X Frame in 1930's Mopars

Any of you mopar rodders out there who have or had a 30's Mopar with the X-Frame I need help. It is such a pain in the butt to run an exhaust system with it. How did you overcome it? If I can find a good chassis builder in upstate NY I think I will have the X removed and a tube replacement put in. Any help especially pictures would be greatly appreciated.

So you have outside rails, right, and then a big X to stiffen the frame in torsion? Early fords had that.

Something to note is that the outer edges of the C section do most of the work, you are safe in cutting out the web or making existing holes bigger.

Some have built tubular replacements for the entire X, while others have cut out the center of the X and built a box that connects both sides. Without the center of the X, the car loses its torsional stiffness. So you have to have something...

It's a lot easier to do this and fit an exhaust system in, when the body is off the frame.

R.

Run the pipe under (ugly and hurts clearance) or through.
You can open one hole in each leg to get more room, but under the driver's side front has lots of stuff taking up all the room.
On my 40, I had them do a single and run it under the pass front leg and through the rear leg. This is like stock.
I've got a 5.2L magnum, and figure that it won't be seeing 4000+RPM much, so a single was easier to do.

Thanks guys for the help. The pictures were great for me to visualize what I am going to do. Right now I also am running a single exhaust and have elongated the holes to run it through. Think I will end up pulling the body this winter and strengthening the top and bottom rails of the X-Member and open up the holes to run the exhaust. Hopefully while the body is off I can come up with enough funds to have it painted.

Checked KBS out at the Syracuse Nationals. Have used POR and really did not like it. KBS looked to be alot more user friendly and much more durable.

If you can awing it, powder coat. We have a shop around here that build's trailers and will powder coat large stuff like a frame if you want it done.

Powder coat is great but not as abrasion resistant as I had thought, at least not on some security doors I had done!

R.

I imagine powdercoat is better than paint on a frame. I ain't to worried about cosmetics there, as long as it holds up enough to not chip, crack or let water in to cause rust I am happy.

Pics of the exhaust on the 36 Coupe. The pipes hug the bottom of the rails up front to avoid the brakes and the trans cooler, once past goes up thru the rear portion of the X then mufflers and on over the rear axle. Mufflers are nice up inside the frame rails.

Here's my 36 frame with dual 2 1/2" S.S. exhaust through the frame. The front openings were elongated so the tubing can come straight back, and the rear comes through perpendicular to the hole so there's no problem. Through the mufflers, over the rear axle, under the tank and out. I didn't want anything hanging down under the frame, especially in the middle because I have a hump (sort of like a speed bump) at the end of my driveway to get into the street.

Like the frame work you have done. Does that one bolted on crossmember you have bolted onto the frame that the mufflers hang on fit under the body or did you cut your floor pan? Also are those actual connecting rods holding your exhaust to that crossmember?

The bolted in crosmember fits up just as the trunk floor steps up. The crossmember is mostly there to hold my master cylinder up as high as possible under the floor step-up. The master is accessed through an access door I made in the trunk floor. There is also another access door on the passenger side, because my battery fits on that side. And yes those are actual aluminum connecting rods with rubber bushings in the upper holes. If you'd like to see my complete build so far, I can send you a link to my Flickr picture album, just send me your regular email address to send it to. Bob

Bob sent you a PM with my email for the flicker photo's of the build up.John

I dont have any pics currently,,i have a 40 dodge coupe with X member,,and the round drive shaft tube in the center stock,, i have 2 1/2 pipes currently too large for this small hemi motor,,,but they go thru the round drive shaft tube along with the drive shaft,,with no issues of rubbing they are supported with a pice of flat stock welded across the 2 pipes to keep them from moving around in the center drive shaft tube,,,no tubes under any part of the frame,,,then up and over the rear axel,,,and dump out at the rear of the fenders,