[bodyman65]

I am thinking about building a glass body car for myself on a budget.I am looking for a project someone has started possibly.Can anyone tell me which manufacter is better than another or if there are certain ones to stay away from?

[327NUT]

What kind of car are you thinking about building ? One thing for sure, DON"T buy anything from "Street Beast" they are a pitiful mess.

[bodyman65]

Thanks for the info,I was thinking of a 34 ford coupe with fenders or a willys coupe.

[Deuce]

Outlaw makes very good 34 Ford bodies ...

When dealing with the fiberglass body folks ... it is generally accepted that Wescott, Outlaw, and a few others are the ones to have. Like most everything else ... you get what you pay for ... cheap bodies are cheap ... and take a lot of time and expense to get looking good.



I have a friend who bought a Outlaw 41 Willys body/chassis package and he is well pleased. Unfortunately the kit is over 20 grand ...

Go here for the Outlaw web page ...

http://www.outlawrods.com/kits/index.html

[cboy]

Originally Posted by bodyman65

I am thinking about building a glass body car for myself on a budget.

I'm not sure the words "glass body" and "budget" can be squeezed into the same sentence. We've had tons of discussion on this issue (use the search function at the top of the page) but I think most of the glass car builders on here will tell you that tackling a glass car turns out to be no cheaper or easier than a steel car. There is a bit of a misconception out-and-about that somehow "glass" means "inexpensive". Just make sure you have talked to LOTS of real, honest-to-goodness glass car builders before you embark on what you think is going to be a low cost project (some very good ones are right here on this forum).

Now a glass T-Bucket project might qualify as a budget build...but it's only "less expensive" not "inexpensive". I don't want to sound like I'm doing a lecture here, but it always concerns me if a first time builder (or even a seasoned vet) goes into a project with too many misconceptions...particularly about the dollars and time that will need to be invested.

[302 Z28]

[QUOTE=cboy]I'm not sure the words "glass body" and "budget" can be squeezed into the same sentence. We've had tons of discussion on this issue (use the search function at the top of the page) but I think most of the glass car builders on here will tell you that tackling a glass car turns out to be no cheaper or easier than a steel car. There is a bit of a misconception out-and-about that somehow "glass" means "inexpensive". Just make sure you have talked to LOTS of real, honest-to-goodness glass car builders before you embark on what you think is going to be a low cost project (some very good ones are right here on this forum).
QUOTE]

You just said a mouthful and a truer word has never been spoken.

Vince

[bodyman65]

I didnt mean i wanted to be super cheap about this project.I have the skills to build the car, i do it for a living.I just wanted some feedback on the subject of glass bodys from people that have had experience with them.thank you for all the replys keep them coming.If anyone knows of a cool project car that is for sale let me know.

[Chevrolet4x4s]

I saw 41 Willys bodys on ebay a week or so ago for around 3 grand .....lookd goood they were to be used on an s10 frame.


anyone ever use anything from up22?
Shane

[302 Z28]

Your best bet is to get hold of someones project that they have grown tired of or become overwhelmed with, it happens a lot. Just keep checking sites like Ebay or other rodding sites. Most times they are a fairly good buy.

Vince

[cboy]

Originally Posted by bodyman65

I didnt mean i wanted to be super cheap about this project.I have the skills to build the car, i do it for a living.

Thanks for the clarification bodyman. It's good for younger, less experienced rodders who might stumble on this this thread to understand exactly what's involved in building and financing a project like this. I didn't mean to shed any bad light on your plans or skills.

Dewey

[bentwings]

I can tell you this from personal experience that a 41 Willys will be the biggest, deepest, bottomless, black hole of a money pit you will ever see. You can throw a 100 bill at it and it will simple disappear and nothing will happen. A grand might make a very small visible change. I just spent over $300 on the fuel system not counting the aluminum tank I'm building (300+). I'm far from a spendthrift. I have many many spreadsheets tracking costs of everything and buy very carefully, looking for handling charges shipping charges and other hidden costs which can drive you crazy. I look at several different ways of doing things and do a cost study on everything. However many times it is necessary to pay a bit more for a part and order it with some others to get around the shipping and handling charges. I even buy local when I can.

There are no....no over counter original parts available at reasonable cost for these cars. You are looking at over 600 for headlights and 500 for a grill. Only one supplier. Plus the parts are questionalble quality.....pot metal.

I already have over 600 in wiring alone and I'm not done yet.

Wait untill you get to upholstery......I may make a kit as I do my upholstery with help from a professional as a teacher.

You will make everything or have it made. And look out for prices here. Labor rates go for 75 to 100 for just local machine work. Hot rod shop ...who knows. I do all my own work and some for others.

The motor is cheap. Just buy a crate motor of what ever power you want. Hard to go wrong. Same with the trans.

I have to go to the garage...my master Willys is calling. haha yessir...nosir.. how much $$$$ do you want today??

[302 Z28]

Whatever you estimate it will take, both time and money you will vastly UNDER estimate. I am in the 5th year of my build and I shudder to think what I have spent on it to date. There are literally hundreds of things that you have no idea about ( not to sound disrespectful) when building one of these cars. It is not out of the realm of reason to figure $50K on one of these projects, and that is doing most everything yourself.

Vince

[bentwings]

302... haha we meet again. i just went over to the electrical store to get 2 connectors and pins. Couldn't possibly be more than 10 bucks. Well $50+ later and only 1 hand full of electrical stuff I'm back at the garage. No dinner tonight as I spent the dinner allowance for the Willys. I'm a slave you know. To top it off I forgot what I was going to use them for. Today is my 6th day of retirement so I tend to forget things more often now. haha

I told my wife I forgot how to get home so she was going to have to drive out to the garage and get me. She says why don't you ask Mr. Willys for directions???

[302 Z28]

Originally Posted by bentwings

302... haha we meet again. i just went over to the electrical store to get 2 connectors and pins. Couldn't possibly be more than 10 bucks. Well $50+ later haha

I told my wife I forgot how to get home so she was going to have to drive out to the garage and get me. She says why don't you ask Mr. Willys for directions???

I try and stock up on those kinds of things via mail order. They are quite a bit less expensive when ordering in bulk from Digigey or Mouser.

I have about 8 months to go for retirement, or sooner if the &^%$ me off.

Vince

[dalesy]

Lots of good comments here, friend. I've wanted a Willys too, for a long time. But there's major bucks involved. The main, main thing to keep in mind that whatever kind of car you decide to build....there are people out there who are chomping at the bit to take your money for ANYTHING you buy or need to have done for it. When you say 'hotrod', it means 'TOY'; and 'person with money to spend'.

Hotrodding started with guys taking a particular car and souping it up, or customizing the body....usually doing the work himself. It was much cheaper then. Now we've evolved. You can buy a complete '41 Willys, '34 Ford Vicky, or now a '68 Camaro...brand new from the ground up. All you need is a fat checkbook. What I'm trying to say is....if you can do it like it was originally done, that is, doing a lot of the work yourself.....you can save a ton of money.

And, my belief is that in the end, you will have much more satisfaction and pride in your ride by having done it yourself. Good luck with your project.