Bucket style Body-Pros & Cons

[DaveR]

I'm using the term bucket style to mean continuous in the cockpit area like Lonestar. I'm close to buying a B&B but now I'm wondering if thier style of body without integrated cockpit would result in more body flex which might mean stress fractures and door fitment change over time. I really like the double welded cowl hoop on the B&B because of the rigidity and side impact safety it provides, but of course, this eliminates the possibility of an integrated cockpit.

[CRZN427]

DaveR,

I had an LAExotics, B & B before they moved to MO., and drove it for seven years and over 40K miles.

There was never a hint of body flex or anything that would lead one to believe that the construction was anything but tight.

The doors, trunk and hood maintained their alignment throughout my ownership of the car.

I did find an area with stress cracks, after a couple years. In the rear valance area, under the rear bumber. You could not see them unless you got down on your 'prayer bones' and were very close to the body.

I have a friend with an older LAE that has stress cracks around the front of the hood scoop. Can't blame those on the non-tub style body.

I don't have any personal knowledge on the Lose Star Kits, but I would tend to believe that a "tub" type body would be more succeptable to stress cracks than the B & B style.

IMHO, the strength of the chassis, and the build techniques attaching the body ot the chassis, will have much more to do with stress cracks than the style of the body.

I agree with you on the safety aspect of the double hoops at the dash area.

The LAE also had nice steel reinforced doors, but the door latches were merely mounted in the fiberglass at the door recess. There should be some kind of chassis attachment in that area.

[Roscoe]

You may also want to consider A&C. Their body is one of the best. Fully gelcoated and needs no paint. Very strong fiberglass with coremat reinforcing. Steel hoop in cockpit and reinforced doors. Body is fully lined including trunk and hood. Came with many of the cutouts already done. Also came with hood and trunk mounted. I've been running mine over 2 years and 13k miles. No cracks...no problems.

This is the way I got it from the factory.



This is at Pocono Raceway last year.



Roscoe