Trying to get the body to sit right on the frame???

[Mikes27T]

Ok so I'm trying to get my 27T body to fit right on the frame and I'm about to pull my hair out. The body came pre drilled for the body mounts on the frame. I can get the front body mount bolts in "ok" but no such luck with the back body mount bolts. I can get one bolt in on the rear on either side but not both at the same time. So I'm taking measurements from the body to the frame to get it to sit right but I can't seem to get the body to sit right. Please see pictures.

When I take measure ments from this location (from inner side of the body to frame) I get the same measurements on both sides telling me it's even. (with one of the rear body mount bolts in place)



But when I measure from these locations the body is off by about a 1/2 inch from side to side. So on top it's even but on the bottom of the body It's off.


In this picture you can also see how much the body mount hole is off by.




So I'm not sure what to do here. I know I need to drill new rear holes for the body mounts but how the heck do you measure when the body is off like this? Even with the front body mount bolts in place the body is not even in front from side to side.

Help or tips would be great as I don't want my 27 to look stupid going down the road. Better to figure this out now then after I put even more time into this thing.

[INDIAN OUTLAW]

Originally Posted by Mikes27T

Ok so I'm trying to get my 27T body to fit right on the frame and I'm about to pull my hair out. The body came pre drilled for the body mounts on the frame. I can get the front body mount bolts in "ok" but no such luck with the back body mount bolts. I can get one bolt in on the rear on either side but not both at the same time. So I'm taking measurements from the body to the frame to get it to sit right but I can't seem to get the body to sit right. Please see pictures.

When I take measure ments from this location (from inner side of the body to frame) I get the same measurements on both sides telling me it's even. (with one of the rear body mount bolts in place)



But when I measure from these locations the body is off by about a 1/2 inch from side to side. So on top it's even but on the bottom of the body It's off.


In this picture you can also see how much the body mount hole is off by.




So I'm not sure what to do here. I know I need to drill new rear holes for the body mounts but how the heck do you measure when the body is off like this? Even with the front body mount bolts in place the body is not even in front from side to side.

Help or tips would be great as I don't want my 27 to look stupid going down the road. Better to figure this out now then after I put even more time into this thing.

Mike
If I understand you right.I would take all the body bolts out and square up the body on the frame to see how far off the mounts or holes are. my guess is they all are a little off. Then you can decide how you want to fix it. you do have a few options. you can ream out the frame mounting holes if they are not to far off. or weld the holes up and re drill them.

[3quarter32]

The body on my sedan is pretty much centered on the frame but the rear holes are off just a tad. If I put a bolt thru the left rear, the right is off about a half hole, and visa versa. For all appearences, it don't really matter which one I use. I could tape the "off" hole on the bottom side and fill with resin, then simply redrill the hole from under side when body is back on.
Lee

[sstock]

My 23 was similar. Thing is these bodies are not built exactly semetrical and thats the answer in a nutshell. Try and split the differences while sitting the body on the frame rails. I set my body on the frame rails, got it where I wanted it then drilled the body from underneath through the mount holes of the frame.
On another note if the rear end is centered between the frame rails and the body is centered on the frame rails, are you still having a problem with the driveshaft hitting the battery box? If so, you need to talk to BC and find out why. Keep in mind that as your suspension travels up and down the rear panhard will move the rearend minutely from left to right, possibly moving the driveshaft closer to the battery box. I set my rear side to side measurement of the panhard up centered with the weight of two people loaded on the suspension on the car.

I'm surprised your body was drilled for mount bolts, mine wasn't. I would want to do that myself. You will end up enlongating your body holes to get it all straight ,which is not a problem, just use a large flat washer on the top of the body, it will be fine.

[Mikes27T]

Originally Posted by sstock

My 23 was similar. Thing is these bodies are not built exactly semetrical and thats the answer in a nutshell. Try and split the differences while sitting the body on the frame rails. I set my body on the frame rails, got it where I wanted it then drilled the body from underneath through the mount holes of the frame.
On another note if the rear end is centered between the frame rails and the body is centered on the frame rails, are you still having a problem with the driveshaft hitting the battery box? If so, you need to talk to BC and find out why. Keep in mind that as your suspension travels up and down the rear panhard will move the rearend minutely from left to right, possibly moving the driveshaft closer to the battery box. I set my rear side to side measurement of the panhard up centered with the weight of two people loaded on the suspension on the car.

