Uni-Body Featuers and Technical Information
DESIGN:
Here at Gibbon Bodies by Bond, our new street rod package is based on the uni-body design of construction. When we incorporated this design into our 1933 Ford product line, we were able to build a package with substantial overall improvements and features never before seen in the Street Rod industry. The uni-body structure is built starting with 1/4" thick frame profile plates. They span the length of the body from front to rear just like a stock pair of frame rails. They are perpendicular to the 3/16" thick floor plates, allowing us to place the actual floor, at any desired elevation. In this standard package example, the floor plate is dropped from the top surface of the frame profile 4" toward the ground, where the frame and cross-members would have been. This gives our package 4" more head room than it would have with a frame under this body. Now remember, this coupe is only chopped 3", this means it has 1" more headroom than a stock original 1933 Ford car. This standard dropped floor position still allows us to hide the exhaust system behind the remaining lower portion of the frame rail profile plate. Our building jig does allow us to reposition the elevation of the floor to any desired elevation, including the lowest part of the profile. This position creates a belly-pan type floor if desired. Toward the rear of the floor, it begins its upward slope to clear the rear axle and the suspension components. In this sloped area, there is sufficient clearance for a street-able pair of mufflers to be mounted. From this floor plate and rail profile structure, we anchor the complete firewall reinforcing system. The 1/4" thick frame rail profile stops at the firewall and extends upward to the top edge. There it is welded to another 1/4" thick plate on the surface of the fiberglass firewall that is used to bolt the front sub-frame into place. This plate is welded securely in four directions to ensure its ability to support the front and main structures of this assembly. This assembly is anchored by 6 attachment bolts on each side. The lower two critical bolts are used in a double shear configuration and all are easily removed for disassembly.
SAFETY:
We anchor a complete “Race Ready” roll cage system to the fully assembled steel floor plate. This roll cage is mandrel bent from 1 3/4" seamless roll bar tubing with .120" thick wall. This tubing size meets standard safety certification requirements for I.H.R.A. and N.H.R.A drag-racing sanctions. Safety is not the only benefit to a cage structure like this one. Chassis rigidity is a major factor in the performance of any race car’s efficiency.
RIGIDITY:
This complete cage and floor plate structure, is designed for rigidity, Zero body flex will be maintained by this structure, even with dramatic racing abuse. Even a brand new street rod chassis, with a tubular center-section, and fully boxed frame rails, will experience certain amount of flex. This constant flex in a street rod chassis, is very abusive to the fit and finish of a normal rod body after thousands of miles of use. Our “Zero Flex” technique, will provide you with the most durable package for the long term show car fit and finish.
Here at Gibbon Bodies by Bond, our new street rod package is based on the uni-body design of construction. When we incorporated this design into our 1933 Ford product line, we were able to build a package with substantial overall improvements and features never before seen in the Street Rod industry. The uni-body structure is built starting with 1/4" thick frame profile plates. They span the length of the body from front to rear just like a stock pair of frame rails. They are perpendicular to the 3/16" thick floor plates, allowing us to place the actual floor, at any desired elevation. In this standard package example, the floor plate is dropped from the top surface of the frame profile 4" toward the ground, where the frame and cross-members would have been. This gives our package 4" more head room than it would have with a frame under this body. Now remember, this coupe is only chopped 3", this means it has 1" more headroom than a stock original 1933 Ford car. This standard dropped floor position still allows us to hide the exhaust system behind the remaining lower portion of the frame rail profile plate. Our building jig does allow us to reposition the elevation of the floor to any desired elevation, including the lowest part of the profile. This position creates a belly-pan type floor if desired. Toward the rear of the floor, it begins its upward slope to clear the rear axle and the suspension components. In this sloped area, there is sufficient clearance for a street-able pair of mufflers to be mounted. From this floor plate and rail profile structure, we anchor the complete firewall reinforcing system. The 1/4" thick frame rail profile stops at the firewall and extends upward to the top edge. There it is welded to another 1/4" thick plate on the surface of the fiberglass firewall that is used to bolt the front sub-frame into place. This plate is welded securely in four directions to ensure its ability to support the front and main structures of this assembly. This assembly is anchored by 6 attachment bolts on each side. The lower two critical bolts are used in a double shear configuration and all are easily removed for disassembly.
SAFETY:
We anchor a complete “Race Ready” roll cage system to the fully assembled steel floor plate. This roll cage is mandrel bent from 1 3/4" seamless roll bar tubing with .120" thick wall. This tubing size meets standard safety certification requirements for I.H.R.A. and N.H.R.A drag-racing sanctions. Safety is not the only benefit to a cage structure like this one. Chassis rigidity is a major factor in the performance of any race car’s efficiency.
RIGIDITY:
This complete cage and floor plate structure, is designed for rigidity, Zero body flex will be maintained by this structure, even with dramatic racing abuse. Even a brand new street rod chassis, with a tubular center-section, and fully boxed frame rails, will experience certain amount of flex. This constant flex in a street rod chassis, is very abusive to the fit and finish of a normal rod body after thousands of miles of use. Our “Zero Flex” technique, will provide you with the most durable package for the long term show car fit and finish.
EVOLUTION:
This Package is the result of many years of improving the Ford Coupe that we have been producing at Gibbon Fiberglass Reproductions Inc. For the last 33 years. In the late 80's we developed, with Pete and Jake’s, the Viper channeled coupe. From there we improved the design several times, from pinching the frame, to dropping the floor pan into the chassis. The ultimate build for durability was the Gibbon Fiberglass purple, flamed, Drag-racing coupe. We professionally raced and tested our “Zero Flex” design for 6 years, running 8.6 seconds in the quarter mile @ 160mph. This proved very successful and the door fit and finish remained perfect and withstood years of racing and aggressive door slamming.
