[speedydeedy]

This is Ironmans new project.It is a sedan delivery.

[Job~Rated]

Looks very promising.

Can't wait...

[speedydeedy]

A couple more views.

[MARTINSR]

I can not believe all the hand build bodies on this site. I am not sure where they "fit" in the car world but they sure are interesting! Well done!

Brian

[cboy]

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

I can not believe all the hand build bodies on this site. I am not sure where they "fit" in the car world ....

My reading would be that in large part, hand built bodies are emerging on the scene as a result of financial necessity. Years ago the hand built, one-off, body would have been considered a "wild custom" - something out of an Ed Roth, George Barris type of shop. And would have been much more expensive and time consuming to build than just chopping up a dirt cheap model A in pristine condition.

Today, cheap, pristine early metal is a thing of the past. Swap meet "pieces" can still be found but they require a good deal of work to restore and then much of the remaining body STILL has to be hand fabricated or panel formed to complete the car. Fiberglass bodies are not only rather expensive, they require a surprisingly large amount of work and skill to finish properly. Aftermarket steel bodies are now available in several makes, years and models...but they carry a hefty price tag.

Hot rodding has ALWAYS been about innovative ideas, shadetree engineering and tight budgets. And I think the scratch build body lies smack dab in the center of that trifecta. And as more and more guys like New Interiors, Rob "Chuck" Berry and IronMan are willing to share their projects, techniques, and skills on sites like Hotrodders.Com, more and more rodders will be saying, "Hey, I could do that...and I could do it at a reasonable cost".

[lets cut it up]

I think it is great that people have the balls to build a rod from scratch. Some of us cant afford to go out and buy a 20K shell of a car. Then again If you can make one why waste the money. That is the exact reason why I will be making me a 58 vette from homemade molds ......I say if you can built it ... do it. Hot Rodding is all about self expression anyway!

[NEW INTERIORS]

Cboy thanks for the kind words,But you too inspire alot of people and have alot of good idea's.So keep up the good work too.And I'm just another car guy that like hot rodding cars.

[Chevrolet4x4s]

Awesome

Shane

[cboy]

Originally Posted by lets cut it up

That is the exact reason why I will be making me a 58 vette from homemade molds ......

Not to hijack Speey's thread but I'm curious about your plan. I was highly tempted to build a 57/58 vette using an available aftermarket body which I thought was reasonably priced at $8,500. But then I started looking into all the pieces I would need to finish the car. Pieces I neither had the machinery or skills to fabricate myself and keep anywhere close to original looking. Whether looking at swap meet stock parts or aftermarket parts, the price tag for the car simply went through the roof. Windshield, grill, bumpers, dash components, seats, lights etc. etc. The list goes on and on and up and up. Early vette parts are just very expensive.

In my brief dalliance with this project, it appeared to me the basic body turns out to be a rather small percentage of the overall cost. So even if you built the body yourself, the balance of the parts list would still put you into the stratosphere in terms of a budget. So I curious how you will be approaching the "non-glass" portions of this project in order to keep it a budget type build.

[lets cut it up]

Well cboy, You correct that the body is only a small percentage of the cost of this type of project. I have been researching this for quite some time to make sure i don't forget anything. I have looked at the body you talked about and the one from Hitek. You are correct about the cost of the parts like chrome and such,But That is if you want a stock looking vette. I have to have the seating area 6 to 8 inches longer to fit in the thing. I have sat in some friends ones and it just not happening in a stock setup. Also I want a sunkin windscreen so the 3 grand for a windshield frame wont be needed either. It is being planned out as a roadster so their will be no windows to roll up or a top either. The front and rear bumpers will be smoothed a the coves split and sectioned to make two nice smaller brake vents and the center grill left open with a nice molded area around them. I am basically doing as my hot rodders name suggests... I am cutting it up but after i make the mold off of an original car that way later i can make another maybe in stock form or whatever. What i want is more of a no frills ol school road race looking vette. Kinda like a cobra but with a vette. So anyway other than making hinges and stuff that can be hand made, I wont need all that high price vette stuff. That is the only way I will be able to do it anyway. It will still cost a few coins but not as much as having to buy bumpers, chrome and all the other vette only stuff. I do plan on fabbing up much of the stuff to make it work anyhow. I am still planing it but as soon as I have my second garage built I will be getting the body moved out to my house to start getting it ready to pull a mold. (I have a 59 and a 61 to choose from to pop the mold so i dunno if i will pull two rears so i can make two different years later). I do not plan on make but one or two of them to play with as they are my dream cars. Plus I have my other cars to finish up too.
I hope I didn't sound to out there in space,But this is the only way i will ever have a c1 vette even if it is not a real vette. Tim

