Spotted On A Surprise Visit To TCI Engineering’s R&D Center

We spotted this ’32 frame as we were passing through the R & D shop at TCI Engineering in Ontario, California.

Happily for us, we get to visit shops in southern California often. As we go from shop to shop, manufacturer to manufacturer, there’s no telling what you are going to see on any given day. One thing is for sure, you have to keep your eyes open.

The four-link rearend, driveshaft hoop, and large brake rotors had us wondering what engine is going in this beast and what is it going to be doing?

On a recent visit to Total Cost Involved (TCI) Engineering, we passed through their research and development center. While there were several frames with some pretty neat stuff being done on them, a single ’32 frame over in the corner caught our attention.

The TCI Engineering crew seemingly pushes through ’32 frames in volume everyday, so a ’32 frame sitting in the corner is not anything out of the ordinary in the facility. However, this one just looked beefier at a glance. That made us take a second look.

Not your normal ’32 frame.

The Currie Enterprises 9-inch rearend with Torino-style large bearing housing ends is pretty stout, but that is not what made us take the second look. The four-link rear suspension is also a hearty piece. Certainly worthy of a vehicle tailor-made for handling, but that still wasn’t the thing that made us stop.

There is no indication as to what engine is going into this frame. It’s bound to be wicked, whatever it is.

Those super large 13-inch brake rotors caught our eye. Slotted, drilled, and huge. The front suspension looks like it is going to be set up for a custom independent front suspension, but there are no engine mounts on the rails yet. According to our guide, the customer requested no engine mounts because they wanted to install them at their own shop.

This pallet full of goodies was sitting nearby.

We wondered out loud; “What engine are they putting in this beast that would require 13-inch rear brakes? A pallet with what appeared to be the front suspension and brakes sat nearby. These were equally as impressive. No one responded to our question, yet we expect that we haven’t seen the last of this frame. It will turn up again somewhere, and we will finally find out what monster will live in this engine bay.

 

About the author

Bobby Kimbrough

Bobby grew up in the heart of Illinois, becoming an avid dirt track race fan which has developed into a life long passion. Taking a break from the Midwest dirt tracks to fight evil doers in the world, he completed a full 21 year career in the Marine Corps.
Read My Articles

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