If you've been reading our show coverage, you know this magazine sent staff members to 10 designated street rod events throughout the '09 season, where we selected 10 vehicles per event. Those 100 selections were presented in these pages and on the STREET RODDER website in the "Turtle Wax Presents the STREET RODDER Top 100" section. At the end of the year, we invited everyone to visit the STREET RODDER website and vote for their 10 favorite rods or customs. We took the five highest vote getters and selected one as our '09 Street Rod of the Year. In addition to this indescribable honor, the owner of the winning car will receive an impressive grand prize: a 35th anniversary '28-31 Model A chassis from Total Cost Involved Engineering.
Ordinarily anniversaries are a time to receive gifts, but Total Cost Involved Engineering has decided to celebrate its 35 years in business by flipping tradition around and generously giving away a complete chassis assembly to the '09 Street Rod of the Year winner-this is after TCI Engineering already gave away a Model A chassis at the NSRA Street Rod Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky. And we're not talking about a simple set of 'rails and some laying-around-the-shop components. The STREET RODDER grand prize chassis consists of a custom-built, fully boxed frame, decked out with a full front and rear suspension, brakes and brake lines, and engine and transmission mounts.
At the beginning of a TCI...
At the beginning of a TCI Engineering custom chassis build, the 'rails are taken from the storage racks. This standard 2x4-inch 'rail is in the process of being ground. All welds are checked for quality prior to additional quality control inspections. Later, nuts will be welded insided the boxed 'rails to make bolting on the body as simple as possible.
TCI Engineering built their business, and reputation, on street rod chassis. In 35 years, the company has expanded into the postwar car market and most recently into muscle car applications. But the '28-31 Model A frame and chassis packages by themselves represent a big variety of assembly and component levels, starting with bare 2x4 tubing frames and moving up to a complete chassis, with options including IFS or dropped axle packages (available in stainless or chrome), and numerous rear suspension choices. The long list of options includes custom engine brackets, rear discs, Shockwave airbags, quick-change rear, and too many others to list. Five available rear crossmembers, including coilover, wraparound coilover, Jag, Corvette, and stock leaf are offered-and the website shows a Kugel 9-inch IRS setup, if that's what you're looking for. Needless to say, TCI Engineering can work with you to put together a complete chassis that is custom created for your specific application.
Jim Rizzo spent some time at TCI Engineering's Ontario, California, facility shooting photos of a few different chassis going together. Later, we went back for our own tour to see how chassis are built; each one moves from station to station where an individual or team concentrates on his specific components-like an assembly line without the line. Many of the suspension components, like the spindles, control arms, steering arms, and four-bars, are machined in house. Most of the parts that aren't built on site are contracted from reliable American manufacturers. Most of these photos depict the front end of a couple different chassis going together. Next time, we'll continue the build, focusing on the rear suspension parts.
We watched these 'rails get...
We watched these 'rails get pie cut and spliced for the correct angle.
With the frame on the table...
With the frame on the table fixture, the transmission mount is added to the frame.
The rear crossmember is being...
The rear crossmember is being built on the fixture table, prior to being installed into the chassis.
All measurements, tolerances,...
All measurements, tolerances, and balance are checked carefully during the course of the build.
This chassis will have a four-link...
This chassis will have a four-link setup. One of the brackets is being installed.
Careful attention is given...
Careful attention is given to installing the fuel and brake lines, which are all kept tucked inside the 'rails and away from the tires and other areas of potential damage. Standard bends are made on the bender, and others are all done by hand. A/N fittings are an available upgrade. The master cylinder choice depends on whether the brakes are power or mechanical. A precise pneumatic flaring tool will be used to flare the ends.
A through-the-frame fitting...
A through-the-frame fitting has been carefully installed.
This chassis is in final assembly,...
This chassis is in final assembly, fresh from being powdercoated. TCI Engineering chassis are sandblasted, powdercoated, and cleared at Inland Empire Powder Coating in Ontario, CA.
Here's the pedal assembly...
Here's the pedal assembly and booster. The chassis shown here will be equipped with drums in the rear and Wilwood discs in the front. A red 10-pound check valve is used with drum brakes; discs use a blue 2-pound check valve.
Final assembly is all meticulously...
Final assembly is all meticulously done by hand.
At the frontend, the sway...
At the frontend, the sway bar is being installed.
The sway bar is followed by...
The sway bar is followed by the lower A arms and the coilovers...
...followed by the upper A-arms,...
...followed by the upper A-arms, spindles and Wilwood brakes-11-inchers on this particular chassis.
The frontend of another TCI...
The frontend of another TCI Engineering chassis is finished.