fiberglass body differences

[Grey Ghost]

Good afternoon, I am researching and in looking at bodies- fiberglass I find
6oz. Hand laid 1/4” Vinyl Ester self-supporting composite body that has been Triax woven for added strength, "hand laid" method of construction and each company has what seems to be the best method of making a fiberglass body. How do you determine what actually is the best method for a Cobra body? Seems the more I read the more qustions pop up. Recommendations or anyone shed some light on this for me, please.

[strictlypersonl]

There are a dozen good ways to make a fiberglass body and fifty ways to f**k it up.
The basic body shape must be correct and the doors, hood and trunk lid must fit their openings. Some shape errors and panel mis-matches cannot be easily fixed.
Strength is usually not an issue unless the body is not well supported.
You can lose a little weight with the right materials, but you have to watch for distortion and cloth weave printing through the paint.
Good inner-panel support can make a light, stable body without exotic materials.

[Grey Ghost]

Strickly personl- thanks for your reply, Ok, maybe I am asking the wrong question but in looking at companies am I correct most if not all companies make a good body but what I am really looking for is attention to detail and not how it is made? The assumption is most companies make a good body and most of the bodies made will resemble one another - basically. So the real issue is fit and finish?

[Three Peaks]

Depending on how the chassis is designed to support the body will determine how the body is laid. The bodies like the Superformance, ERA, Midstates, and most others, are laid much thicker and have reinforcement laid into the glass in cars where the body is self supporting. The body also becomes part of the structure for the car.

In cars where the body is supported and is considered only a skin on the chassis as in the FF5, D&D, Kirkham (aluminum), Shelby Glass, and others like these examples, the body is laid much thinner as it doesn't require the weight or strength to help create structural stiffness in the chassis.

Some bodies are more true to the original shape like ERA, Hurricane, and a number of others. Many take cues from the originals but have their own interpretation of the shape that is used in their kit. FF5 is the easiest example of this with their "perky butt" body, but they are hardly the only kit with this design- Everrett Morrison and several others also have this change in their bodies.

Neither is really right or wrong, just personal preference. As far as quality of the actual fiberglass lay up- I would have to say the Superformance, ERA, and Shelby have just about the best quality of glass I've seen. If you have the patience you can get a body from Roger Bollick like I did with my Carbon Fiber body. The quality of the finish and shape of the body is amazing and practically ready for primer when it arrives. The shape is taken directly from an original, so it is also very accurate.

All of them will require some work to make them fit perfectly for finish. Some are worse than others- depends on how much you want to spend.

Just my 2 cent's worth....

Bob

[Bobcat]

Grey Ghost ... I`ll second what Three Peaks said . I have first hand experience on the ERA body . When I was deciding who to go with , I visited one of the shops that did paint etc on the ERA cars and was told that they preferred to work on them as they were easier to align everything and they spent much less time on the body getting it right compared to some of the others .
I went with ERA and am extremely please with the way it turned out . I ended up getting it painted by CT Custom Car before being sent to me for assembly .

[Grey Ghost]

Thanks Three Peaks and Bobcat for your input. I am also looking at where they place the gas filler cap. Seems some put it on the fender and some up above the trunk. I am assuming this is simply a company preference? Also, is there any difference in a big block body as opposed to a small block? I would not think so, but some mention has been made in reading the forums here.

[diegokid]

427 S/C is on fender and the FIA is above the trunk/behind the passenger. Unique Motorcars of Gadsden AL makes both types. There are also other differences between these two as you can see on their webpage.

http://www.uniquemotorcars.com/

[Grey Ghost]

Diegokid- thanks for the info. -unique motors is this the company that is / was Street Beasts?

