Synopses & Reviews
You’re building a hot rod. The first step is the chassis. If it’s not right, the car won’t handle well. If it’s really not right, the car might destroy itself. There are choices to be made, from frame rails to suspension components, and some combinations will work better than others. Next is the body. This is what everyone sees first. It’s what makes a hot rod a hot rod. This book is a sure-fire guide to the best approach. Veteran builder and writer Dennis Parks walks you through the whole process, from finding and using existing panels to choosing New Old Stock panels from the aftermarket. The Hot Rod Body and Chassis Builder's Guide offers fool-proof advice for building the hot rod of your dreams.
Review
“Dennis Parks has authored a number of books on building hot rods, but his latest, the Hot Rod Body and Chassis Builder’s Guide, has to be the most comprehensive yet!” – Rod and Custom
Synopsis
You re building a hot rod. The first step is the chassis. If it s not right, the car won t handle well. If it s
really not right, the car might destroy itself. There are choices to be made, from frame rails to suspension components, and some combinations will work better than others. Next is the body. This is what everyone sees first. It s what makes a hot rod a hot rod. This book is a sure-fire guide to the best approach. Veteran builder and writer Dennis Parks walks you through the whole process, from finding and using existing panels to choosing New Old Stock panels from the aftermarket.
The Hot Rod Body and Chassis Builder's Guide offers fool-proof advice for building the hot rod of your dreams.
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Synopsis
Synopsis
From chassis to body, this book offers workable, fool-proof advice for building the hot rod of your dreams.
Synopsis
Dennis Parks’ many books include How to Build a Hot Rod, How to Build a Cheap Hot rod, How to Build a Hot Rod Model A Ford, How to Restore and Customize Auto Upholstery and Interiors, and How to Paint Your Car, all from Motorbooks. Parks lives near St. Louis, Missouri. dennisparks.com
About the Author
Dennis W. Parks has written several best-selling how-to books for the Motorbooks Workshop series, including How to Paint Your Car, How to Build a Cheap Hot Rod, Hot Rod Body and Chassis Builder's Guide, and The Complete Guide to Auto Body Repair. Parks' personal projects currently include a complete buildup of a 1955 Chevy pickup truck. He lives in Cedar Hill, Missouri.Dennis W. Parks has written numerous bestsellers for the Motorbooks Workshop series, including How to Paint Your Car, How to Build a Cheap Hot Rod, Hot Rod Body and Chassis BuilderÆs Guide, and The Complete Guide to Auto Body Repair.www.dennisparks.com
Table of Contents
Contents
Introduction
Chapter One – Tools
Pneumatic Tools
Bench Tools
Hand Tools
Portable Stand-alone Tools
Chapter Two – Chassis Work
Repairing an Existing Chassis
Project: Installing an Aftermarket Transmission Crossmember
Project: Building a New Chassis
Project: Safety Wiring Brake Rotors
Chapter Three – Hot Rod Body Repair
Rust/Paint Removal
Patch Panels and Panel Replacement
Filling Holes and Dings
Chapter Four – Reproduction Bodies
Proper Storage of Fiberglass Bodies
Mounting the Body on the Chassis
Installing Fenders
Baking Fiberglass Bodies
Bracing
Protecting Steel Bodies
Chapter Five – Working with Metal
Making Patterns
Cutting
Straightening
Bending
Project: Making a Three-Piece Hood
Punching Louvers
Bead Rolling and Making Flanges
Hammer Forming
Project: Building a Flat Dash with a Round Edge
Fastening
Smoothing a Bumper (Hiding the Bolts)
Chapter Six – Surface Preparation and Undercoats
Surface Preparation
Undercoats
Project: Block Sanding and Applying Sealer
Chapter Seven – Painting; Color and Other Topcoats