Progress on 4000 Series Rebody

[ACademic]

An ambitious project. Please keep us posted! One question: How do you compensate for final panel fit using the base 'glass body as a buck? I realize we're talking millimeters here, but just curious. And what panel thickness/aluminum type are you using?

[ThePanelbeater]

The buck was generated from a female casting pulled from an original car, which then had .065 Thermal Stable wax sheets laid in to simulate the thickness of the aluminum panels. At that point, the male fiberglass plug was laid in and became the buck which you see minus the thickness of the aluminum. To date, this is the fourteenth body made from this buck.
The alloy that I am using is 1100-0 and 1100-H14 and .063 thickness.

[MAStuart]

Thanks for posting . I see I have a lot to learn yet. I have been using 3003 h14. Does 1100 work about the same as 3003? Mark

[LMH]

Originally Posted by ThePanelbeater

The buck was generated from a female casting pulled from an original car, which then had .065 Thermal Stable wax sheets laid in to simulate the thickness of the aluminum panels. At that point, the male fiberglass plug was laid in and became the buck which you see minus the thickness of the aluminum. To date, this is the fourteenth body made from this buck.
The alloy that I am using is 1100-0 and 1100-H14 and .063 thickness.

Is that plug from an original 427 or a 4000 series body?
Very nice work?
Larry

[Stentor]

What is the rough budget for a project like this (i.e., for rebodying a 4000 series car)?

[1985 CCX]

I might add Panel Craft has done fantastic job on my aluminum 289 doors, hood, boot and flares in unison with a hand laid main body. (See page 20 on my build thread linked below for ally work)

Joe is a Master and worth the investment.

[ThePanelbeater]

The 1100-H14 and 3003-H14 work very similar, however 1100 welds easier then the 3003.

The plug was pulled from an original car which came into my shop for work.

The total time necessary to complete the project will be somewhere in the vicinity of 500 hours. The current shop rate is $85 per hour. With an additional charge of approximately $1000 for materials.