On Thu, 10 Nov 2005 09:08:09 -0500, "Mike Marlow"
wrote:


"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.

A few years ago my brother was restoring an old Chevy ('37?) that had
a lot of wood in it. Bro is great with sheet metal but totally inept
in a woodshop so he asked me if I would replace the wood framing
around the windows and doors.

The car had sat in an open field for years and most of the wood was
either gone or rotted very badly. I was able to identify it tho, as
Ash, and used that for replacement parts.

The hardest part was developing patterns for the parts, as those
suckers seemed to curve in five directions at once. But with some 1/4
ply and a lot of cut n' fit I was able to do it.

The actual parts started out as 8/4 Ash, laminated where required.
With a bandsaw and a spindle sander I was able to turn out pieces that
fit pretty well. And yes, a couple of them had to be made twice

Overall it came out well, I enjoyed the challenge and Bro was happy to
have something to nail his tin to.

Unfortunately I didnt get to see the finished product as Bro moved off
to hurricane country and took his vehicle with him. One of these days
I'll have to overcome my fear of death and visit, just to see how my
handiwork turned out.

Total cost? I dont remember exactly but it was less than $200 for the
lumber and I donated my labor.