32 bodies

[1923sst]

Happy New Year!!
Just wondering what glass 32 Roadster bodies out there are favorites among you glass roadster owners.

[1923sst]

the manufacturer of choice is what I am looking for, Pros and Cons?

[cffisher]

Wish I could help. The only fiberglass bodies I ever worked on were Vetts.

[Ken Thurm]

I have Ball's Rod and Custom it cost more to fix it than what I paid for it. It was awful the worst craftsmanship possible, I can't say enough bad things about it. I would never buy anything from them again.

[Dave Severson]

Heard a lot of good things about Redneck bodies, seen a couple and they look really nice. Built cars using Downs and Wescott bodies, IMO both are quality units.. Nothing but bad the last 10 years on Gibbons, really went down the tubes since the kid took it over... I'm sure more of the guys will have some input.

[Bob Parmenter]

When most people don't want to admit they have a cheapo body, or don't know who made the body they have they say it's a Wescott.............that should tell you something.

There are other good ones, but they're few and far between. Wescott has been at it over 35 years (nobody else can say that)...........that should tell you something.

Wescott's body cost more than just about anybody else's and he's still the sales leader year after year..............that should tell you something.

[Dave Severson]

I'm with Bob on this one. No place else is it more true then in Fiberglass bodies that you get what you pay for!!!! IMO they are well worth the extra bucks. There are a number of guys on this forum that can tell horror stories about cheap glass bodies. Also, take a look at the Wescott site, the body has a steel cage built internally throughout the car. My favorite example is a car I built the chassis for in 1986..... It's a Wescott body, gets driven about 3 to 5 thousand miles a season, and is still as nice as the day it came out of Craig Matson's paint booth, not withstanding a rock chip or two.....

If you can do all of your own body work and consider your time to be worth nothing at all, then you can save money going with a cheapie, but when all is said and done, you still have a cheapie.... Some of the other higher end bodies are getting close to Wescott's quality, but I haven't seen one that is quite there yet..... Also at resale time, when you say it's a Wescott body, questions about quality and who built it are over.....

[rumrumm]

Wescott, Downs, Redneck, and Rats Glass manufacture very good bodies. I have seen them, and they have excellent workmanship. There are probably other good bodies out there but I have not seen them up close and personal.

[1923sst]

What do you guys think about Coast to Coast bodies?

[rumrumm]

I looked them over at the Street Rod Nationals a couple of years ago. Nice workmanship. But I liked the Wild Rods better as they appeared to have better bracing and internal reinforcement.

[Irelands child]

What do you guys think about Coast to Coast bodies?

While I believe that they may be pretty good bodies, they are a bit like Street Beasts in that only their parts fit, plus they build only '37s and '39s. If you want quality, stick with Wescott's. If you are only interested in building it and driving it quickly and as inexpensively as possible, there are many to choose from.

[kennyd]

While I believe that they may be pretty good bodies, they are a bit like Street Beasts in that only their parts fit, plus they build only '37s and '39s. If you want quality, stick with Wescott's. If you are only interested in building it and driving it quickly and as inexpensively as possible, there are many to choose from.

they also sell a 32 body , nice part from what i have seen .

[Irelands child]

they also sell a 32 body , nice part from what i have seen .

Must be newer than their website info then - it doesn't list/show a '32. I've only seen the '37 and '39 models at any show - which are real nice, but not my style and becoming too popular and, IMHO, Ho-Hum. Ya see one, you've seen 'em all except for color

Oze makes a '32 and several others - possibly that's what you've seen - they are nice looking but really have no idea of the quality. Always like any '32, regardless.

[joeybsyc]

Anyone have any experience working with a Kilbourne body? They're based in Kilbourne IL, and that's what mine is... It looks very good, and has a ton of square tube bracing, etc inside... but the bodywork and paint were already completed when I bought my car, so I can't really comment on how much work was involved to get it to the condition its in now. Another thing I like about it is the very stock looking firewall with the various ribs and contours of a steel car... looks much better IMO than the full smoothie firewalls i see on alot of other 'glass bodies. There was a guy posting on a couple websites claiming the bodies were like 2" narrower than stock, but I don't buy that, as I just installed a stock windshield and the stanchions, posts, and frame fit up like a glove. No way that woulda worked if there was a 2" discrepancy from stock.

[Irelands child]

Anyone have any experience working with a Kilbourne body? They're based in Kilbourne IL, and that's what mine is... It looks very good, and has a ton of square tube bracing, etc inside... but the bodywork and paint were already completed when I bought my car, so I can't really comment on how much work was involved to get it to the condition its in now. Another thing I like about it is the very stock looking firewall with the various ribs and contours of a steel car... looks much better IMO than the full smoothie firewalls i see on alot of other 'glass bodies. There was a guy posting on a couple websites claiming the bodies were like 2" narrower than stock, but I don't buy that, as I just installed a stock windshield and the stanchions, posts, and frame fit up like a glove. No way that woulda worked if there was a 2" discrepancy from stock.

If this was the old Heritage supplied body, they do have some fit problems, but a couple new bodies I've seen displayed at shows were fairly good - that is, no worse than others and better than some. But not Wescott.