Need your opinions and thoughts.

Finally gearing up to get some of my projects underway. But I have a couple of issues nagging at me. 1929 fiberglass body, no floor in it as of yet, going with a highboy theme on 29 rails. Looking at a metal floor, instead of a plywood floor. Attaching it is the bug-a-boo. Thinking along the lines of a 1/4 inch 7 ply aircraft plywood flange fiberglassed to the body shell and the sheet metal floor attached to that. Not going to channel the body at all, so the flange would be at the bottom edge of the body. Have considered a 1/8th thick metal strap/flange to sandwich the fiberglass/ply body flange between it and the sheet metal floor. I'd have three layers, metal floor, fiber/ply body flange and a 1/8 steel strap clamped together with 1/4 stainless panhead or similar bolts. The body would be mounted in typical Model A fashion to the frame. Rollbar and interior steel frame to strengthen the seating and door area. Same for the front of the door hinge area/ dash, firewall windshield post attach etc. But those are separate issues I can work through later. The question is...what am I missing, forgetting, or have over looked with the body attachment?[S

I am not familiar with fibre glass work. I can't think of a reason why this wouldn't work if executed correctly.

Look at building the floor with a square tubing sub structure. It would allow you to have sufficient rigidity to support the transition from glass to metal.

Build your flange slightly up from the edge with the floor under the flange and the metal strap on top of the glass. You would be able to lift the body off(maybe). The weight is on the floor substructure and not hanging on the bolts and strap. If you had a bolt failure you wouldn't have the body sag or fall. It would also make it easier to build in glass/plywood gussets for additional bracing.

Those are my initial thoughts.

Hey Gold03, thanks for the reply. Your pretty much on the same wave length I am. You did give me an idea on the flange though. I drew up a quick picture of what I have in mind, (if it's worth a thousand words, that's got to be at least 2 hours typing for me!). Using bead and cove router bits I can put a round bottom groove in the body portion of the flange. It can then be attached to the body at what ever height I want the floor at with fiberglass or maybe the modern structural glue used in the auto body repair trade. Once the body flange is in place and set, the floor flange can be cut to shape and a bead put on the outer edge. This bead can be glued into the cove groove making a firm tight fit. Cool thing is, the body can go anywhere from vertical to a lean in or out and the floor flange will still fit tight while remaining horizontal and flat to the floor. Take look at my picture (Rembrandt has nothing on me ) and you'll see what I'm getting at. Once altogether, I can fiberglass over the whole works and fillet it into the body making it nice and neat and lot stronger. And your right, I should be able to unbolt it all and lift the body....or....structurally glue, and bolt the floor to the flange and make it a one piece deal. Hummm.. yeah maybe. The steel floor lends itself to things like seat risers and foot wells a lot easier than a flat plywood floor. If this works out I have a Fiat body I can do the same thing to. Unless someone can give a reason not to try this, I think I talked myself into it.

You could clamp and lightly glass the body flange into place. Then router the round bottom groove into it. If you made sure the bottom of the flange was smooth, and used a jig/guide on the router, your groove would be uniform height from the bottom of the body.

You could then fasten the floor flange, and glass it all in place into one piece. Some stainless fasteners drilled in, and Countersunk of course. Fill the countersink with wood plugs. Glassed and blended up the inside of the body. Some type of no hardening caulk to seal between the flange and floor.(makes it easier to take apart.) sure make mock up easy!

Like I said, I'm not familiar with glass, but it looks like it would work. There are bigger brains on here than mine. We need them to kick in on this.

gold03 said:

You could clamp and lightly glass the body flange into place. Then router the round bottom groove into it. If you made sure the bottom of the flange was smooth, and used a jig/guide on the router, your groove would be uniform height from the bottom of the body.

Click to expand...

Took a look at the inside of the body and can see that the humps and hollows would interfere with the router shoe. I wouldn't be able to keep a constant depth in the flange. The area around the wheel opening and door sill would be the biggest problems and at the corners the router can't get into it. I have a router table so I can do the flange in it and fasten it to the body at the proper height. Cool idea though. Thanks.