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Glass or steel body on a period gasser?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by GOATROPER02, Jan 29, 2009.

  1. KUSTOM 50
    Joined: Sep 20, 2005
    Posts: 250

    KUSTOM 50
    Member

    That is why I would say plastic would be fine, If a wreck happens " I hope that it wouldnt" but it happens ,at least another steel car wouldnt be destroyed
     
  2. moparron426
    Joined: Aug 25, 2005
    Posts: 657

    moparron426
    Member

    HEY boss Hydro whose body do you use for your 33's and If you don't mind how much does a body go for???? Ron...

     
  3. choppintops
    Joined: Dec 9, 2008
    Posts: 1,460

    choppintops
    BANNED

    You building it for you, or "them"? If it is for you, build what you want/can afford and screw "them". If you are building it for "them", fukking grow a pair and quit being a follower.
     
  4. Boss Hydro
    Joined: Sep 1, 2008
    Posts: 849

    Boss Hydro
    Member
    from Phila

    When you restore a historical race car, I don't care if its glass or steel, it would be a disaster to see it wadded up. The Boss Hydro and K.S. Pittman cars are both recreation/tributes, I wouldn't run them as much as I do if they were the originals.

    Rocky
     
  5. CalGasser
    Joined: Apr 11, 2005
    Posts: 793

    CalGasser
    Member

    First, is a '33 steel body available? I'm sure a 'glass one is more abundant. If you're going to build the car to race, lighter is better. Remember why they went to 'glass parts initially and ultimately the whole body? I've yet to see a steel digger or F/C...

    Second, build what you want, like, have and can afford. Screw what someone else thinks. Just keep it looking like a Gasser - stance, tires, engine, paint job, lettering, etc.

    Third, would you rather wad up a 'glass or steel car on the track? (which I hope you don't).

    Life's too short to contemplate all these decisions. Before you know it, you'll be too old and nothing's done.:eek: Just do it with what you have.

    I have a steel Willys and won't run it because I don't have the heart to wad it up - and I could never replace it. People don't think much about my decision but screw what they think as I'm not going to sacrifice myself for their pleasure of seeing it run (and possibly get wrecked). I'm sure people aren't going to come and bring donations to have it rebuilt should it get damaged. Instead I'm building another Gasser to run. :D VY
     
  6. gnichols
    Joined: Mar 6, 2008
    Posts: 11,345

    gnichols
    Member
    from Tampa, FL

    Perhaps some one knows when the very first glass reproduction body was used in racing? (excluding OEM cars like vettes?). That date should answer your question, eh? I suspect glass bodies were about either light weight, recreating bodies too hard to find, or building custom racing bodies with the modifications desired. Go tell all the old gasser, altered, comp coupe or funny car drivers who ever raced that their cars are fake. Gary
     
  7. Byron Crump
    Joined: Jun 13, 2001
    Posts: 1,851

    Byron Crump
    Member

    With new steel 55 and 57 chevys, 32 and 34 Fords, camaros, cobras, and mustangs I have a strong feeling the 40-42 willys body will be built someday. Most of the cars they are doing in steel can still be bought somewhat easily and the Willys has always been very popular. When the economy bounces back maybe it will happen. I have heard for years that people are working on such a thing.
     
  8. I believe the first full fiberglass body was done by Dee Wescott in the late 50's. He died last week. It was a Model A coupe.
    There were several early roadster bodies done of '23 T's and Austin Bantam roadsters by Cal Automotive, Fiberglass Trends and others in the LA area.
     
    Last edited: Feb 9, 2009
  9. Weasel
    Joined: Dec 30, 2007
    Posts: 6,698

    Weasel
    Member

    It's been done. $50 k for the body - you provide an original cowl.
     
