If we had a dollar for every Mustang II frontend that has been put under a street rod, we'd be very happy rodders. So why are we showing another one? Every now and then, old ideas get a fresh look, and the Welder Series product line is definitely fresh. Hot rod chassis building went from adapting parts from Detroit's offerings to ready-to-install kits that pretty much dropped in place. Many builders still like to do their own welding, and Welder Series is right there to help them have fun and save money.
The Welder Series Mustang II crossmember kit is unique; the main crossmember consists of two CAD-designed plates that have precision-cut slits, allowing each plate to be bent easily by hand. Even the rack mounts are part of the top plate and bend easily to form the correctly angled mount. Upper towers are supplied bent and notched to accept the top tower plate and formed cone. Assembly of your first crossmember kit may take an hour.
Kits come in three track widths--56 inches (stock, for most applications), 58 inches (for '48-52 Ford pickups and other slightly wider vehicles), and 60 inches (for '53-56 Ford F-100 and '55-59 Chevy pickups, and other really wide applications). These kits are custom-fit, meaning you notch the crossmember and the towers to fit your frame and the ride height you want. The whole process should be a snap for someone with some fabricating skills. If you have these skills or are building something for which another kit might not be available, you can save a couple hundred bucks going this route. If you're a little unsure and a crossmember is available for your project from one of the companies you'll find here in the magazine, the extra $200-$300 might be well worth it.
Here's the Welder Series kit...
Here's the Welder Series kit as it came out of the box. The main crossmember plates can be easily bent by hand, and the upper tower plates are already formed, as pictured.
Joe started the crossmember...
Joe started the crossmember assembly by clamping the plate with the rack mounts to the edge of a workbench with the slotted (elongated) rack mount hole on the left as he faced the plate. The laser-cut slit should be off of the bench slightly.
He then used both hands to...
He then used both hands to bend the top portion of the crossmember down until it was square with the back.
The front and bottom plate...
The front and bottom plate was symmetrical and could be placed on the bench with either side up. Joe bent the bottom down so it was square to the front. Notice how the bend gives a perfect inside corner-to-corner condition for welding.
The crossmember plates were...
The crossmember plates were placed together inside corner-to-corner with the tabs providing close alignment, left to right. He double-checked that the parts were square (if they're not, adjust as necessary).
Here's a closer look at the...
Here's a closer look at the alignment tabs that make the assembly almost foolproof.
All four corners were tacked...
All four corners were tacked together (arrow) and then welded along the inside ends of the crossmember. The rack mount sides (A) (gussets) were then bent down until they were square to the rack mount face (B). The rack mount face and gussets were then bent to make contact with the crossmember.
The rack mounts were clamped...
The rack mounts were clamped to the crossmember face and welded.
The upper towers were assembled...
The upper towers were assembled by putting 1/2-inch spacers under the edges of the top tower plate and then placing one shock mount/spring locator cup into the hole, allowing the base to rest on the bench. It was then tacked in place.
The top tower plates (with...
The top tower plates (with the shock mount/spring locator cups) and wraparound plates were brought together. The alignment tabs on both pieces held the parts in position. (The tabs don't touch each other; they just keep the parts corner-to-corner for welding.) The sides of the wraparound plate were clamped, tacked, and then welded. Joe then finished welding the cups to the top tower plates to complete these assemblies.
The completed crossmember...
The completed crossmember was then ready to be installed in the Ford F-1 pickup frame.