[NEW INTERIORS]

Originally Posted by lets cut it up

Well cboy, You correct that the body is only a small percentage of the cost of this type of project. I have been researching this for quite some time to make sure i don't forget anything. I have looked at the body you talked about and the one from Hitek. You are correct about the cost of the parts like chrome and such,But That is if you want a stock looking vette. I have to have the seating area 6 to 8 inches longer to fit in the thing. I have sat in some friends ones and it just not happening in a stock setup. Also I want a sunkin windscreen so the 3 grand for a windshield frame wont be needed either. It is being planned out as a roadster so their will be no windows to roll up or a top either. The front and rear bumpers will be smoothed a the coves split and sectioned to make two nice smaller brake vents and the center grill left open with a nice molded area around them. I am basically doing as my hot rodders name suggests... I am cutting it up but after i make the mold off of an original car that way later i can make another maybe in stock form or whatever. What i want is more of a no frills ol school road race looking vette. Kinda like a cobra but with a vette. So anyway other than making hinges and stuff that can be hand made, I wont need all that high price vette stuff. That is the only way I will be able to do it anyway. It will still cost a few coins but not as much as having to buy bumpers, chrome and all the other vette only stuff. I do plan on fabbing up much of the stuff to make it work anyhow. I am still planing it but as soon as I have my second garage built I will be getting the body moved out to my house to start getting it ready to pull a mold. (I have a 59 and a 61 to choose from to pop the mold so i dunno if i will pull two rears so i can make two different years later). I do not plan on make but one or two of them to play with as they are my dream cars. Plus I have my other cars to finish up too.
I hope I didn't sound to out there in space,But this is the only way i will ever have a c1 vette even if it is not a real vette. Tim

Tim, let's us finish the 55 Chevy first.LOL

[cboy]

Originally Posted by lets cut it up

I hope I didn't sound to out there in space,But this is the only way i will ever have a c1 vette even if it is not a real vette.

Makes dang good sense to me. I'll be interested in how you do some of the "big" details...like the windshield you have in mind...as well as many of the small detail like the headlight bezels.

Thanks for sharing your plan on this one. It's got me thinking again.

[Chevrolet4x4s]

http://usbody.com/
3999 for 64 vette body
Shane

[Dugg]

A couple of thoughts...

That sedan delivery is very inspirational. Maybe i should go out to the garage and work on something.

Cboy, your first post here is bang on.

I'm hoping to (be able to) build my own body for a couple of reasons; One, I get what I want. Two, I am TFT ( Too F***ing Tight) to pay for crating and shipping.... Yes, Paris you're FT too, just not TFT... oh, never mind.

I liked the Old Dog body but would have to make some changes to it and after thinking about it, pretty much decided I'll have a go at making my own glass body. I have been known to spend more trying to make something I could have bought, but that's me. I actually stumbled across a method of manufacturing that I think I could patent, but it wouldn't be worth the cost and a**ache of trying to defend a patent against GM, Ford and Nissan who have similar patents.

If it works... Yes Paris that's a big if for me... I may try to build and market bodies.

[NEW INTERIORS]

Speedy has some up to date pics.Coming soon.