289 Plans Build

[Three Peaks]

Referring to the panels for the body for rivetting, you'll probably need .090 sheet aluminum for the pieces you need to make up templates for and shape. The inner fenders, rear wheel arches, trunk aluminum, cockpit, rear bulkhead, firewall, door surround pieces, radiator enclosure pieces, and a few other smaller pieces you'll need to form. Not sure what others used, but I found .120 was a bit too stout for a lot of these pieces. .120 also wanted to crack when bent 90 degrees or more in a brake. I'm thinking .062 would possibly be enough and I've heard of guys using .040 for some of these pieces.

David Kirkham has some articles on the "Kirkham Academy" on here or on the Kirkham site on tips on making the aluminum bodies, what alloy they use for the bodies and what thickness they use, tools they use for shaving down the joint welds, etc.... lots of great info if you're into rolling your own.

Bob

[120mm]

Originally Posted by Three Peaks

Referring to the panels for the body for rivetting, you'll probably need .090 sheet aluminum for the pieces you need to make up templates for and shape. The inner fenders, rear wheel arches, trunk aluminum, cockpit, rear bulkhead, firewall, door surround pieces, radiator enclosure pieces, and a few other smaller pieces you'll need to form. Not sure what others used, but I found .120 was a bit too stout for a lot of these pieces. .120 also wanted to crack when bent 90 degrees or more in a brake. I'm thinking .062 would possibly be enough and I've heard of guys using .040 for some of these pieces.

David Kirkham has some articles on the "Kirkham Academy" on here or on the Kirkham site on tips on making the aluminum bodies, what alloy they use for the bodies and what thickness they use, tools they use for shaving down the joint welds, etc.... lots of great info if you're into rolling your own.

Bob

Yep; .120 is only referring to the 3" frame tubing.

.090 is really stout aluminum. I have a coil of .062 in my back shop I was always wondering what to do with; unfortunately, it's 2024 T3, so it won't stand much working, but will do for flat, single flanged or simple bead rolled, unless I heat treat it.

I imagine bodies are made of .030 - .045 3003 H3. It works well, yet has some basic starch to it for stiffness.

[MAStuart]

I imagine bodies are made of .030 - .045 3003 H3. It works well, yet has some basic starch to it for stiffness.[/quote]

I believe Original cars were made of .050 for the body. The thinner the material you use the more experience you will need to metal finish the body. You will end up putting holes in it and thin it too much as you shape It and try to metal finish the welds ect. Now days most will use .060 3003 h14. This thickness will give a little cushion for metal finishing and stretching for metal shaping. It also welds well using a strip of parent metal with O/A or tig. O/A is the preferred method of welding aluminum bodies. The guys that can only tig weld will argue this.