I have an 85 GS thats been sitting at my cottage for about five years now. The body is in decent shape, but everything else is pretty shitty.

I also had a 91 NA that I stripped everything out of to use for parts for my 88.

Then I had the misfortune of wrapping my 88 around a pole. *sob* I loved that car.

Mechanically, I'm going to have the 91 engine rebuilt and swap it, into the 85 chassis. I also want to swap front spindles, seats, etc. Basically everything possible. Whatever else of the 85 remains, I'd like to replace with all new (susp bushings, suspension, lines, etc.

but I'm not rich, so this is gonna take some time. Which is fine, because I have a truck, and while it sucks not having a running toy car, this can really become the definition of a project car.

So while I'm saving money for the rebuild and the hard parts, how hard would it be to make a custom, one-off widebody? I love the look of the widebody racecars. Not so much of the looks factor (Like the veilside fortune kit for FD's) but more of a function over form mentality. I understand its gonna be labour intensive; but thats the point: I can still be working on the car, while saving money. Would it be better/easire to work in fiberglass, or metal. I do have access to a metal brake, but not anything like an english wheel or anything. I'm a mechanic, and I work with a bunch of modified dirt track racers, so maybe that'll give you an idea of the skills I have under my belt? One skill I don't have, is bodywork, tho. But I do have a lot of time and patience.

Opinions?

Cliffs : want to make a custom widebody for my FB. Have no bodywork skills, but lots of fabrication and mechanical knowledge. Would like opinions. Sorry for the rambling essay.

Edit: And yes, this is why I was asking for pics of the cassete deck widebodys in another thread.

 

You got the main points down: Time and patience. Would you be laying fibreglass? or poly?

 

Probably fiberglass, if I were to go that route.

The other thing I have been thinking is actually doing the metalwork, but without an english wheel or a pneumatic hammer, I can't make the complex bends out of big sheets. The alternative is templating a framework and welding small pieces together, and cleaning up the welds/curvatures later. Honestly, this is what I'd feel more comfortable with. Metal is more...finite to me than fiberglass, if you understand that. But obviously I'm concerned about the weight.

 

Well..............., if you've seen my widebody thread, it shows a small part of what's involved in installing a kit. I had never done glass work prior to starting the project and learned along the way. To start building a kit from scratch involves a tremendous amount planning, design, materials, do overs and labor. If you feel up to the task, go for it. Plan on spending a great deal of time searching, reading and be preparred for setbacks.

I've run across a few projects such as you're proposing. Some came out well, others ended up being a total waste of materials. If you can find the thread, there is a Ferrari clone, iirc, that came out quite well. Sorry, don't have a link, nor do I remember what car was used for a platform.

The included link is my WB project, it may give you some ideas.

https://www.rx7club.com/build-threads-293/unvieling-12a-bp-widebody-462184/

 

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...ht=rx7+ferrari

Are you talking about this FD?

i like it, looks cool.

 

My 2 cents- fibreglass is way easier if you don't mind all the sanding and fumes. Heres the mods I did to my rx

 

Work with the material you feel most confortable working with. take me for example. i love metal work and im pretty good @ it, but making my custom widebody, i decided to take the fiberglass route.