Who here has Fabricated their own Model A

Not to say this would be easy to do but lets face it, there are less and less worthy Model A bodies out there. If you are willing to share, I would like to collect information from individuals who fabricated their own bodies and how they did it. Some specific details I'm interested in is if there are any templates out there to make sure the lines and contours are correct.

Cheers
Paul

 

The dimensions should not be hard to come by, the trick will be to avoid the slab-sided look you get if panels aren't bowl shaped enough, curving in two planes. That would be where the metal working skills come in.

 

I assume you have some SERIOUS metalshaping skills and hardware at your disposal? I'm curious about this myself and will be paying attention to this thread... stay tuned, I might know a thread that you will find interesting and inspiring ...
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=323384&highlight=who+sed

 

It has been done (various Ford's and modifieds) and talked about quite a bit. If you don't have any idea how to do it, it's probably something that's way out of your league. But maybe I'm wrong. There are a lot of home built bodies that look like rolling trash dumpsters. Here's a Model A truck that someone on here is building from scratch. I wish I had 10% of the talent/skill that he has. He is a true craftsmen.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=378992&highlight=build+from+scratch

 

check this thread out..... Not really from scratch, but it gives you a really good idea what it takes to get proportions and lines right..


http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=325798

 

100% Correct!

Also another amazing build is the aluminum 40 willys by Salt Flat Hod Rod Shop(sp)

 

Spyder, you're right, the general dimensions are not too hard to come by, but since others are looking, if you have links to share, they might be helpful.
<O</O
It’s the curves and contours I am having a hard time grasping. Its one of the reasons why I mentioned templates. I don't suppose anybody has seen a link to someone who has lined out the contours? Maybe in Visio or CAD? Yes, I know, What’s That?!

<O</OGigantor & Brudwich, I would say my Metal shaping skills and tools are novas. I will leave the expert status only to those who build bodies for a living, so yes its been done and the link you provided are the pros that can do it. Pat Pryor's thread was very interesting. I want to see the garage guys who have done it. I've built, stretched, chopped formed metal......but in the racing theater and on late model cars. I am looking for something new to tackle once I get my 1950 Chevy truck back on the road. Call this a research session.<O</O

 

just a thought. Model A's aren't that rare. if you want to build something from scratch, make it your own design that won't be compared to a million others.
if you're set on a ford buy some brookville panels and just assemble your own.

 

ok NONAME, that is an interesting point.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
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Yes, I would agree A's are not the rarest body around......but they are not cheap either. If I could pick up a steel model A coupe body for a grand.....that only needed a couple patch panels, we probably would not be having this conversation. Unfortunately, none have come my way. (BTW, if you guys have one in your garage collecting dust, I'm all ears).<o></o>
<o></o>
Also, I thought about the "buying panels I don't have and assembling the rest" but that research has not come up with many options. I did not know you could get panels from Brookville, just whole bodies. I have not received my catalog though. Is there any other manufactures of full rear quarters?<o></o>

 

That's why I'm thinking in Weymann terms. A fabric body might just be within my capabilities.

The look takes some getting used to, but it grows on you. Here's one on a Riley:

WO Bentley, cool:

 

There's a nice set of general body drawings in Hot Rod's 1963 model A handbook. I got one on e-bay for less than $20. While it doesn't show the lofting of the compound curves on the body, you can actually generate some very valid measurements (good enough to make working drawings) by measuring a scale model with digital calipers and multiplying.

As soon as I've got more room in the shop, I'll be starting on a 30-31 glass body from scratch. The design of the build was inspired by the Niekamp car of 1949-50, but updated, as I still think it's one of the most beautiful machines ever built. I can't justify the money to hack up a steel body, and I've been really disappointed in the quality of most of the repop glass, so I'm starting fresh.

I've been building composite tooling for many years, so if anyone is interested in seeing how it's done, I'll be happy to assist. Glasswork takes it's own set of skills, and it's time consuming to get it right, but nowhere as difficult to learn as correct metalshaping. To build a steel body from scratch (with compound curves) you'll really need an English wheel. It CAN be done with a shot-bag and a planishing hammer, but it's not easy.

Building a good glass 30s body where you don't have an original to mold from is somewhat like the methods used by old coachbuilders. Basically, you build a wooden framework that defines the edges of the panels and the character lines. The departure from metal at this point is that you attach 2" polyurethane foam boarding to the framework, and start sculpting. If you work carefully, you can get the surface to within 1/4 inch BELOW the finished surface. Now several layers of glass, and finish the surface with bondo, just like doing conventional bodywork. Now you have what's called a plug, which is simply a full-scale model of what you want. You can either remove the interior framing and use it for your body, or you can pull molds from it, and then make a really nice, professional body in your molds.

