replace bearings and seals if you wish. 9inch rearends are available and are custom made to the proper width. You can get brand new gear sets in Trac Loc or ‘open’ configuration. New drum brakes are also available for the 9” rear. You can get disc brake conversions for both the 8” and 9” rearends. We generally use ECI kits that use O.E.M. parts. Kits from Wilwood are also available to match front brake assemblies or also for better frame clearance issues. 8” wide wheels, regardless of the diameter, will fit under the rear fenders with the proper backspacing. 10” or wider wheels will require the rear frame rails to be narrowed. We will have a 9” rearend made per your exact measurements of your mounted tire and wheel combination (No, we’re not going to go by what the tire manufacture says the inflated tire size is. I have yet to see the right measurement in those pamphlets). For the guys wanting to build a show car, a polished aluminum 9 inch or quick change rear should be considered. Engine/TransmissionsFirst let me talk to you guys that want to run the 4.6 and 5.4 modular motors. As they say up north,’ faget about it’! They will barely fit between your fenders (about ¼ inch clearance on either side) because the motor is so stinking wide. The oil filter on some ends up where the upper control arm is, we have to cut up the x-member for exhaust clearance, and the brake pedal gets into the back of the motor just to name a few problems. It’s like putting 3 lbs of stuff into a 2 lb bag. But if you just got to have it, be prepared for extra effort and cost. The 35-39 Standard radiators lean back, creating fan clearance problems. The vertical 39 Deluxe-40 radiators leave more room and a small block Chevy with short water pump and small distributor doesn’t require a recessed firewall. Any other motor combination or anything in a slant back radiator car will require a recessed firewall. Chevrolet small blocks fit the best and are easily customized. But to some they are like bellybuttons, everybody has one. Never the less, they fit better than anything else. The chart below will provide some help in determining a workable combination. We can mount most any transmission whether Ford or Chevy. We will need the measurement from front of tranny to the transmount on the Chevy 4L60E as they do vary. With manual shift trannys we will need the measurement from front of bellhousing to transmount, the width at the widest point, and if you will use hydraulic or mechanical clutch linkage. The option price on clutch pedal setups does vary according to what setup you use, any frame rework, and if you want us to mount a clutch master cylinder. Finish of framesAll frames come completely assembled (except air ride compressor systems and fuel tanks) and sprayed with grey lacquer primer. As an option Reflections Paint and Body Shop, Inc. (located in the same complex) has a frame priming service that includes the following steps:
Epoxy primer is packaged in a variety of different colors. The black epoxy is the most popular of all the colors and does not require a topcoat when properly applied. When catalyzed and sprayed, the black epoxy gives the same “satin” appearance as any new sheet metal parts right out of the factory. This primer can be scuff sanded and topcoat painted if desired, but is not necessary. This paint system is recommended by the paint manufacturer and is the best undercoat system available on the market today. Remember, not everything is exact and some minor modifications are likely on every step of the car, so plan for that and test fit everything before you paint anything. Other optionsThe power steering hose kit is a must have if going with power steering. This kit supplies 4 different fittings to connect to nearly any power steering pump with integral reservoir. The braided stainless hose can be cut to length for a custom fit. The 3 U-joint steering hookup kit supplies Borgeson U-joints, ¾” steel rod, and heim joint. Use ¾” wood dowels or plastic pipe in place of the steel rod to mock up with. 35-40 Ford Builders Special FrameStandard Items include:
Add your own bolt on front suspension parts, rear suspension, and brake pedal assembly Builder special $ 4050Builder special options:
35-40 Ford Roller ChassisStandard Items include Builder Special items plus:
Roller price $7150OptionsFront upgrades:
Engine upgrades:
Power brake upgrades:
Rear Suspension upgrades:
Rearend upgrades:
Other options:
Custom options available, if you have an idea let’s discuss it.
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