Typical Body Construction Materials/Method?

[alteredpilot]

I've been trying to find info on construction of a good solid body, but coming up short.

i know no two people do it the exact same, but i'm curious how the best bodies on the market are laid up. As in, how many layers of what kind of cloth, etc... i know there are companies that use a chopper gun, but that is info i'm not looking for.

....Every where i've asked, i keep getting all kinds of advise i didn't ask for, and i hope this time i just get a straight answer.

Thanks for any insight you might have to offer!

[Bruce Pickett]

You will never find 2 people who do fiberglass work the same. Most bodies are copied from an original metal body by making a master mold. Lots of work involved to do it right. Spirit used to have a video of them making the mold and bodies.

Fiberglass comes in many forms--stranded--woven sheets-- chopped are some. Resins come in different forms also--polyester and many different blends.

You are better off buying a body from one of our supporters located at the top of our index page. NO BS and not trying to brush you off but it is hard work and tedious to get auto bodies made using fiberglass.

Ron Covell gave a seminar on building a wooden buck to make a metal '32 Ford roadster and is on video somewhere. Weeks of work on the buck and then months on the body. Thing is he has been doing this work all of his life and no one can just do it in a reasonable time and at a cost you could afford. Hope this helps but I know you want more info so google all you can and then go to a Chevy dealer body shop and ask questions there. They MIGHT help. Bruce


You may not believe this, but some of the best boats in the world are choppered fiberglass and withstand more punishment than you will ever do to a Bucket body unless you wreck..

[mike wade]

Bruce is right on....I suspect that by the time you laid the fiberglass on a mold that you built you would not want to build the car...I have done some fiberglass work but I would not try to build my own body when they can bought for less than 2 grand and are very well built.....I just bought and used a Coolflex/Wintec Body and it is one of the stoutest fiberglass body I have ever used and my car came out with just a little bit of my glass work to make it fit my frame...

I don't know how to even get you started on learning except to strat little and practice, practice & more practice...

Hope this helps

Mike

[Dewey Burton]

Altered...I don't think you made yourself clear .... are you looking to buy a good body, or to find info on building one ?

[Krovette]

You want to use a good quality mat type of fiberglass. DO NOT use cloth type because the woven pattern will show through the finished product. You will want to pull the edge of the mat apart so that you don't a sharp edge. You want the glass to flow together or you will end up with air pockets between the glass. Air pockets mean there is no strength to the piece. How many layers you use depends on the weight of your glass. You will want to roll all the layers tight together to get the excess air out so that it ends up a solid piece.
Hope this helps. I'm not sure if this is what you were asking.

[Bruce Pickett]

I think we have a single poster her because he didn't hear what he wanted to hear. Sorry but some things take a lifetime to learn or expensive to learn.

[Big Bill]

After reading his post multiple times I wonder if he is requesting info in exactly how many layers of what each manufacture puts where, or if he is wanting body brands that we prefer and why.
No matter what he wants to know he most likely should try asking his questions with a little more information included then he might get a much better answer.