what do you think of reproduction bodies?

I know a lot of people hate fiberglass cars, but are most of you o.k. with all new reproduction steel bodies? Just curious about what you think of a new body vs. working to repair the real deal original bodies.

 

Too damn expensive!

 

Some people have issues accepting anything that Henry didn't stamp out as "not being real" but after doing a Brookville rpu it was SOOOOOO nice not having to fix rust before getting started. We would do another one in a heartbeat . And I have no problem with fiberglass either, having owned 3 of them.

Don

 

I've had my fill of turning rusted out, bent up, early Ford bodies into usable pieces by over investing in time, labor, and materials. I'd take a Brookeville any day.

Bob

 

I can speak for the Brookville 32 roadster. It's an excellent reproduction of the original. It takes a pretty sharp eye to know the difference. I couldn't keep both so I ended up selling the brookville and keeping the original. I'm not sure I made the right decision sometimes. Can't speak for any of the other repos but the Brookville 32 is excellent. Hope this helps and if you want more details I can elaborate.

 

i would have a steel reproduction body no problem, i'm also sick of fixing things.

 

^ditto! I've also had very good experiences with Redneck and Bebop fiberglass bodies.

 

I've had 2 brookville 32 roadsters and a Steve's 34 , all were really nice .

 

I took a tour thru the Brookville factory this year..
Extremely impressive, and awesome work.
As far a original goes, IMHO there is very little total original on cars out there anymore that are HAMB friendly.....(ie. mechanical brakes, tires, exhaust, electrical, spark plugs, gaskets, and so on), so it is not much of a big deal to me weather a Brookfield, or a fiberglass body...All fit into our ballpark.....
Cheers........

 

I think they are great. Very nice, very little body work, no rust, and they save a hell of a lot of time. Who the hell can afford one?

 

I think they are over priced like most things in this hobby …. Pricing based just below what good originals sell for…. not on a fare amount of profit gathered

 

One way to look at it is if you add up all your time and supply's fixing a badly beat up original steel body.Then price the cost of a new body (Brookvile ). They really are not too far out of line. Alot less finish work before paint and great panel fitment. But if your time in a project doesn't bother you, like my own personal projects, I'd find a rough one too.

 

I've been halfheartedly looking at Brookville bodies, I mean, I WANT a 32 Roadster but they're sooo much $$.

I have a 31 A Roadster body and frame and title but I want a 32. Reality is, I'm going to probably build the A and the parts I'm accumulating could go on either I suppose.

But will someone explain to my dumb ass why a Brookville 31 Roadster body is $6500 and a 32 Roadster body is $11500?

 

I gave up working on rusty, bent, ripped, work hardened old metal scrap years ago. I know some collectors and other purists want "The Real Steel". But, if you really look at it, they're only looking at it from an "investment value", or "bragging rights". But, in reality, if they are not into the pleasure of doing it themselves (some guys enjoy working their ass off; and god bless 'um); they're paying "through the nose" for it. And, probably blowing it out of another orifice.

I looked, for years, for what I was told to be an original Outlaw (glass) body of a Deuce 5-window. The example I first laid eyes on had original looking drip rails; and every inside panel, including spot welds replicated. I was also told that the old guy that made them, made a handful (whatever that means). He then either died, or went broke (or maybe both).

Either way, I passed up a bunch of 5-window steel junk (at big prices) before I found one I'd been looking for (see photo), I had to buy a whole project to get; but, to me, it's a lot more value (and scarce) than the "real Henry"

 

Because '32 are considered THE hot rod body style. Not true, but that's the major opinion. 34's are better looking IMO.

 

I have no problem with reproductions, 'glass or steel. Most people use aftermarket frames and no one complains about those.

 

I agree that there is nothing wrong with glas or steel repro bodies.
If you want to take the time and expense of finding and repairing an original body, I am all for that as well.
Everyone has there priorities....you just need to figure out what they are.

 

Your not going to be able to build ANY traditional Hot Rod without a reproduction part or two,... were not restoring 100 point originals here (That also use a bunch of reproduction parts by the way) were building Hot Rods,.... Build it with what ever you want. But I like mine Traditional.

