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interior sheet metal removal/replacement

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pffft

Freshman Member
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Hi,
I am going to try to transfer everything from one frame to another due to twisted front frame rails.
Have not decided if I will use a used frame I found or go with one from Jules.
Does anyone have a write up and/or pictures on removing the interior sheet metal from a frame?
I have been digging around the web but have not really found much.
Any suggestions or warnings will be greatfully received. I have swapped experior panels before and have
ground spot welds on other cars but there are usually gotchas or secrets for each car.

thanks all

patrick
bn4
 
pfft, thanks that helps, you might save some money if you could remove the panels from one car and install them in the other but its not imho going to be easy, there will be some unwanted ugly distruction along the way, also buying an entire new frame at least for me right now would be out of the question, but i would look into buying new replacement panels and install them in the frame you want to use, they are available and not that expensive...see moss motors and others for replacement floor panels. :savewave:
 
To me, the Jules frame appears to be the best way to go, but I do not know how well the old exterior panels bolt on to the Jules frame.
 
legal bill, jules frames are great but someone interested in exchanging floor panels from one car to another is not imho interested in spending the big bucks for one, as far as exterior panels fitting they never even fit from one original frame to another anyway. :savewave:
 
pffft said:
Hi,
I am going to try to transfer everything from one frame to another due to twisted front frame rails.
Have not decided if I will use a used frame I found or go with one from Jules.
Does anyone have a write up and/or pictures on removing the interior sheet metal from a frame?
I have been digging around the web but have not really found much.
Any suggestions or warnings will be greatfully received. I have swapped experior panels before and have
ground spot welds on other cars but there are usually gotchas or secrets for each car.

thanks all

patrick
bn4
Click to expand...
My frame was twisted and with compression bulges and there was no way it could be repaired cost effectively. It had very little rust and no abnormal tire wear!! I decided to go with Jule because of their reputation. You really have to know what you're doing before trying to weld sheet metal to your exiting frame. Not for someone without some serious experience and even then you have to really know a Healey. When your exisiting frame is all done it will still be old and will probably continue to sag as it gets older. The Jule frame is very strong and you won't have that problem. I'm just getting started on reassembly of my Jule frame and I really like what I see for quality and workmanship.
Patrick
 
pfftf, I am very close to the finish of the reconstruction of my frame and body panels. I talked to Jules owner before I started my project and finally decided to use my existing frame. I believe the jules frame is very good. I think I finally decided to fix the existing frame because I believed at the time that fixing my own would be quicker and easier and cheaper. Doing my own was quicker and cheaper but I'm not sure about easier. My concern at the time in using the jules unit was that it may be difficult to get all the dememsions right. Since I had never done a big Healey before and studying the construction method I was alittle intrepid. Maybe on the next one I would use a jules. Since all the vertical panels of the Healey are welded to the frame members, I believe it to be difficult to ensure that when you fasten these components to the jules frame that they are in the right place, demensionally, as to transverse,fore and aft and height placement. I believe it would be necessary to take copious measurements and make copious drawings with demensions and angles to get things right. As I have said before, how would you like to have the body almost reassembled a realize that the dashboard is 3/4th of an inch closer to your chest than it was before. Or that it is 1/2" higher. Cutting the firewall tunnel uprights and interior kick panels off of the original frame will in itself change their demensional aspects. Now on a positive note, I am told that supplier of the jules frame, Martin I believe is his name, will offer all the demensions necessary to get it right. Having said that, placing and welding every piece of the body on a new frame is a monumental task.
 
vette said:
pfftf, I am very close to the finish of the reconstruction of my frame and body panels. I talked to Jules owner before I started my project and finally decided to use my existing frame. I believe the jules frame is very good. I think I finally decided to fix the existing frame because I believed at the time that fixing my own would be quicker and easier and cheaper. Doing my own was quicker and cheaper but I'm not sure about easier. My concern at the time in using the jules unit was that it may be difficult to get all the dememsions right. Since I had never done a big Healey before and studying the construction method I was alittle intrepid. Maybe on the next one I would use a jules. Since all the vertical panels of the Healey are welded to the frame members, I believe it to be difficult to ensure that when you fasten these components to the jules frame that they are in the right place, demensionally, as to transverse,fore and aft and height placement. I believe it would be necessary to take copious measurements and make copious drawings with demensions and angles to get things right. As I have said before, how would you like to have the body almost reassembled a realize that the dashboard is 3/4th of an inch closer to your chest than it was before. Or that it is 1/2" higher. Cutting the firewall tunnel uprights and interior kick panels off of the original frame will in itself change their demensional aspects. Now on a positive note, I am told that supplier of the jules frame, Martin I believe is his name, will offer all the demensions necessary to get it right. Having said that, placing and welding every piece of the body on a new frame is a monumental task.
Click to expand...
I believe Martin, Jule Frames, will also repair/fit your existing frame/panels if you want. We looked at him doing just that but my frsme was "toast". I know of one frame/chassis that a owner sent to him to have it sorted out. Patrick
 
