Fiberglass Bodies

Seen a 30/31 model A truck cab, with doors on ebay for $1700. Showtimerods is the seller, money back guarantee, and it looks pretty good according to the pics. He said $350 shipping to Ky. I would like to build 1 later down the road, and this got me thinking. It's stretched 8 in, and has a 2 in chop. Channel is a extra $150. Fiberglass is a pain to fool with, I've had some experience with it, but finding a workable body around here is pretty much impossible, you'd have to travel to get something decent. What kinda problems turn up from those of you that have done this?

I got mine from ebay, I took a shot and hoped for the best, everything you can imagine goes through your head. Damaged parts either from the shipper or the seller are always a possibility too. A brand new body will be uncured, so you'll need to deal with that if that's what you end up with. Fiberglas does present challenges but no worse than steel, just different.

Mine was bought out of Minnesota, I was living in New Mexico then. A friend in town had family that lived in Wisconsin that he was going over to visit, he hauled his trailer up there and hauled my body back for a cut of the fuel to get it back. It worked out good for me.. Good luck with your decision!

I have several and am familiar with fiberglass bodies, lots of manufacturers come & go I also have a good friend that had a successful body manufacturing company and sold it (still running) so I know what he always told me to look for.
Get only hand laid fiberglass, no chopped glass, make sure its has a metal frame inner support, yes some did wood but go for the metal, you will have to have metal to put the column drop to at the very least anyways. Look at the backside and look for air bubbles, you can't see these voids through the gel coat, if there are bubbles basically the void will be after you sand the gel coat the gel coat and glass underneath won't be bonded together. Also pinholes in gel coat suck, trying to fill spheres is tough as you have a little hole and you can't get filler easily into the whole thing, Yes its different than metal, not neccassarily easier, not harder just different. Also ask what kind of resin is used, tooling resin is best but its harder for the manufacturer to work with and clean up so some punt using it and use inferior resins.
That body sounds similar to the cab that Speedway sells??
Best tech tip for working on glass? Rub your skin with baby powder before sanding it and the glass won't get in your pores and itch so bad! Best of luck Matthyj

He did say it was hand laid. I thought it sounded pretty good, but like 34 40 said, just have to cross your fingers. I got to finish this dodge and sell it around fall, will need a new project this coming winter. Thanks for the replies.

The 1 thing I thought of was that you'd have to title it as a new vehicle. That would suck with the way taxes are around here.

Any idea who made fiberglass body's 25 years ago?? I have a 23 C cab.

DDF693

I looked at their bodies at the Pate swap meet at Texas Motor Speedway last year and they looked pretty good.

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Originally Posted by 34_40

A brand new body will be uncured, so you'll need to deal with that if that's what you end up with.

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Have a steel jig or the actual frame in your garage to bolt the body to as soon as you get it. Otherwise, it'll sag and deform. Ask me how I know.

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Originally Posted by techinspector1

Have a steel jig or the actual frame in your garage to bolt the body to as soon as you get it. Otherwise, it'll sag and deform. Ask me how I know..

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Okay Tech... how is it you know this? :D:p

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Originally Posted by 34_40

Okay Tech... how is it you know this? :D:p

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Trust me, I know this. :3dSMILE:

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I heard before that a glass body will continue to expand and move until it reaches the max temp it can reach, the reason some manufacturers recommend not painting them black or pulling the body in the direct sun before painting, once it expands or moves it doesn't go back unless heated beyond that temp again. I asked my buddy that built bodies this and he said if tooling resin (isophthalic polyester resin) is used its not an issue and he had painted numerous bodies black with no problems, however it didn't stop me from pulling my blocked gel coat body into the hottest summer sun and giving it a bake, hanging a 'glass bodies from the rafters in a hot building results in the same thing 'Tech mentioned, get it on a frame is the solution, with the fenders mounted if possible until "the cure", I would think after that you would be fine. Best of luck Matthyj

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Originally Posted by matthyj

best tech tip for working on glass? Rub your skin with baby powder before sanding it and the glass won't get in your pores and itch so bad! Best of luck matthyj

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great tip!

If the link below is what you are referring to, it looks pretty rough. I would be really concerned how well the doors fit and how straight it is. My 2 cents . . .

1930 31 Model A Ford Fiberglass Body Hotrod Replica Ratrod Kit Streetrod | eBay

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Originally Posted by rumrumm

If the link below is what you are referring to, it looks pretty rough. I would be really concerned how well the doors fit and how straight it is. My 2 cents . . .

1930 31 Model A Ford Fiberglass Body Hotrod Replica Ratrod Kit Streetrod | eBay

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I'd agree with Lynn, I think you're setting yourself up for a whole bunch of work making that body right. Sure, it's cheap, but then again it may really be cheap for a reason? Buyer beware....

Molded in two halves with a center seam, rough edges, unfinished edges, warped roof, glass sticking out of the gelcoat, etc., etc. And that's just what I can see in the photos. Also, there's no indication of how the body is braced - wood, metal? It's your nickel, but I wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole. Just my not-so-humble opinion.