  10. choppintops
    Joined: Dec 9, 2008
    Posts: 1,460

    choppintops
    BANNED

    Oh good lord :mad:
     
  11. moparron426
    Joined: Aug 25, 2005
    Posts: 657

    moparron426
    Member


    see glass looks pretty good now:D:eek::eek:
     
  12. The earliest mention of 'glass, or "plastic" bodies in my reference materials is in the September 1955 Hot Rod magazine. There is an ad on page 49 for the Victress co. in North Hollywood with dragster bodies and their "sports" style car bodies.
    Could be earlier references, but that's the first I have.
    I'm still looking in my stuff for a reference to the famous "Speed Sport roadster" in '55 that had a glass T body, I'm sure I have it somewhere, but I haven't been able to find it.
    I have a copy of "Griffith Borgeson on HOT RODS" printed in '59 that has several different fiberglass body companies, including Kellson, and Roth himself. I'm still looking.......Thanks, Mike
     
  13. So , I'm thinkin' "What the hell" we are all full of opinions here, let's do some research.
    Earliest reference I can find to a bona fide Ford style reproduction body is Ed Almquist's "EL DEUCE" that was introduced in 1959-60.
    Ed Almquist, out of Milford Pa. had one of the first mail order speed equipment companies, and started selling fiberglass "sports style" bodies in the mid '50's.
    He introduced the "el deuce" after requests from customers complaining (even then) about how hard '32 roadsters were to find.
    The body had no working doors, but it did have a molded in dash, and little pods in the rear for exhaust to exit from. It weighed 45 pounds, and cost a whopping $175.00 in 1960.
    I got all this from the Kit Car people, who apparently have researched the history of fiberglass bodies pretty well. How cool would it be to find one of those jewels?
    Now we are all experts on the history of 'glass bodies.
    This is what happens when you ask an old retired geezer a question on a rainy day!
    Thanks, Mike
     
  14. I have a choice, tilt one piece Harwood, or origional steel with traditional opening hood on my 55' straight axle 55' chevy. My opinion is in primer with period logos and stickers use the glass tilt. Easy access and nice exposure to the mill, this case 427 with injection, make the car lazer straight in lacquer with sbc and 2 fours use the origional steel . Look and function help yo make your decisions, of course cost is a big factor, and value when its finished. Life is short, get er' done!
     
  15. So if you had a steel shell and used glass doors and front clip where do you fit in, other than a guy having lots of fun ?
     
  16. gnichols
    Joined: Mar 6, 2008
    Posts: 11,345

    gnichols
    Member
    from Tampa, FL

    Neat info. So would you "guess" that the first "gassers in glass" were really post 1960, unless an old vette body was used? Probably a lot of altered Ts and Bantams before that.

    Next we need to find out who did the first fat fendered glass gassers (Willys, etc) used by the gassers. And if they were done by specialty companies or by the racers themselves? Gary
     
  17. I'll get back with you on that...........M
     
  18. yoyodyne
    Joined: Nov 26, 2008
    Posts: 855

    yoyodyne
    Member

    The Filthy Forty was equipped that way, P&H did their own 'glass. When were those parts made? '63?
     
  19. -DMC-
    Joined: Dec 8, 2008
    Posts: 278

    -DMC-
    Member
    from Ohio

    As long as it has proper stance and equipment, I could care less. Obviously steel is real, but a steel `41 also costs $40k+, just for the body. And glass is easier and cheaper to repair.

    My `55, soon to be gasser, is all steel. I may get a tilt glass frontend for it eventually, but that is 500 bucks I could spend elsewhere...
     
  20. nick_s
    Joined: Apr 11, 2006
    Posts: 436

    nick_s
    Member
    from Ohio

    Who gives a shit?! Build what you can afford and what fits in your timeframe (if you have one) I'd rather be out wheelie-ing my glass bodied willys having fun while the "other guy" is too afraid he'll smash his or he is still talking about finding one because all of the steel bodies go for too much $.
     
  21. I remember a guy with a 32 Ford, a nice car, made the cover of some magazines. He was always saying "My car is all steel", everytime you would talk to him, "My cars all steel", all you could get out of him was "My cars all steel". Hey how you doin', "My cars all steel". BFD. He sounded like a broken record. One day I punched him, he mumbled, "Hey, I got a glass jaw!"
     