Patrick, I believe your right as I did speak to Martin about doing the job. Sending him my complete shell. altimately, I enjoy doing the work myself, that's why I'm in this hobby. My wife probably wishes she had found another man... just kidding of coarse.......i think!
Big6, you certainly had your monumental task didn't you. That is a good way to do it, if one is up to it. Looks Good.
 
I have a frame from Jule on my BJ8. I did hire them to put on the subchassis. It was more welding than I had the skill for at the time. Now I see that my old welder was the problem. But, getting all the dimensions correct is critical. If you are an 1/8 inch off, the body panels may not fit the same. But, it is a good frame. I put the tube shock conversion on my car and it rides soooo nice.

Jerry
BJ8
 
I thought the Jule frame came as a complete chassis that only needed the outer panels for $8,000. I didn't know that all you got was the basic frame.
 
Hey Legal, I guess you got the bare, unadulterated facts now. Just the frame man, just the frame.
I'm going to try to attach some pics of my project, but I'm not very good at this.
 
Thanks everyone.

I have emailed Martin back and forth and set up a phone call that I missed because I got called into a meeting. I really cannot swing the 8k for his substructure package. To do it right I guess I would ship my outside body panels to him for alignment. What I would like to do is try to carefully remove the front and rear subsections and then put them on a different frame. What I would like find out first, though, is how/where things are attached to the frame before I start. I have read that it is a combination of spot welds and seam welds but no more detail than that. It cannot be rocket science, these things were pretty much built by hand, and this is a wonderfully rust free inner california car so the metal is in great shape. The art and science come in when trying to get it lined up when putting it back together. I chicken out and then get brave again about this but right now I am telling myself "go for it"
And I understand it is a 50 something year old car and have no plans to restore to like new, I like old funky cars. But I like them to be reasonably solid and safe as can be expected of said 50 year old death trap. I have had big healeys off and on since I was 17 and they were cheap and have not gotten my head around them being "collectible" So if I can pull this off out in my garage over the next several months great. It is more fun that way. If I screw it up I will deny any knowledge.
Hope that makes at least a little sense,

patrick
 
Patrick,

Thanks for the clarification. I had a clear recollection that for $8,000 you got more than just the frame. I just looked at the add in Healey Marque, and it is clear that one gets the entire substructure. I spoke to Martin years ago about this (back when the package cost $6 or 7K) and he went through the whole thing with me. I then asked my restorer about this option, and he felt he could repair the rust on my very good frame for about the same price, and that the outer panels would then fit just as well as they did when removed, so I too went with an original frame. You might want to try and call one of the restoration shops and ask for advice about the set up and welding.
 
vette said:
Hey Legal, I guess you got the bare, unadulterated facts now. Just the frame man, just the frame.
I'm going to try to attach some pics of my project, but I'm not very good at this.
Click to expand...


I just looked at the add. He says $8,000 for the replacement chassis. Did you pay $8,000 for just a frame? Now I'm really confused.
 
Bill, if you look at the web page of Big6 which is back a few frames on this post, you will see that he has is New frame on supports getting ready to start the assembly. That is what you get for the base price. When I talked to him (Martin)the price was about $5000.00 He would also do everything else but the price keeps climbing.
 
With all of this talk about Martin Jansen at Jule, if you haven't already, you should see his <span style="font-weight: bold">SUPERCHARGED</span> Jaguar V-12 engine in a 100-4.

Like it or not, it <span style="font-weight: bold">IS</span> a work of art.

Martin Jansen's Supercharged Jaguar - Austin Healey

Tim
 
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