This Package is the result of many years of improving the Ford Coupe that we have been producing at Gibbon Fiberglass Reproductions Inc. For the last 33 years. In the late 80's we developed, with Pete and Jake’s, the Viper channeled coupe. From there we improved the design several times, from pinching the frame, to dropping the floor pan into the chassis. The ultimate build for durability was the Gibbon Fiberglass purple, flamed, Drag-racing coupe. We professionally raced and tested our “Zero Flex” design for 6 years, running 8.6 seconds in the quarter mile @ 160mph. This proved very successful and the door fit and finish remained perfect and withstood years of racing and aggressive door slamming.
QUALITY:
The next goal was to offer the public a Hot Rod package that will change the industry standard, for what we believe to be, “The Highest Quality”. Here’s how we are doing this. First of all, We will only build one car every month, by hand, one at a time. Next, we offer the only “Paint Ready “ package on the market. This means that all of the parts and panels are pre-fit, cured, gapped, body worked, primed, block sanded, then primed again. That leaves the customer with one final wet sand, then paint. Next, we will attach our guarantee that it will never crack, or separate. We can do this because there is no fatigue, if there is no flex. The improvements of our new Uni-Body package, are so advanced and unique, It has left our old production techniques and body packages obsolete. Here, at Race Bodies by Bond, we will be producing the Uni-Body package exclusively, in our three styles only.
The next goal was to offer the public a Hot Rod package that will change the industry standard, for what we believe to be, “The Highest Quality”. Here’s how we are doing this. First of all, We will only build one car every month, by hand, one at a time. Next, we offer the only “Paint Ready “ package on the market. This means that all of the parts and panels are pre-fit, cured, gapped, body worked, primed, block sanded, then primed again. That leaves the customer with one final wet sand, then paint. Next, we will attach our guarantee that it will never crack, or separate. We can do this because there is no fatigue, if there is no flex. The improvements of our new Uni-Body package, are so advanced and unique, It has left our old production techniques and body packages obsolete. Here, at Race Bodies by Bond, we will be producing the Uni-Body package exclusively, in our three styles only.
FEATURES:
Each Uni-Body package will come standard with our own custom designed hidden style door hinges with hardened removable pins. This design allows for easy removal and a variety of adjustments. Also removable inner door panels to simplify window removal and door twist. Each coupe will have a functional trunk lid and rear roll pan. All Uni-Bodies will have a fiberglass removable transmission tunnel cover, Smooth dash panel, and a complete set of interior garnish moldings. Each coupe Hi-boy package will come with a fiberglass hood top, and steel hood side panels. The coupe package comes with a custom aluminum gas tank with an insulated battery box. This tank mounts directly to the roll cage, fills from the trunk, and holds more than 17 gallons. All of our fiberglass bodies are produced here in our facility and each body shell will be bolted and flex bonded to the roll cage and uni-body structure. Each door for every car will be hand built and fit into each unit, one at a time, with power windows installed. VARIETY:
These packages can be ordered in many different ways. For our standard packages, we will produce them in 3 different stages. The Sloped windshield sedan package will be the only one this season that can be built with or without fenders. Our standard package pricing for the Sloped Sedan will include a fender package and a new steel hood. The frame rail profiles are modified to resemble stock Ford units to allow our tudor body to accept fenders, and stock type hood and grille assemblies. Next, in our R & D department, We will make these same modifications to the coupe packages, so they too can accept fenders. This is not listed or priced at this time, but we can build the coupes that way special order.
Each Uni-Body package will come standard with our own custom designed hidden style door hinges with hardened removable pins. This design allows for easy removal and a variety of adjustments. Also removable inner door panels to simplify window removal and door twist. Each coupe will have a functional trunk lid and rear roll pan. All Uni-Bodies will have a fiberglass removable transmission tunnel cover, Smooth dash panel, and a complete set of interior garnish moldings. Each coupe Hi-boy package will come with a fiberglass hood top, and steel hood side panels. The coupe package comes with a custom aluminum gas tank with an insulated battery box. This tank mounts directly to the roll cage, fills from the trunk, and holds more than 17 gallons. All of our fiberglass bodies are produced here in our facility and each body shell will be bolted and flex bonded to the roll cage and uni-body structure. Each door for every car will be hand built and fit into each unit, one at a time, with power windows installed. VARIETY:
These packages can be ordered in many different ways. For our standard packages, we will produce them in 3 different stages. The Sloped windshield sedan package will be the only one this season that can be built with or without fenders. Our standard package pricing for the Sloped Sedan will include a fender package and a new steel hood. The frame rail profiles are modified to resemble stock Ford units to allow our tudor body to accept fenders, and stock type hood and grille assemblies. Next, in our R & D department, We will make these same modifications to the coupe packages, so they too can accept fenders. This is not listed or priced at this time, but we can build the coupes that way special order.
OPTIONS/UPGRADES:
There is a number of standard upgrades that have designated prices including, Heidt’s “open-wheel super-ride Independent front suspension”. All of Heidt’s current prices for polished upgrades will be the same. Other upgrades such as quick-change rears, big disc brakes, or final paint are available, but will have to be priced for you in quote form. Remember, these packages are still authentic to the original Ford cars, and most all reproduction after market parts will interchange.
There is a number of standard upgrades that have designated prices including, Heidt’s “open-wheel super-ride Independent front suspension”. All of Heidt’s current prices for polished upgrades will be the same. Other upgrades such as quick-change rears, big disc brakes, or final paint are available, but will have to be priced for you in quote form. Remember, these packages are still authentic to the original Ford cars, and most all reproduction after market parts will interchange.
