Reinforcing the opening door side of a body...

[Zandoz]

The recent body wooding thread brought to mind a problem I'm going to have to deal with. The body I have has an opening door on the passenger side, and the rear side of the door opening is VERY flimsy. To compound the problem, I have mobility issues that will likely require me to use that area as support getting in and out. My plan is to have the seat slide forward to ease getting out, but the ideas I've had thus far for reinforcing the body either prevent that or would require a pretty narrow seat arrangement to clear the body reinforcement. Any ideas you folks have would be appreciated.

 

[409T]

I made an "L" shaped piece of steel, using maybe 1/4" or 3/8" stock that was about 1 1/2" wide and 14 or so inches long in each leg. Sort of like a bookend. I glassed the vertical into the side of the body and bolted the bottom leg to the floor and frame. That gave me plenty of support and only added 1/4 - 3/8" thickness to the side and floor. The bottom leg ran sideways under the seat so it was not in the way at all. I might have put in a very small gusset as well, but again, it would be under the seat and out of sight.

 

[2old2fast]

I used 1" square tubing , side supports backing wood reinforcement at the rear door jambs tied into a truss the height of my seat riser glassed into the floor . Kinda hard to describe & if the old 'puter hadn't crashed I'd have pics...
dave
Be careful about what you build because that area of the body is inherently weak !! even w/ reinforcement!!

 

[Zandoz]

I used 1" square tubing , side supports backing wood reinforcement at the rear door jambs tied into a truss the height of my seat riser glassed into the floor . Kinda hard to describe & if the old 'puter hadn't crashed I'd have pics...
dave
Be careful about what you build because that area of the body is inherently weak !! even w/ reinforcement!!

How did you get the square tubing bent to conform to the curve of the body or did you just leave it straight and spanning the curve? I'd thought of trying to use something like the stuff below sistering the wood, but with it spanning the body curve instead of conforming to it, I'd still be losing precious seat space.

 

[2old2fast]

First ,let me apologize , I used 3/4" square tubing , not 1" . That said , w/a very simple bending jig , I bent the tubing to conform to the body, it's mainly time consuming , not terribly difficult . After you get the pieces shaped , tack things in place , keeping the assembly configured so it can be removed for final welding before final assembly & gassing .
dave

 

[EX JUNK]

I, too, used 3/4" square tubing in my body. However, I only used it across the bottom of the dash and down the inside of the body and welded to a plate that was glassed into the floor that serves as body mounting point to the frame. The sides of my body are constructed much like a boat in that they are a double wall and foam filled. I might also add that my body is a minimum of 3/16" thickness on the outside skin. All in all it makes for a very strong body.

Jim

 

[Busey]

I'm going to build something like this and glass it to the body
I think this one is from CCR

 

[benT]

Here are some pics of how I reinforced the doors on my '27. I used 1" square tube, angle, and strap. Obviously a '27 is significantly different body than a '23, but perhaps you can find one inspiration. The door reinforcing is tied into the cowl reinforcing and the seat reinforcement (both 1" tube as well). At the time of this build we did not have a tube bender, so the curved sections of the cowl were done by cutting through half of the tube and then bending and welding - fairly crude but effective.

 

[409T]

I'm going to build something like this and glass it to the body
I think this one is from CCR

That's sort of what I was trying to describe, and yes, it is from CCR and works very well.

 

[2old2fast]

Square tubing bender = piece of 1/4" plate-large steel caster wheel[4" or so dia] large bolt , couple big washers , small piece of plate [bigger than the wheel] drill hole in center of both plates for caster wheel axle , bolt plate -wheel- plate together -drill hole for large bolt[fulcrum] clamp assembly in vise[so the plates are horizontal] -stick tubing between big bolt & wheel & pull , you'd be surprised at how easily & smoothly square tubing bends !
dave

 

[Zandoz]

First ,let me apologize , I used 3/4" square tubing , not 1" . That said , w/a very simple bending jig , I bent the tubing to conform to the body, it's mainly time consuming , not terribly difficult . After you get the pieces shaped , tack things in place , keeping the assembly configured so it can be removed for final welding before final assembly & gassing .
dave

No worries on the 3/4" vs 1"...I'd probably go withe the 1" anyway, since the lip around the top of the body and door is an inch. I've never had much luck bending square tubing, even with a jig. Did you heat the tubing?

 

[Zandoz]

I'm going to build something like this and glass it to the body
I think this one is from CCR

Now that is nice. I wish there were something like that available for my body. Mine's stretched length and width.

 

[Zandoz]

I, too, used 3/4" square tubing in my body. However, I only used it across the bottom of the dash and down the inside of the body and welded to a plate that was glassed into the floor that serves as body mounting point to the frame. The sides of my body are constructed much like a boat in that they are a double wall and foam filled. I might also add that my body is a minimum of 3/16" thickness on the outside skin. All in all it makes for a very strong body.

Jim

I wish mine was even close to 3/16" thick....I don't think it's even 1/8"

 

[Zandoz]

Square tubing bender = piece of 1/4" plate-large steel caster wheel[4" or so dia] large bolt , couple big washers , small piece of plate [bigger than the wheel] drill hole in center of both plates for caster wheel axle , bolt plate -wheel- plate together -drill hole for large bolt[fulcrum] clamp assembly in vise[so the plates are horizontal] -stick tubing between big bolt & wheel & pull , you'd be surprised at how easily & smoothly square tubing bends !
dave

But how accurate can you get the bends with that setup? The last time I tried bending square tubing I made male and female jigs and used pipe clamps to press the tubing between them. The problem was that when I took off the jigs the tubing sprang back a bit.

 

[2old2fast]

I made patterns for the bends w. 1/8" welding wire [the old stuff for oxy-acetelyne welding] then just kept working the tubing till it fit , no heat, pretty much a matter of patience & "feel"....
dave

 

[Zandoz]

Here are some pics of how I reinforced the doors on my '27. I used 1" square tube, angle, and strap. Obviously a '27 is significantly different body than a '23, but perhaps you can find one inspiration. The door reinforcing is tied into the cowl reinforcing and the seat reinforcement (both 1" tube as well). At the time of this build we did not have a tube bender, so the curved sections of the cowl were done by cutting through half of the tube and then bending and welding - fairly crude but effective.

What did youo use to fasten the angle stock to the door opening lip?

 

[benT]

I used a tiger hair fiberglass bondo. Worked pretty well