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fed bodys

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north ferry choppers:
im getting my first fed roller ... have been gathering parts to build my dream car for years ...found a 165" wb roller for 2000.00.... already have a hemi and tranny ...does anyone know where to get body panels for feds ...or is everything hand made usaully

dreracecar:
Your local aluminum supply house--- some assembly may be required.
If by asking that question I would sugest that you put up some pictures of the car you just bought so some of the knowlegeable people on this board can assess what you have and offer direction. A whole lotta crap being passed around to the next person because the first person had problems with it.

wideopen231:
If doing shorty body its pretty simple and most ayone can do it. If going full body or chute body you might need to contact a good fabricator. If doing it your self cardboard and poster board are your cheap friend. 20 pieces of either about 10 bucks one sheet aluminum $70 and up. Make patterns and fit and trim then layover to aluminum and you will save a bunch.

H.G. Wells:
I have no pics from my build, but I decided that I could do it on my own.

Had some .050 mill finish aluminum and did some research on how the old guys did it.  Some of the old masters had nothing more than a few mallets and a telephone pole and an oxygen/acetylene tank to bend it over and a torch to anneal it.  I picked up a baseball bat, cut it int 3 pieces and some 1" dowel for handles and made my own mallets. I bought a leather purse at the second hand store and filled it up with sand.  I splurged on a sonotube (heavy cardboard tube used to pour concrete piers) that I used to bend the material and form the radius I wanted for the cowl sides. Some tape, markers, and poster board. You will also need the tool to make dzus divots.
I have no talent and was unemployed at the time so I had more time than money.  In my opinion the older style bodies that had more complex gentile curves are not only better looking, but easier to make than the new "drain pipe" style that are built with a break.  One side panel needed a blister to clear the starter so I took a piece of 2x6 and routed out the negative shape I wanted and hammered the aluminum into it to create the blister.  I never painted this car, instead I hit it with a scotchbrite pad and some WD-40. It has a short windscreen that was made with the same materials and finished with a kratex in a drill press.

You can do this, and if you can't you might only be out $125 for a 4x8 sheet of aluminum.  Might go with .040 instead if you are worried about the weight.

Be sure and take some pictures please.

dusterdave173:
I built my first one --I am sure my next one will be better but ...
I have zero experience doing any body work but just went at it and heres how it turned out.

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