Total Cost Involved has been a player in the aftermarket street rod performance parts market since 1974. It was then that TCI recognized the need for extra strength in otherwise weak Model A frames. The reproduction frames were made with restoration in mind. Soon, however, the hot rod market caught wind of what they were doing, and the demand grew for newer suspension technologies to implement into the old chassis.
Now 37 years later TCI produces frames for almost every pre-'70 Chevy and Ford car or truck. Along with the added frames, they also make a wide variety of components that attach to said frames like the popular Mustang II, IFS, four-link, adjustable coilovers, and tubular control arms, to name a few.
There are several reasons to consider a custom chassis for your truck, and, if you're anything like me, it can be very time consuming and pricey fixing the holes and box in your stock frame. Let's say you're planning on fixing your stock frame yourself at home, where are you going to put the cab and bed while you grind away? Fixing a frame is not something you can do in a hurry. I should know; I'm currently working on my '59 Apache frame and wish I started with a completed chassis like TCIs.
When I arrived at TCI the crew in the frame department was hard at work on a '53-56 Ford truck chassis. Here, the laser-cut framerails were MIG-welded together by Joaquin with the help from a Miller welder.
Next, if you're not careful when welding on your stock frame it could twist and bend, depending on what you're doing, and leave you with tire and alignment issues. Not to scare you from fixing it yourself-we all can't afford a nice frame-but unlike the heavy-duty fixture at TCI's frame shop, your garage floor and a set of jacks will have to suffice. Lastly, the overall benefit of having a solid boxed frame compared to a stock or a stock/modified frame is a night-and-day difference in the ride and handling categories. Twisting of the frame from hard cornering or that 383 stroker that you're planning on putting in may be a little more than Henry Ford originally designed. Remember you're modifying something that was designed for a straight-six and bias-ply tires so frame flex was not an issue.
