Projects Scratch built 1929 Roadster body sheeting structure

Ok. I used a 1800 degree heat gun! I made templets for every panel I would need to skin the substructure. I then used the templets by laying them on the flat 20 gauge sheeting. I then traced the templets and cut them out. Then I layed the flat sheet square to the substructure and tack weld at the top edge center of the cowl. I then start applying even heat with the heat gun and applied even pressure across the area I wanted to roll with the body until it meets the next part of the substructure tacking it into place as I move to the finished edge. The heat gun rearranges the molecular structure of the sheeting just enough to make it soft enough to bend without kinking. I truly learned this by trial and error building my own fenders for my custom harleys. That's my secret!

 

Holy crap! You might be"computer stupid" but your a sheet metal genius! Hope to be half that good one day.
Subscribed!

 

Thanks 66 slabside!

 

That is just crazy and insane! I love the use of a heatgun haha. I would have never thought of using that to do metal work.

This is a very cool project and its just a fresh and clean looking roadster. I really hope when its done that people just dont look at the car and see the parts that were put on, but see the craftman ship that went into making it.

I dig it and I dig this project. This is what I really wanted to do but just dont have the skill set to do it.

Keep going man!

 

Hey CRTguy My father influenced me at an early age to try unconventional things, so you can learn and do anything you want! You need to think out of the box. Do the research and experiment with a small project first after you get the results you want move onto bigger projects and you'll get there. Good luck! You got questions and I can help You know how to find me!

 

awesome!!!

 

Wicked job man! Those upper and lower moulding pieces really add a finished dimension.
Are you gonna lead the spotwelded seams or will you completely weld them..or???

Looked at the frame in your album...that looks really nice too!
Can't wait to see the finished product.

 

Sub'd...any chance you can link to your earlier threads (or move the photos to this one)?

 

Thanks and I'm sure once I get started into a project you pm box will be full of questions lol.

I'm looking for a set of headlights or a style that I'm not sure I will find. I did see a set on eBay but I'm not paying 350 for them. I wouldnt mind to try and make a set. I want to put them on a T bucket and have a swept back look to them. I think 30s-40s lights is the styling Im looking.

You do great metal work and great all hand fab metal work that is very rare.

 

Hey everybody, didn't get to do much today welded in a brace for the fire wall to set the height for the trans tunnel and finished the structure (supports) for the rear panel. My father and mother and a slew of neighbors all stopped by at once! It was cool to see my parents not complaining! Everytime I open my garage door neighbors come by in droves to see what else I got done. That's cool but sometimes I can't get anything done. Well here's the latest pic's.

 

As you can see by the previous pic's I removed the body from the frame to finish out the rear panel and the firewall. Couldn't get to them with the body mounted. Still need to put a few angle braces from the underside of the sidewalls below the floor surprisingly the sides didn't move as well as the door gaps so all is good. Will spend a couple of hours tomorrow attaching the rear panel and maybe do a little with the upper firewall. Later guys!

 

So the body doesnt have much if any flex in it? That is just cool wish I was a neighbor I would be helping build and learning and then trying to build one myself.

 

I will tack weld around the cowl section approximately 1" apart. And yes I will lead all seams and file of coarse i will have to use some body filler can't avoid it! Thanks for asking.

 

Do you think you could do a mold of that body when done? That might be another way of making some cash and building your ride.

How tight is the inside of the car when sitting in it?

 

hahaha you will learn quick to just keep the door closed.

If you must have some air, just a crack works as well.

Nice build!

 

Checked out your build, looks great! Can't close the door to smokey with welding and to dusty with all the grinding so I'll have to live with it. They mean well!

 

Won't do a mold to risky after I do all the body work and paint, I have had bad luck with trying to pop a mold, besides it is costly to do a proper mold. Not really worth it in the long run. If I were going to sell lots of them Maybe but i have no intentions of doing that.

 

Morning guys! Someone asked if i could combine my previous post into this one since I am computer stupid I couldn't figure out how, so the only thing to do is to repost them! It will put the begining of the build in the wrong place but I guess it's the only way.

 

Morning Guys, Someone on here asked if i could combine my previous post with this one, couldn't figure out how to do that so I'll just repost to this thread. Just a reminder I started this build in 2010 and stopped due to unemployment and a lack of funds. I start back up in Oct. 2011. Here they are in build order as best as I could remember.

 

More pic's of the frame and drivetrain, I have never liked the way most front spring perches looked so i decided to cover mine with sort of an art deco look don,t know why was just in a mood, I like it that's all that counts. LOL!!!!

 

Ok! Here's a couple more pic's of the frame and drivetrain and the very beginning stages of building the body!

 

More pic's of body structure in the beginning stages this took a little while firewall opening had to be right so the rest of the body would look right!

 

Floor structure and cowl section taking shape!

 

At this point I am happy with the profile of the cowl section and floor structure and will build the side structure. The white on the body is poster board (templets), Ok that should catch everyone up, So this is how I got to the stage I'm at! Wow that took awhile!

 

By the way, the last pic's are of the my poster board templets which as I previously explained were used on the flat! Saved these in case I decide to build more.

 

Man each time I read this thread makes me want one! I like the frame very clean looking its going to be an awesome ride when done.

 

CRTguy, today I'am sitting down to figure up a cost for the materials an labor to see if I can come up with a price range to build this body to sell. Have a Good friend with a well appointed fab shop his work load is kinda slow right now and he suggested we might be able to come to an agreement to produce a limited run say maybe six or so. He is a great fabricator. He would build the structure and I would sheet them out to completion. We will see! I figure if I can keep the overall price down I could sell at least six of them.

 

Good deal and keep me posted. I have gotten prices from a local shop of around 6K and I think Brookvilles bodies are in the price range too. That is why I went back to fiber glass lol.

Keep us posted and can't wait to see more of the build.

 

Didn't get as much done as I wanted, Had a job interview. I did get the structure for the rear panel attachments and got the largest panel in the rear done as well as the driver side rear panel in. It took some time to fab the bottom attachment points because i had to clear the hairpins and drive shaft. So here are the pic's.

 

Thanks for catching us up...and good luck on getting the job. Might slow this work down some but money in bank keeps projects like these moving right along!