Factory aluminum bodies - what cars had 'em?

What cars/models had factory body panels stamped from aluminum instead of steel? Any of them somewhat non-desirable? Reason I ask is I've got a plan formulating for a small, lightweight roadster project and would like to stitch together some factory panels for the compound curves, etc. much like some of the steel "frankenstein" projects found elsewhere on the Hamb.

Thanks,
Steve

 

I think only very expensive exotic sports cars had bodies made of aluminum. Jeff

 

i believe that ford GT40 was aluminum. but i dont think that was what you were looking for.

 

well all the cars i know that had aluminum bodies are actually really expensive the ones that come to mind are
early Porsches
land rover defenders
cobras
see what I mean I really cant think of a car that had an aluminum body that isn't either desirable or expensive.
Aluminum is very easy to form though so starting from scratch should be at least easier than steel.

 

Maseratti used aluminum. What about Ferrari?

 

My friend Tom has some Abarth body parts that are aluminum. basically a full car minus one door.
http://www.autosportgallery.com/tom's_basement1.htm
Not cheap but it's aluminum,

 

Ford did some Center Door Model Ts for the Worlds Fair.
Very small run,I think it was under 30 units.



If you are interested in Aluminum bodied Roadsters,
there is an album full of them on Allshops.org

 

some of the Franklin cars of the 20's had aluminum bodies. Saw one at a swap meet 20 years ago, so they are rare.

 

20's Essex

 

I think some early packards had aluminum bodies???

If you find one, go ahead and chop it up, that junk aint worth much to anybody these days...

 

Thought there might be some lower end european sporty car stuff that was mass produced and relatively easy to find - I do like the 20's Essex though...

Thanks guys!

Steve

 

Pontiac Super Duty drag specials had Aluminum front fenders and hood in about 63. Rare as hen's teeth.

 

One word Canoe. Use aluminum canoes.

 

Get yourself a shot bag and some hammers, why play with old aluminum when you can make what you want with new material.

 

seems like i remember an early 60s mopar that had an aluminum front end and bunper

 

Some 50s factory built racers from the Austin Healey factory and the Triumph factory.
Ford Model T Fordor sedans in the mid-20s for a year or three.
The removeable floorboards in the front of 46-48 Ford cars.
Rear fenders of some GM cars 46-48.
(Last two the results of a jillion tons of surplus aircraft aluminum laying about. Also used to start the Spartan Trailer Division of Spartan Aircraft Company, the postwar boom in teardrop travel trailers and the quick evolution of the travel trailer and mobile home industries.)
Racing versions of the AC family of cars.

 

Mazda Miata hood and trunk...

 

some early 50's Jaguar's had alloy bodies and i bvelieve some had just doors, hoods and trunk lids!

 

You could take a light weight aluminum bodied a.c. bristol , yank the 6yl out and put a mean little 289 ford in it........ Oh wait I think sombody already did that.

 

AC cars had 'em,Aston Martin's had 'em,early Vauxhalls(before GM bought them out)had 'em.Lotus super 7's had 'em.Lots of Lotus sports cars(11's 15's 23's)had 'em.Aluminium(british spelling) bodied cars were quite common during the '20's and '30's.It is a good way to build a body if you have the metal skills.Ask Ron Fournier,he built a neat roadster a few years ago.Keep on roddin'.

 

Lower end mass produced.......and ally bodies are just not compatible phrases I'm afraid on cost grounds, which is why what youre looking for doesn't exist.

Back in the 50's/60's etc it was easier and cheaper to use fibreglass, which is the route Chevrolet took of course, as well as later Lotus, Daimler, and a number of other small production runs of UK/Euro sports cars.

It has only really been this last decade or so with Audi and Jaguar attempting something close to mass production of pressed ally bodyshells.....and they are not exactly what I'd call at the cheap low end either.

 

Mercedes 500SEC ( 1984) has alloy hood and trunk, US only Mercedes 300SD had alloy hood and possibly trunk. 1950's Triumph renown sedan was all alloy body .

 

Triumph used alloy in those post war days because England just couldn't to buy steel so melted down Spitfires and lancaster bombers were utilised.
Another was the Rover 90 ,it had a steel sheel with alloy doors,etc.

 

didn't MGA's have alumin. doors hoods and trunks??

 

I'm not so sure about this one. The '47 Ford we have definitely has a steel toe board 'cause I welded up a few weak spots in it.

Maybe there were a few "one offs"?

 

MGA's had alloy hood skins (bonnet) and door skins. Early MGB's had alloy bonnet skins. Early production XK120's were all aluminum but later switched to steel for ease of manufacture and cost reasons.

Not many high volume cars were aluminum because steel is easier to manufacture. The late model Jag XJ and XK come to mind and I think some current Audi models are mostly aluminum.

 

Bugattis

 

The '63 Plymouth drag race cars could be ordered with an aluminum front end.

 

1976 Plymouth "Feather Dusters" had some aluminum body panels to make it a 30mpg commuter car...probably too angular for your needs, but I just learned about these a month ago and wanted to participate.

Source: Wikipedia

 

Actually it was not one-offs, it was production and replacement parts as material was available. I've seen many many cars, mostly 46-early 47 with narrow grooved trim and rectangular parklamps, with the aluminum floorboard panel, and even a pickup or two, also many NOS replacement pieces.