  22. This reminds me of the wooden boat crowd with their T shirts saying "If God had wanted fiberglass boats He would have made fiberglass trees!"
    I bought an Austin bantam rodster body in 1968. I am sure they were building them long before I bought one. It came from Anderson Industries. Many 60s drag cars were glass. Me I am into wood now. (not really it will be copied in aluminum. )
    Why would one care what someone else thought? Steel guys like steel. Glass guys like glass and the rest of us just want to go racing. Since grandpa didnt leave the 40 Willys in the barn for us we do the best we can. There is always some idiot that will critizie whatever you do. That's why when we get older we get deaf. Tis a mixed blessing.
    I would feel funny duplicating a restoration in glass. That would bother me. But that may be just me. I think a resto should be steel but a race car? For what reason? But I know those of you fortunate enough to have found one in steel are sure the rest of us are lazy or stupid. However we may be wondering why anyone would take a steel body from a classic car and trash it as a race car. I am so old I remember when funny cars had steel bodies. I even remember what Polish Acid Dippping was.
    Don
     

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  23. Found something interesting today in my research.
    Up until '62, the NHRA required gassers to be licenced and registered! With all lights and full interiors.
    Would have made a perpose built car kind of hard to get past tech.
    As best I can surmise, custom built race frames wern't allowed in the gas classes until. '68. Still haven't found a reference to the first ALL 'glass Willys yet. I'm still looking..........M
     
  24. Larry T
    Joined: Nov 24, 2004
    Posts: 7,875

    Larry T
    Member

    Here's a picture of George Montgomerys Willys (out of Don Montgomery's Supercharged Gasd Coupes) in 1960, the first year they made rules to seperate the blown cars from the others. In 1964 (first rule book I have), there is no mention of tags or registration. Mufflers and pipes were optional.

    The 66 NHRA rulebooks says no fiberglass bodies in gas classes, the 71 rulebook says fiberglass bodies in the supercharged classes were ok. The first reference I can find for glass bodied cars is Herrera & Sons Austin in mid 68. The only trouble with finding a glass Willys, Anglia, or Austin after that is that the classes were starting to be taken over by "late model" Mustangs, Barracuda's, etc. around that time.

    [​IMG]
     
  25. Larry T
    Joined: Nov 24, 2004
    Posts: 7,875

    Larry T
    Member

    BTW,
    During the hayday of gassers, lots of folks were match racing or running other associations that weren't NHRA sanctioned. So if you want to talk "outlaw" gassers all of the NHRA rules were out the window. I've seen matchrace gassers that were center steer and 4 cars that match raced even ran Nitro, so............. I guess it depends on how far you wanted to bend the rules as to what was called a Gasser, kinda like now! LOL
    Larry T
     
  26. GlassThamesDoug
    Joined: May 25, 2008
    Posts: 1,527

    GlassThamesDoug
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I agree that 1968 was the biggest change for Super Charged Gas Cars. Modern Bodies were allowed but all gasser class cars had to have opening doors even if they were flip top bodies. (KING KONG THAMES) ex. I would have to look at the F-Troop as well.................I believe the OEM's Chev,Chrys, Ford pushed the modern bodies into the class.
     
  27. straightaxlenova
    Joined: Feb 14, 2009
    Posts: 89

    straightaxlenova
    Member

    This altered belongs a couple of my friends, and no one cares that it is a glass body. The car runs 7.30s, and is entertaining as hell to watch. If you build something cool & fast, people will love it.
    [​IMG]
     
  28. 7"Chop
    Joined: May 8, 2008
    Posts: 493

    7"Chop
    Member
    from Denver

    Here is a great glass gasser from Denver
     

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  29. Fiberglass 33 Willys Coupe bodies were available in 1966.
     
  30. metalshapes
    Joined: Nov 18, 2002
    Posts: 11,138

    metalshapes
    Member

    Does anybody know what the difference ia between old Glass and new?

    I've worked on old ( '50s and '60s ) fiberglass cars before and it smells completely different.
    Seems different to cut as well.. (more brittle?)

    Are they using a differernt formula, or will new Glass be like that in half a century?
     

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