Transmission tunnel

Alright everyone just a quick question
This winter I am going to build a transmission tunnel for my roadster out of metal (no fibergl***) I am planning on hand forming the tunnel. I want the metal to be as stiff as possible, but still be able to hand form it. What gauge of sheet metal should I buy?

 

14 ga. IMO

 

OOPS: (hand form?) 16 or 18 ga. How strong are you? LOL

 

18 ga is plenty. The tunnel will have enough shape to be plenty strong.

Remember that a suit of armor gains its strength because of its shape, not its thickness.

 

Cold roll 18Ga.

 

Guy who did some work on a '62 Ford over on fordmuscleforums formed his driveshaft tunnel by wrapping 18ga sheet (Ford sheet metal of that vintage was 19ga) around a welding-gas bottle with some motorcycle tie-downs.

One of those "****, why didn't I think of that?" moments (the ace fabricators in the audience right now are no doubt laughing, but I'll acknowledge my ignorance and continue to learn...)

14ga is what you use when you want to plan for your ex-wife planting IEDs in your driveway.

 

If you run some sheet metal through a slip roll, isn't it still hand formed? What do you mean hand formed, bend it over your knee?

 

18g. Does bending over your belly count as hand forming?

 

I bend them over gas bottles, finishing the bend by hand, cleaning them up on the English wheel, if need be.

 

I don't know about the other guys but I am hell for short on slip rolls right now. There is a nice one out in the ag shop at the high school but I don't have access to that one any more. Gas cylinder, piece of pipe or a piece of a log the right size would work for most of us.

 

18 gauge is good stuff.I bent it over an empty welding gas bottle.
More pics in my build thread..