Anybody building metal body?

[Sumfuncomet]

I have a 31 closed car cowl and am going to fab the rest of the body similar to a RPU. Was planning on modifying some Tudor front doors and buying the roadster rear panel from Brookville Roadster. Just do not want a fiberglass body...I feel unless I buy a Zippers body or old dog street rod body...both over 3,000.00 I won't get the solidity I want. The other part is I want to be able to weld where I want to add features, I do not have a lot of experience with fiberglass work. Any body have ideas? Thanks

 

[tenbears]

I too am looking for some ideas for building my own body. Built a flathead T bucket (fiberglass) and next project is a Model T speedster. Probaly a boat tail. I thought someone with some CAD capabilities could make some patterns for me but haven't talk to anybody yet. I want to build the skeleton frame and wrap it with 20ga. steel or possibly aluminum. Any thoughts are apreciated.

 

[benT]

There is an interesting couple part article in Street Rodder the last few months by Ron Covell about building a '27 roadster body out of metal. He does awesome work, but probably out of my league for a project. The first installment is a great tutorial on making a wooden skeleton--he also sells a video of it as well on his web site. Might be a place to start. there was a great thread on a home-built steel C-Cab by No-Limits, but the photos apparently didn't make the site conversion. I think he has posted the pics on other hot rod sites, but I'm not a member of any other ones not T related.

tenbears: Youngster on this board is the guy you want to hook up with . I think he's building a speedster or two.

 

[jimbo01]

I've seen this pop up more then a few times on the areas craigslist. The last few times I seen it I swear it was $2000.00. Maybe someone else here knows someone that may be interested.

http://lansing.craigslist.org/bar/2768007786.html

 

[Youngster]

Did some one say "Speedster"? I did put one together using the left overs from a '29 tudor several years ago. At the present time I'm building a '21 roadster "Gow job" with a steel body. By the time I finished patching the body I could have damn near built it from scratch. Fun project though. This is how it sets at the present;

In a couple weeks I'll be starting a speedster body for a customer. It will be mounted on a '31 Model A frame that he is basicly restoring. The body will be made completely by hand from 18ga. CRS. It'll consist of the cowl, a twin seat, and a deck on the back with an oval fuel tank, toolbox and spare tire mount. Future plans might call for a boat tail. Any questions?

Ron

 

[tenbears]

Hey Ron, got a shopping list for the body in the photo? Am going nuts down here in Az, missing my garage. Bought a golf cart to mess with.How's your warm winter?

 

[Youngster]

Hey Mike!!!! What's with the "tenbears" handle?

 

[OptimusPrime]

For what its worth, my current T project is a scratch job what I did was found a site that had the measurements that I wanted (which turns out to be a stretched and longer body ) from another body manufactuer. Layed out the dimentions on the floor of my shop and started bending tubing till I had a skeleton then from there just start adding sheet metal till you get it skined like you want. so far I have the cowl and firewall done am working on the doors now and working my way back. I think the rear is going to be the hardest part as it has several compound curves but I dont forsee a problem. Be forwarned though if you add to much the body becomes long and you run out of room on the frame. I know this because thats what happed to me, at first it was going to be just a longer cowl but I also streched the body and it became a whole new animal sorta like a tudor but looks more like a T hard to explain. I should be able to get some pictures out in a week or two working on the front end now and once I finish that then back to the body.

 

[Youngster]

Waiting to see those pics.

Ron

 

[tenbears]

Also want to see some photos. Thanks Ron for the phone call.
Mike

 

[sandmountainslim]

The Ghost is a metal body built around the cowl top/gas tank of a '29 Ford.

 

[sandmountainslim]