I have had this die-cast car for probably 40 years and always thought about having a real size car. So I am 68 now and have decided to build one. I am an accomplished worker of wood so I believe I can build the bucks for the sheet metal but I am going to need advice an what tools to buy and what type of metal to use. All advice will be appreciated. I am planning on using a Model A frame with a flathead engine. Thanks Joe
Very cool car and idea. That's a big undertaking but will be exciting and rewarding. I think I would use aluminum unless it is too expensive. Although steel is not cheap either. But aluminum is easier to work with. I'm no expert though. As for tools, an English wheel, bead roller, planishing hammer, hammer an dollies....you know...all the metal working tools. Good luck.
The aircraft fuselage seems right. I was going to use ash wood unless there is a better wood for this build.
I suggest you get in touch with Randy Grubb, of Grants Pass Oregon. He is easy to look up online. When it comes to that type of super big fat fenders and body work, his vehicles and creations, speak for themselves!
That looks like an exciting project! Good luck on it. Please post lots of pictures on your progress. I too am good with wood but am wanting to know more about working sheet metal.
Wish I could remember the name of the guy out on the west coast that has built a lot of swoopy fendered cars. You should get some tips from his builds. Good luck with the build. Bob
Without being mean if you have to ask you are probably in over your head. You start with small things and acquire skills and tools before you say I am going to build this car.
That would be Randy Grubb, scroll back, I included a couple of pictures of some of his creations. Thanks from Dennis.
I will be in over my head but I am not one to shy away. I have the ability to design and plan. it will take time but once I make the wood skeleton I'll go from there. I hope to find some swoopy fenders and I think an old sprint car grill will work nicely. I just have to constantly do something and this is my next plan.
Challenging ourselves is how we learn, and eventually become accomplished. The more we take on the more confident we become. Good luck..attitude and desire gets the job done. Looking forward to your progress updates.
I agree totally. You don't know you can or can't do something until you try. Having a challenge is what keeps me alive. Wondering about the plan for a model A frame though. Looks like that car(scaled up) may have longer wheelbase? Guess it depends on the scale....
Make your wooden buck, then treat it like an experimental airplane wing. Get some foam and carve to shape, stretch fabric over it then dope/glass it? Way easier and faster than metal working and a lot less of those expensive tools to buy. You said this is your last project, why buy a complete sheet metal shop for a one-off?
A body like this requires a load of patience. As far as equiptment it can be as simple as a hollowed wood stump and some mallets or as much as a full sheetmetal shop. It all boils down to how much time you have to spend on it. Machines just increase productivity, skills produce the product. Old Ferraris and Maseratis were banged out on stumps and the results were stunning. If you like I can show you how to build the bucks and wireform the next time you're down here and point you in the right direction on the sheetmetal end. I would start with all full size drawings for all four sides so you can make section bucks about every six inches both ways. I would estimate the section drawings alone would be perhaps 100+ hrs. work. You'll need the section drawings to establish the interior spaces and mechanical positions for not only drivetrain but driver and passenger positions along with everything else. After building it on paper, build the chassis and fit your position bucks to the chassis. You always find a hundred things you missed and need to adjust. The body after that is the easy part. In my opinion you may be way ahead of the game with a tube frame on this one. Cool project! Can't wait to see progress.
Maybe a visit to Ernie Adams shop just south of Phoenix might help...he started by using old Kelvinator refrigerator metal for parts....really cool results and extremely talented. Learned as he went. I was there a couple of weeks ago...a '64 Impala convertible is the next project to be finished next year. Here is a link to his site; Dwarf Car Museum | Ernie Adams Official Site One of his many cars:
Dope and fab is too fragile IMO. It’s a neat concept, but fiberglass would be way more durable. Plus, with all the compound curves, the stringers would be tough. He could use a foam and buy a foam cutter and use a micro-slurry composite then sand and paint.
One of the design problems I see is, this would have to be a mid/rear engine car if you want to keep those proportions. Using a Model A frame with the radiator over the front wheels, that would put that center windshield post directly over the front of the engine. You could extend the nose and get the drivetrain ahead of the front wheels, but that my look goofy...either way, mid engine or extended nose, building a frame from scratch may be a better choice.
I agree with the fragile part. However he could use it as a visual aid to get his proportions right over his wooden buck(easier to work than metal). Then cover the finished piece with a release agent and start glassing. If he wanted to get tricky and really be stong, he could even go with carbon fiber. Just throwin' out options....
It’s been close to 35 years since I build my wing for my airframe project. We had to build an airfoil using foam and lay up materials. I’ve always wanted to buy a Hotwire and build something like a console using this method.
Very cool project...curious if you're building it as a racecar (streamliner) and need to meet sanctioning body specs (and weight is a consideration), a streetcar, or a trailer decoration (I don't mean that to be derogatory...if it was on a trailer behind a vintage tow vehicle, I'd be all over it!). I usually work in steel. In a perfect world, 19 gauge AK (or deep draw) steel but I can't seem to get regular/easy access to it. So, I default to 18gauge cold rolled. With a leather shotbag, collection of hammers, a small planishing hammer, an English wheel, shrinker stretchers (regular, and deep throat), it's surprizing how much metal can be moved and shaped. I'll be watching with interest your progress.