tj78_

Ok i thought iw as going crazy because i went to look at a car and looking under the door it looked like the frame was a c-channel and very weak. as if you could bend it by hand. in fact it was bent slightly toward the ground.

I then looked at resto pics on here and it seemed like everyone i say had a boxed frame so I figured this one was either modfied/messed up or i mistook what i was seeing.

Then I found the pics below from a car for sale and it does in fact look like a channel and not fully boxed.

did this frame come on the post cars? fully boxed on the convertibles? whats the story?

Tj

joe_padavano

All Holiday Coupes and Sport Coupes (hardtops and post cars) came with the open channel frame. Convertibles (and Vista Cruisers) came with the fully boxed frame. During the 1964-67 model years you could optionally order the HD frame under the Holiday Coupes and Sport Coupes, which was simply the fully boxed convertible frame used in those applications.

tj78_

I follow... do you see alot of projects where people try to find the fully boxed frame for better rigidity for a big block? is the channel adequate?

It must be a good amount of weight difference...

Tj

tj78_

Is one any more susceptible to rust? I was suprised how thin of guage the channel frame I saw seemed to be... i could have bent the bottom leg down by hand i think...

Tj

Run to Rund

The parts book I have handy begins with the 1965 options list and shows the F35 frame from 1965-70. Frames are about 1/8" thick. The convertible (F35) frame is far stiffer and is a desirable option but adds about 42 lb to vehicle weight. All are mild steel so can rust if not coated and are subjected to road salt, etc.

tj78_

Yea, im thinking what I saw was not .125" It could have been half that... maybe that's why he's selling the car...

joe_padavano

The boxed frames for the convertibles are significantly more susceptible to rust since the box section retains sand and salt. Usually they rust out behind the front wheels.