what do you think of reproduction bodies?

I drove my replica 1936 Mercedes Sportsroadster on a maiden voyage for the first time last weekend. It has a 302/AOD and 4-link Ford rearend. Spent about 20 hours a week for the last 14 months installing the powertrain, Rebel wire harness, brakes, power rack and pinion steering, converted from serpentine to vee belts, lokar ebrake, 2-1/2" exhaust, '32 Ford radiator and extended support rods, etc. I've always loved the sleek lines since I was a teenager. Couldn't afford a real one. Has a removable hardtop that needs mounting hardware. Got some good ideas from POPTOPS at the LA Roadster Show. It's registered under SB100 as a 1936 Special Construction.

 

street rodding for the most part is a state of mind, i know it once meant pre 1949, but now it depends on what year it is now ? if you think you are cooler with a 32 henry that the guy with 32 glass car ?well maybe you are in your own mind ,but not in his ,he has what he can afford and has just as much fun as you do at any given time. so most people don't care what you drive or what he drives, just rod what you can afford to drive, and be as cool as you want ,well,,, in your own head

 

I totally agree

 

I have had my '32 roadster since 1969. If it was lost in a fire I would probably go Brookville.

Charlie Stephens

 

I build on the cheap...I never had a silver spoon in my mouth so to speak and whatever comes along at a reasonable and fair price is for me....It doesn't matter whether it's real steel or fiberglass...there's only one person that I have to please...ME !!...and if anyone doesn't like it....DILLIGAF !!

 

If it was a Cheetah Body.. Sure.. anything else.. Nah..

 

If you like the Cheetah, you might like the Kellison or Astra GT300. I had one in the mid 80's. It was my first f'glass car. It was originally made in the 50's and sat on a '55 vette chassis.

 

Even if you think you have a solid original, by the time you take it apart you find all sorts of rust and repaired panels that have to be fixed or redone. Money for patch panels and time rebuilding parts. Besides if you are chopping why not buy a F-glass already chopped and a lot less man hours. I like original but at today's prices it may be cheaper. Once finished most people can't tell the difference. If you don't have the money then you have to fix it the best you can. Get it running and enjoy. Spent a lot of time and money replacing and building parts on mine Guess I learned the hard way.

 

I wouldn't own a reproduction.

I can't afford a '32 so I drive a '36. I'm proud to own, drive an build an OLD car. Before I could afford the '36 I drove a '56 Chevy PU.

To me owning a glass car is like getting a "participation award" in youth soccer. I only want the real prize. This is just my opinion on what I would buy - to each their own.

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Now the aesthetics of a car can look great real or reproduction. I'm just saying what I'd own. There is a difference.

 

This ain't my first rodeo,,I've built nice cars out of rough old originals and I've owned & built a few glass cars that were not real steel but they were real fun!

I prefer the real McCoy's but I would build another glass or repop steel car if the right deal came along tomorrow. HRP

 

I went to the mount and pm'ed God. Tried to friend the Almighty. Got nothing on this "Sin amongst hot rodders".
So "I" , since "god" did not answer, SAY
"Build Your Traditional Hot Rod in the way that it Should Be"
"Original Steel is a Great Blessing"
"Fiberglass may be a Lie, but you can still be Saved"
Remember "God" is on the HAMD......And he loves you!
Please ....no more, 4 doors (unless their 49 - 51 Mercury) God has channeled this thru me.
I know you will ALL understand.

 

Really ??
Do you believe there is more than 203,168 Deuces on the road today ??

Ford produced 203,168 32 Fords according to this informative site

http://www.vanpeltsales.com/FH_web/flathead_serialnumbers.htm

.

 

Woah! Your statement really jacked me up. I defy you to come over to my shop and look at the 13 years of designing, fabricating, parts hunting, welding and machining I have put into my fiberglass and steel bodied 40 pickup and tell me this is a KIT? It's about as much of a kit as the pyramids!

 

This thread has me thinking.....

Say i find an original 32 frame in great shape, plop a Brookville body on it and build a traditional high boy...

OR

Say I find a typical "unrestored" 32 Roadster. The frame is junk, so I'll have to make one, few of the body parts are any good, it's beat up, rusty, the wood is now sawdust, etc.

By the time both cars are "done" which one is really a real 32 Ford anymore?

 

My point was and is the greed

Realistically how much can it cost to build a 32 roadster body ….. What are we 10 years in now and the toolings surly paid for by now.

Stamp out a few hundred dollars worth of cold rolled and lets be generous and say 80 hours of labor for trimming - fitting - assembling.

And they are still 10 grand ??????

 

this should have been a poll thread....real vs. repro
lets just leave it at the plain and simple fact that when you see one (regardless of whether its real or not)...your first response is a smile on your face.

as for the original question being asked...the reproduction bodies are just great.
they have some in all sorts of stages...from fiberglass to steel, you can get a brookeville steel 32 3 window coupe in pieces and put it all together someday if you really wanted to... hell theres even a new company out that I saw at the GNRS this year that the body was made out of kevlar and carbon fiber...how cool is that!!! bulletproof roadsters..lol

but this is a traditional hot rod forum, so you might get a majority vote on "fiberglass can kiss my ass" anecdotes.

 

How many real 1932 Fords survived of the 203,168 ? How many fiberglass 32 Ford bodies have been made to date? Anyone know the actual numbers? I have been told that their are more 32 Fords on the road now than Henry actually made. Sorry, I don't have the actual numbers. Anyone have the numbers?

 

I started a thread that asked essentially the same question, in the same way, when I first got here, except the subject matter was '32 fords instead of Packards. It got closed PDQ.

 

Like the color choice. Period, tasteful, and ballsy, all at the same time.

 

I have no problem with reproduction bodies for cars, now if only someone could make a repro body for me........

 

They're all fine - gennie is great if you can find a good one, Brookville is good if you can afford one and 'glass is OK if that's OK for you.
This hobby is all about enjoying yourself, not trying to please someone else. Don't stress if the other guy doesn't like the car you've built - if you like it, you've succeeded.
End of story.

 

Real is real.

I've driven real Model As instead of fate '32s. For the same money I'd always go for the maybe less desirable real car.