New build thread; time to build one from scratch!

[rspears]

Nothing wrong with that concept. Like you said, the key is going to be to get the base design set. Are you thinking a modern "What IS that??" look, or an older track roadster, custom coach builder "What IS that??" approach??

[falconvan]

Nothing wrong with that concept. Like you said, the key is going to be to get the base design set. Are you thinking a modern "What IS that??" look, or an older track roadster, custom coach builder "What IS that??" approach??

Body design is still up in the air; I've been looking at chassis types for now. Body will have to be a somewhat simple rounded off design. My sheetmetal forming skills are in thier infancy so I dont want to go too difficult and get discouraged. Maybe a basic 3x2 square tube chassis for the base, use small tubing to form the shape, and then form the metal over the skeleton? I'd like it to be low to the ground with an open cabin that you can just climb into.

[rspears]

Body design is still up in the air; I've been looking at chassis types for now. Body will have to be a somewhat simple rounded off design. My sheetmetal forming skills are in thier infancy so I dont want to go too difficult and get discouraged. Maybe a basic 3x2 square tube chassis for the base, use small tubing to form the shape, and then form the metal over the skeleton? I'd like it to be low to the ground with an open cabin that you can just climb into.

Falcon,
Not trying to influence your design in any way, but there's a guy not far from me who's been retired for about thirty years and he builds one, and sometimes two cars per year. He's at least 85 now, still in the shop every day. Last time I was over there he was working on a 20's/30's "sportser" two seater design. He does all of his metal forming by hand - no break, no shear, no slip roll, and no, not even an English Wheel!! . His approach is that he doesn't want to mess with anything that Henry's guys didn't have in their shops up through the early to mid-30's (pre-'35), so he works only with hand tools. His "break" is the edge of a table, a piece of angle iron and a handful of "C" clamps. His "Sportster" has a square tube base, and then all of the curved sections are done in EMT conduit welded together. He then cuts his panels and forms over the conduit, easing the metal into shape. Here's a couple of pictures:

The Sportster base, work in progress - you can see the conduit forming the roll over the seat back, and the boat tail rear.
Dean1.JPG

An earlier two seater in his lineup:
Dean2.JPG