 

The Fidgiter did it:



A cowl. Cut down sedan doors, brookville rear roadster pick up section. home made windsheld. Home made frame, home made hood and hood sides. Totally rebuilt bed all stuff that a lot of people would have cast off. Time and patience.

 

I can't believe no has posted a link to Pat Pryor's project:

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=323384

 

Actually, Gigantor posted a link to Pat's project early on. Beautiful work, and shows what you can do with hard work and persistence. Elrods piece is beautiful too...a real hot rod, like in the old days, when guys built cars from the pieces they had. I'm amazed at the talent on this site.

 

I have made a few roadster pickups.I am building two right now.
www.wickedhotrod.com

 

This is my latest roadster pickup that I fabricated. Hope I can get the picture to post. (testing 1,2,3)

 

I've seen guys post Model A coupes on here they could have bought for under a grand and passed up because they didn't want to bother to try to patch them up. And rollers on frames for $2500 or so. You can't be looking that hard.

That I know of no one repops 30-31 coupe quarters.

 

Is there no demand for full quarters? Or is it just that no one offers them?

 

Back in 2004 tokyo, myself, tall paul (who moved to Australia to avoid working on this damn thing anymore) wheels50 and his son, spike and his son, missinglink, and coupedevil (and a few others) would gather every tuesday to work on
assembling this..

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37363&highlight=tub




here are the photos that I took.

http://public.fotki.com/sawzallshop/sawzalls-rides-past/sawzalls_shop_shop/page9.html


and the photos that tokyo took
http://public.fotki.com/Acten/shopandcustomerprojects/model_a_tuesday_tub_club/

we had to take it apart every night and carry it to the attic of my garage, as I had too many cars here..

the cowl was loosely based on a 30- 31, the car was sitting on a stock a chassis in the photo above..

we ended up selling it at a loss.. and now its in texas (i think)

I wouldnt do a "A" because the time involved vs the result wouldn't make up for the difference in value..

but, If you had another early unidentified cowl.. I think it could be cool...

 

Here's my buddy's 29 RPU.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=206937&showall=1

Slim

 

Paul, Take a look at the attached link it will give you a lot of information on how to make panels and them make opposite hand panels that match. It is not a Model A but the same process is used to make the panels that you would need to make a Model A. If you have a Model A that you can take flexible shape patterns from it would save you a lot of time. What you are doing with a flexible shape pattern is basically making a coat of paint that you can make a panel to match.

http://imperialwheelingmachines.com/roadster/Index.htm

You can also visit the site under my signature or Metalmeet.com that would also be helpful.

 

Does this count? I make the origionals from steel, then reproduce them in fiberglass .I do all my work with cutoff wheels,hammer and dolly and a welder. Cut out the pieces,hammer them into shape by hand and weld and grind.No english wheels, power hammers or any other machines.I have been doing this since I was a kid because I couldnt afford expensive tools.I do one offs for people in metal and the ones that interest me I do in metal then reproduce in fiberglass to sell. This one is my 1930/31 Model A 3 window. I am working on a 1928/29 Vjcky and a 1933/34 custom closed cab pickup resembles the sedans.

 

It seems nuts to try to make a Model A body when they are so common.
I have nine model As and every Model A owner I know has more than one

 

Thanks guys, These are some good ideas.
William, I'm interested in doing it in metal but I did not think about scaling up a small model. That is a great idea and could work very well for me, thanks. And your right, Pat's project was posted earlier on. I watch it very closely.

Elrod, thats a really nice car.
Wickedhotrod, that is one hell of a shop! And a nice truck. I need to go through the rest of your website.

 

rustynewyorker, I'm a little new at this Forum so give me a little break. I've been hitting the classifieds section every couple of days, if their out there, their not for sale or to pricey.

Todd a, agreed, how can their be no demand for repoped model a quarters?

Homemade44, I've actually followed your build closely and others on the metal meet page. But I thought I saw a pic with a for sale sign at one of the metal meets.

 

We build hot rods to have something cooler than the average person driving down the street but when you have been doing it a long time and have seen thousands of them ,you start to feel the same as the crowd again so you make up your own version to express yourself again not to mention if you have the skills to fabricate, its fun to show others what you can do and sometimes we just want to see for ourseves what we can do.When you make something that has allready been done you have something to compare the results with .We all have different ways of enjoying this hobby. I myself believe that if you can buy it,why make it.Make something else thats not available but for the reasons above ,I can understand others doing what they do.My favorite thing to do is cut something up and make something else out of it so enough of all this,Im grtting back to the shop.

 

Paul, the for sale sign was a joke. The car belongs to Kerry Pinkerton, I have just done some work on it.

 

I have posted this before, but here it is again. This roadster body is handmade except for the gas tank / hood and some pieces from the front fenders.


Lars

 

Here are some building picks.

Lars

 

Some more,,