[Three Peaks]

Grey Ghost, it looks like you need to do some serious research to understand all the differences in the different body and chassis styles. All the differences can't be explained in one thread.
For instance, the small block cars, or 289 cars as some call them, come in several different configurations. But for the most part, the original 289 cars came with 3" frame tubes instead of the 427's 4" frame tubes. The early cars and slab sides came with leaf spring front suspensions where the FIA and USSRC cars came with coil over suspensions I believe.
In the replica world, however, many of the manufacturers that make copies of the 289 simply take their chassis and plop a reasonable copy of the original style body on them with the styling cues to make them look "different" than the 427. This could actually be a good thing as the early 3" chassis was prone to lots of deflection and bending when pushed hard. Also, the leaf spring chassis were difficult to set up and used a lot of unique pieces that are extremely expensive to source today.

If you're just interested in buying a good replica, this really isn't all that important unless you want something very original in style and execution.

If you let us know what you are looking to build and how you plan to use the car it would be easy to point you in the right direction. Do you plan on cruising, track days, road racing, drag racing, shows, etc.....
Do you want originality primarily, or will you settle for less originality to fit your other goals, whatever they may be?

Just about any of these cars can be made to be very nice with some work and money.

Bob

[Grey Ghost]

Three Peaks- Yes, you are right, Iam trying to research. It seems the more I look at company web sites the more I 1. Learn but 2. it also raises questions. If they seem redundant in nature - sorry. I just feel like a sponge and am trying to play catch up w/ the rest of the Cobra world. As to your question of my intended usage. This the easiest of them. It is a weekend crusier, attending car shows , and hobby( if this makers sense) Originality is not a priority because I simply want a good looking vehicle , handles like it is on rails and and puts a **** eating grin on the face when driving it. That last part may not be appropriate to the forum and if not I apologize but that is the feeling. Right now I am leaning towards a big block but haven't really decided, trans. would prefer the 5 - speed for cruising and distance driving. Since it is a weekend driver I am not sure even of heater.

[aks801]

Originally Posted by Grey Ghost

Diegokid- thanks for the info. -unique motors is this the company that is / was Street Beasts?

There are two different "Unique" companies out there. The Unique manufacturer in Alabama is in no way connected with Street Beasts.

[Grey Ghost]

aks801- Thanks for the clarification. Am checking the Unique web site and like their deluxe pallet package.

[sllib]

You can't go wrong with either Unique or ERA. When I was shopping I pared the available brands down to those two but I spent four years doing it. I visited both their factories twice. In the end I did a mental coin toss and went with Unique and I'm very happy with my choice.
Bill Stradtner

[Rickd]

Ghost. Take a look at the ERA web site. They have what I believe is the strongest chassis in the business, great glass work, engineering detail unsurpassed by anyone building a glass bodied car (for aluminum - see Kirkham Motorsports = truly special). Their 289 FIA body is a visually exact replica of CSX2345 - the only one of the 5 original FIA factory race cars that was not wrecked (currently in the Shelby museum in Boulder, Colorado). The visual detail of their engine compartment, cockpit, and trunk are exact replicas of the original 289, right down to having the gas tank over the rear suspension and the battery in a compartment in the right rear wheel well. If you want a 427 SC body, they have a completely different chassis (many builders use the same one for all cars), and again, it is visually an exact replica of the original, with gas tank under the wheel well, and filler cap on the fender. They are in New Britain, Ct., and you can visit any time. They also build an incredible GT 40 replica. I had another builder's 289 FIA first, then had a chance to drive an ERA, sold mine and had an ERA FIA built. You can buy any stage of build from turnkey car, painted roller to complete yourself, or a complete do-yourself kit. Most ERA buyers who build their own, have the body painted and bonded to the chassis. ERA also builds a custom rear suspension that is a pure work of art: aluminum frame with Jag rear end (IRS), outboard over sized racing brakes, and posi-traction is standard. The ERA "street seats" are works of art as well. As part of the educational / research process, you should definitely plan a visit to ERA in New Britain, Ct., and speak with Peter (owner / GM), and Bob (chief engineer), also with Doug (head builder - master mechanic), and visit their chassis and glass shop, as well as the finished assembly shop next door. They build about 55 - 60 cars a year. All custom order - no spec builds. Feel free to contact me via a PM if you want to exchange phone numbers to discuss details of their cars or ask any questions at all.