 

I'm not an engineer, but I did drive past a Holiday Inn Express last week. It seems to me that the deuce body is just inherently more complicated a combination of pieces than is the A-bone. If you will note, the 4cylinder 1932 Ford roadster sold for quite a bit more than the 1931 Ford roadster, and we could assume that the cost of manufacturing parts with more compound curves and interior details and structure would account for the difference - time and material.

On the other hand....it could just be a simple matter of supply and demand. You can only make so many 32 bodies, and if that output falls short of the number of people in line waiting to plunk down 'paper or plastic' to acquire one - each will escalate in value until equilibrium has been achieved in the opinion of 'the market'.

as to the original question. I don't care where the 'real steel' comes from just as long as it looks OEM when you're done. I'm less enamored with fiberglass, although I was certainly delighted when they first came out....right up until Brookville and Steve's fired up their stamping machinery. Sort of like the ladies in the 40s, they appreciated having "nylons", but as soon as silk was available again....the ersatz stuff lost some of its popularity.

dj

 

i wouldn't mind having a repro steel body....but i would want to have the exposed door hinges, cowl vent, etc. to make it look most like an original.

 

I've never had a repop body, all mine have been OEM steel. Over time I've worked on them both and currently working on a repop fully fendered steel 32 roadster.

 

if its glass it can kiss my ass lol

 

Is a glass 32 lighter than a steel one? Gary

 

I am currently working on my first hotrod and am trying to find original steel parts for a 27 roadster. I would love a model A roadster oneday as well.

I have a glass 23 T body, but would love a steel 27 roadster or model A. I can't afford a repro body and can't afford a good real body.

My thing with glass is I really don't know what to do with it. I can go out and buy steel and attempt to make a floor or attempt to weld up and fix rust on a bod. But I wouldn't know where to start if I was putting a floor in or altering a glass body.

 

I really don't have a dog in the metal repair hunt, and I don't want to get into a "metal' vs 'glas " debate....
But.. There's a lot of work involved in getting a 'glas body right just as there is in a metal body. It's just a different medium working with 'glas.Lots of tricks and skill involved,as with a metal body.

I enjoyed learning about and fabricating the 'glas floor,doors,body mods in my roadster....I befriended a boat-builder that coached me thru the process. I now have some experience in something I probably would never have tried

To me it's what you learn building a rod that counts.. The greatest lesson is you learn what you can & what you cannot do.... but steel or 'glas...its a tossup as far as the lessons learned... the amount of work involved,the "authenticity", all that will be debated forever
just my $0.02 worth of inane prattle
Stan

 

First reason: The tooling for the'32 body is probably more complicated and the assembly is more complex.
Second reason: Supply and demand.

Bob

 

My 28 chev is all glass. I built it in 1963-64 by pulling molds and tooling off of the original steel/wood body,then reproduceing it.Its all glass except for the nailers for the headliner. I took the liberty of recontureing the deck lid to a flush fit and adding a drip rail in the trunk opening,and building inner door panels(there were none in the wood body),but everything else follows the original body shape.I was only 19 yrs old at the time and a first year engineering student at university of toledo.As can be seen in my avitar and the photos below,the body has held up well for 48 yrs,much better than a steel one would have!

edit) I did reshape the dash a bit too for the SW's and the corvair am radio!

 

My 29 is glass, I looked for an original A coupe body but couldn't find one that was good enough to go with my metal working skills for any kind of decent money. Stumbled on this Roadster body and fenders with a JW Rod Garage perimiter frame and some other stuff for 3 grand and I said what the hell, I've never built a glass car before and it was fun and a learning experience. I'm still looking for a Model A coupe that's all there, but in the mean time I've got a hot rod that's a fairly respectable looking repro, and I built it all myself, right down to the interior. If the " real deal " comes along, great, if not, well I'm very happy with what I've got. The thing that bothers me is when people try to pass off the repros as old originals with fake patina. Get a car and build it, weather it's glass, or repro steel, or original, it is what it is. Have fun with it.

 

Thats what I call building a car!!! Awesome Job!! Pete

 

WOW, what a nice piece of work. I would like to see more.