Thread: Bebops Floor Fender + shocks

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Thanks Dave, we will see how it turns out. Anyway so far I am using ALL the suggestions, the heavy aluminum foil makes an aluminum shell as you suggested, Bob's idea about the loaf pan was good and the final shape will be set with fiberglass as Brian suggested. At this point my worry is that the covers will not be as sturdy as the 1/4" fiberglass floor so maybe I will add some more layers of glass cloth. The "cap covers" will be removeable but you need to understand they will be underneath the gas tank in the rumble seat area. In the back they will be covered up by the bottom of the deck lid when it is open and in front there will be a plywood kick board at the bottom of the tank to cover up the fuel line and it will have some fabric on it like the inside sides of the rumble area. So to change the shocks the deck lid will have to be taken off and the kick panel removed to slide out the covers which can only be half the height of the gap under the tank. So you see by comparison if I can get my hand up under the back of the floorpan to adjust the shock-damper knob that will be easier. I already see I will have to mess around underneath for the disk/drum brake pressure balance which is under the left rear frame rail so the shock knobs are actually easier to get to. What I have not shown yet which is a slight innovation is that I have found that I can hang the battery box from the center of the frame in the rear because the Brookville frame has a U-shaped piece of channel BEHIND the pumpkin instead of over it as with the stock frame. The battery will be shielded by the 8" rear pumpkin and I plan to add a roll pan (fiberglass) to cover up most of the appearance of the battery, but again, to work on the battery I will have to get down on the floor and scramble around. I will say that I am hoping this counts as "exercise" at my age! I may not be able to show results for a week or so with all the holiday activities, but I want to get things done before the very cold weather. I have learned that if I put two of the circulating-oil-type heaters near where I am working conditions are not too bad.

I am attaching a picture of the front of the floorpan for folks who might be thinking about the Bebops body. The Bebops folks don't know what trans or handbrake you are going to use so they provide a flat floor with a fiberglass hump over it and you have to cut out the floor for your particular car. The white line on the floor is the outline of the hump that will come with the upper part of the body. I hope I made the access hole to the master cylinder big enough. As it is I am scratching my head to figure out how to make it easy to add brake fluid after I bolt in the seat but that worry has been postponed to when I install the Caravan seat.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder