[Spridgets] Sheet Metal gauge...

[Bud Osbourne]

Monty,
Yes.  It's 18 ga.  There's a reason for this, according to Geoff Healey.
At some point in the car's development, they tried 20 ga, to appease
some BMC bean counters.  The long and the short of it was that it didn't
work, and they began to have problems (I'd have to re-read the book to
be specific about the problems encountered), so they went back to 18 ga
for production.

"Can I use 20 gauge, instead?"  Well, yes, you can.  But why?  The 18
gauge is slightly easier to weld, and slightly more resistant to warping
(from heat produced during welding & grinding (if you're not a good
welder, you will need to grind a lot of weld away).  The cost difference
is inconsequential, in the amounts of material we're talking about here.

If you're going to be doing any sheet metal work on your Spridget, spend
a couple of bucks and get a sheet metal & wire thickness gauge.  You'll
find that there is, also, some 20 gauge sheet, as well as some (as I
recall) 16 or 14 gauge steel in the Spridget structure.  Remember,
virtually any piece of steel that the factory welded into/onto a
Sprite/Spridget shell is a load-bearing, or "stressed" component, which
contributes to the overall rigidity of the unit......and they didn't put
any of it on just for "grins".

Bud Osbourne

-----Original Message-----
From: spridgets-bounces+abcoz=hky.com at autox.team.net
[mailto:spridgets-bounces+abcoz=hky.com at autox.team.net] On Behalf Of
Monty Love
Sent: Saturday, November 24, 2007 4:24 PM
To: spridgets at autox.team.net
Subject: [Spridgets] Sheet Metal gauge...

Hello All;
 
Can you tell me what gauge of steel the main body shell is made of?
 
I need to replace some metal on the rear valence and I was wondering if
anyone knew off the top of their head.
 
Frank?  Anyone?
 
Thanks

Charles M. "Monty" Love
Dynetics, Inc.
256-461-2780
256-337-5581 (Cell)
256-882-1543 (Home)
ET Test

The greatest revolutions come not by the discovery of something new.
They
happen when someone radically changes or challenges what was always
there.

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_______________________________________________
abcoz at hky.com

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