"Mark and Kim Smith" wrote in message
...
Got myself an old car. A 1929 Chevy 1.5 ton pickup. Back then, more so
non-Fords than Fords, they built a wood frame and nailed the sheet metal
to it. With Chevy, I guess what ever the best deals they got in bulk
product, they used. Oak, ash, etc. My question is, is there any reason
I would have to go with a hardwood? Any thoughts on using marine grade
ply and gluing up what I need? The main idea here is cost savings.
Complete wood kits are available but cost $2000-3000. Any other
suggestions??

Here is what I'm starting with:
http://www.bunchobikes.com/my1929chevy.htm

Here are some shots of someone else's project with a wood kit installed:
http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/pr...phen_1929h.jpg
http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/pr...phen_1929i.jpg
http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/pr...phen_1929j.jpg

You could use plywood for most of this stuff. You'd want a really good
adhesive because in order to use ply, you'd have nail into the ply layers
and that's not a good idea. I'm not so sure that you'd save a lot of money
over hardwood though. The components you show in the pictures are not all
that complex and could well be produced out of ash. It might pay to look
around for rough cut hardwood prices in your area. If you don't have the
tools to work the wood (and we're not talking fine cabinetry here...), you
could find a friend or acquaintance with a band saw which would satisfy 80%
of the woodworking requirement. You'd certainly come in at a fraction of
that $2000-$3000 price you're being quoted for a kit.

--

-Mike-