Chassis - Shopping

I have been shopping off and on for the last few weeks trying to get prices and a feel for what each Company offers. Each Company seems to go about things differently to the other so its hard to make direct comparisons. A large part of it is just a matter of listening to what they have to say and trying to get a feel from others that have dealt with them. I have also been pawing over old hot rod mags to see what components others have used in their builds.

For me at this stage I am probably looking at the following items;
- Chassis Rails that have been boxed
- A 'K' Member or centre section that acts as the backbone of the chassis
- A brake Pedal mount. This will also house the brake booster and master cylinder
- An independent front end that will also need to be installed in the chassis
- Mounting of the Jag rear end I have already purchased
- Mounting of the Engine & Trans I have already purchased

These pictures show what the first 4 items looks like. (Obviously the Jag rear and Engine & Trans as per the previous two posts below)

These are unboxed chassis rails. In original car this is how they were, just a U shaped cross section. To make them stronger (and a requirement for Certification) they weld in a plate to the inside edge to make the rail a closed box, hence the term boxed. You can see in the next picture the rails are boxed.



This section is known as the K Member. This one is a traditional styled one which is what Ed Junior Kustoms use. If I go with one of the other suppliers it is more likely to be a tubular construction. The only difference really is the look. They both function perfectly well.



This pedal mount is light, the one I'll be using will be a bit beefier than this. You can see this one has the brake booster (gold) and the master cylinder (on the left attached to the booster. This holds the brake fluid. There are two reservoirs one for the front brakes and one for the back brakes)



This an IFS or Independent Front Suspension. It is called independent as each wheel is free to go up and down on its own, unlike a beam axle which is effectively a straight axle that goes straight across from one side to the other with a wheel on each end. Supposedly the IFS gives better handling.



And here you have it, what I hope to achieve once the chassis get delivered to my door. Of course it will have an engine and trans in there too! This picture shows a Jag rear end too. Again this is an independent suspension meaning the rear wheels can go up and down independently of one another.



Soooooo, who will it be?







I'll make a decision once I've got everyone's prices in. Watch this space!