I'm surprised your body was drilled for mount bolts, mine wasn't. I would want to do that myself. You will end up enlongating your body holes to get it all straight ,which is not a problem, just use a large flat washer on the top of the body, it will be fine.

I can get the rear of the body centered between the rear wheels and rails but then I get measurements like you see in the last 4 pictures above. If I try and split the differences of those measurements then the rear of the body will not center between the rear wheels/rails. No matter what I do the battery box will not clear. It's like the floor was not centered in the body when it was put together.

I know these bodies are not semetrical and I'm sure that the original ford steel bodies are far from perfect also. I'm going to get the body as close to square as I can.

[INDIAN OUTLAW]

I agree with sstock before I did any thing I would touch base B.C.

[INDIAN OUTLAW]

Originally Posted by 3quarter32

The body on my sedan is pretty much centered on the frame but the rear holes are off just a tad. If I put a bolt thru the left rear, the right is off about a half hole, and visa versa. For all appearences, it don't really matter which one I use. I could tape the "off" hole on the bottom side and fill with resin, then simply redrill the hole from under side when body is back on.
Lee

yep you can do that to.(probulary a lot easer) me being a welder by trade its just second nature to do stuf the hard way!!

[Mikes27T]

Originally Posted by INDIAN OUTLAW

I agree with sstock before I did any thing I would touch base B.C.

Yep I plan on calling B.C but I'm not sure what they can do about it.

[INDIAN OUTLAW]

mike
did you buy the frame and body from spirit?

[Mikes27T]

Originally Posted by INDIAN OUTLAW

mike
did you buy the frame and body from spirit?

Yes I bought the complete 27T kit from Spirit.

[INDIAN OUTLAW]

Originally Posted by Mikes27T

Yes I bought the complete 27T kit from Spirit.

good B.C. will help you!! keep us posted

[Mikes27T]

Here's an update. Had a friend who has built a few street rods over the years come over this past weekend and we got the body close. The body is still off but there's no way to get it any better without cutting up the firewall/driver side front corner of th body and making it look much worse. As it is now I don't think anybody would ever notice.

The driveshaft isn't clearing the battery box because of the body being off but also because the trans mount that's welded onto the crossmember is off. I don't have a welder so my friend is going to bring his over and help me get it set right. Thank god for good friends! LOL

[sstock]

Hopefully you haven't painted the frame yet. Ted Brown (one of the original Tbuckteers) told me when I built my bucket to drive it naked (unpainted) for awhile (1000plus miles) to shake out all the bugs and to work out problems like you are running into.
Just so you don't feel like the lone ranger, my pickup box was glassed in my body when I received my kit, when I mounted my body, the pickup box was about 1/2" off to the driver's side. Cant tell it until you mount the body on the frame and see the tires gaps are an 1" off side to side. The average Joe can't see it but it sure bugs the hell out of me. I'm anal when it comes to symmetry. Let Spirit know, the might need to redo their fixture or firm up some quality control for the next guy. BTW, the weather up here in the PNW was 85 today and 80 yesterday. I was bucketing around and came across a guy with a Spirit 27, He went by me and I ran him down to get a look at his car, sure was sweet (painted flat red-very cool). My wife says she wants me to build one for her. I have to finish my 53 Chev truck first.
Steve

[3quarter32]

Mike, if anyone can tell the body is off a little, just tell them to put away their measuring stick. Looks fine from the view you posted. I really doubt if all the "real cars" were perfect. I have found that sometimes inches don't mean much when it looks right with the eye.
Lee

[Mikes27T]

Thanks for your posts guys! Yea it bugs the heck out of me to Steve but what can you do. Like Lee says even the "original" cars were not perfect. Besides with the power to weight ratio of a T Bucket nobody will be able to get close enough to even notice what color it is!! LOL

I do plan to drive the car naked for a while to work out the bugs. I just hope I can get it to that point this summer.

[Carolina Man]

I am new to this how easy was your kit to get together?

[3quarter32]

Hey Mike, time for another update.
Lee