Ron Werderitsch has been driving his '30 Model A coupe since he was a high school student. In the decades since then, he has maintained and upgraded the car slightly, but kept it traditional and mostly stock. The original engine has been replaced-not with a V-8 but with a souped-up '29 five-bearing four-banger, backed by a '39 Toploader and 3.54:1 rearend.
It's a stout and desirable engine, but kept breaking at the crank. Several shops had misdiagnosed the problem as lying somewhere in the engine itself.
Chad Blundell at Blundell Speed & Machine in Orange, California, figured out that the only thing wrong with the engine was that it was making a lot of power. When Ron dropped the clutch on the high-geared rearend with no posi, it was flexing the frame, straining the engine, and tearing up the engine mounts.
The Model A's simple frames were never known for their strength, which is one of the reasons why Model A owners frequently replace them with '32 'rails or aftermarket frames. In this case, however, Ron wanted to retain the heritage of the car he's been driving for so long. The body hadn't been off the frame since one of Henry Ford's assembly line workers introduced the two of them. The 'rails were in great shape, but a little tired after 77 years. So instead of going for an all new frame, he took the traditional approach-improving what was already there. In this case, that meant reinforcing the 'rails with boxing plates; closing the open side of the 'rails will greatly resist flexing.
Boxing plates can be found in various gauge sizes, but it's recommended that 10-gauge be used for V-8 engine applications, at least on the front half of the car where there is more weight. Here Chad used 10-gauge front and rear, which is stout enough to handle a small-block and will be more than adequate for Ron's built-up 'banger.
Now that the 'rails are boxed, Chad will continue by adding an X-member to the frame, fabricating new engine and trans mounts, and replacing the body mounting wood. When the body goes back on, it will be on a seriously stout frame.
