smart51
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| posted on 2/8/08 at 03:47 PM |
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Making an entire body out of soft top material
I'm almost at the stage where I need to build a body shell for my new car. I always intended to make it out of PU foam clad in fibreglass but I
want it to be as light as possible, so I'm on the look out for alternatives.
minutes ago, I found a picture of a Qpod or something that had a soft top and doors made from the same stuff. What are the practicalities and
pitfalls of making the whole body out of soft top material? The chassis and inner tub is complete and strong enough to hold in the passengers, so the
soft outer is just to keep the weather out and make the shape look nice.
Here's the big question though:- How do you make soft tops? (and sides, and fronts...)
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JeffHs
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| posted on 2/8/08 at 03:56 PM |
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Fabric Body
Why not use aeroplane fabric - Ceconite is modern equivalent of cotton/linen. You glue it on then shrink with an iron set to the right temperature.
There are several encapsualting methods. We used cellulose dope followed by nitrate dope followed by coloured dope, but cellulose paint works too.
It's very tough - only problem with using cheaper paints is craking after time. If you were to use polyurethane it would last years.
See my archive for Auster covered as above
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Mark Allanson
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| posted on 2/8/08 at 03:58 PM |
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looking up the construction techniques of a sopwith camel may yeild results, I think they were canvas covered with dope ( )
If you can keep you head, whilst all others around you are losing theirs, you are not fully aware of the situation
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Mal
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| posted on 2/8/08 at 04:01 PM |
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Some cars of the 1920's and 30's had fabric covered bodies. They may have had 'dope' applied to tension it. Try looking for
restorers of cars from this period. The magazine 'The Automobile' may give you a start.
HTH
Mal
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contaminated
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| posted on 2/8/08 at 04:38 PM |
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At the motor show this week there were several road-legal buggies with fabric body work. Looked pretty cool actually.
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blue2cv
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| posted on 2/8/08 at 05:45 PM |
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Velorex, is ithis the look your going for
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mr henderson
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| posted on 2/8/08 at 06:01 PM |
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You could make the body out of birch plywood, and then stretch and glue vynide (plastic leather look) material over it.
Hey, if it's good enough for Marshall.......
John
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Richard Quinn
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| posted on 2/8/08 at 06:12 PM |
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I've also seen road legal buggies with a nylon type material held on to the chassis with velcro loops. If your car needed washing you could just
nip out, remove the panels and chuck them in the wash with your scruds!
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Dave Ashurst
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| posted on 2/8/08 at 08:14 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by smart51
The chassis and inner tub is complete and strong enough to hold in the passengers, so the soft outer is just to keep the weather out and make the
shape look nice.
I'm looking forward to seeing this, you're doing it so it will be good.
In my experience; making a soft top was fun (at first) and a learning experience. It took ages, with many late nights cutting, sewing, undoing,
redoing, rivetting fasteners.
Until finally it looked so crap (even scary) and I was so tired, frustrated and bitterly disappointed that I gave up. (o painful memory.)
Good luck with yours though! 
Are we going to meet up on monday?
best
D
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hobzy
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| posted on 2/8/08 at 09:16 PM |
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Can be done - check out the prototype beemer in Top Gear this month with an all Neoprene (i think) skin.
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MustangSix
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| posted on 7/8/08 at 01:10 PM |
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If you had a suitable framework of metal or wood, you could use the heatshrink covering that the RC airplane boys use. Iron it on, looks pretty
slick.
Might be usable directly over the current frame.
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