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Looking through old threads, I've seen where people have made their body panels from .062, .050, .043, and one guy who used .032 in some spots.

For you guys who used thin aluminum - were you happy with how it held up, or did you wind up wishing you'd stepped up the thickness a bit?

0.040" 3030H14 used on mine. It has held up fairly well these last 5 years on the street. Still..... I wished I would have used 0.050 for the hood (or do you say bonnet?). it is a large sheet and rather wobbly when taking it off and putting it on. I couldn't imagine using 0.062 it on anything else but flooring.

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Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

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I made all my panels from 0.050" 5052, because they need to keep their shape since they are fastened with machine screws. For the floor I used 0.063" 6061.
5052 may be a bit harder to shape than 3003, but it is readily available. As to longevity, I can't judge yet.

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Martin


My build log:
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=14520&start=0
My build video:
https://vimeo.com/143524140 password "matovid"

I've used 0.040" for lighter stuff that doesn't matter so much. 0.050" for anything that needs to retain it's shape or needs a lot of working to get where you want it (basically all exterior body panels). My rear panel is 0.050" and I'm pretty sure I needed every bit of that to sand down the corners where I was needed. It allowed me to use less filler, and do more metal-work. In terms of feel, it all seems right. My alum panels are all stiff enough to retain their shape and not buzz. I used some thinner alum for the top of my foot wells, 0.03*" and it's too thin to last, or work well with.

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Build log: viewtopic.php?t=9291

I used .040" for most of my bodywork, including the rear panel. My hood is .050" or so, and my dash, tunnel top, and trunk lid are all .062". My car hasn't seen much street use yet, but lots of autocross, and no issues so far.
Kristian

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V6 in a book frame build. Now registered.
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=7587
viewtopic.php?f=33&t=18172

.040 is a good place to start. I used .050 for my bonnet, and it was a little hard to form nice crisp edges. It looks okay. I used .032 for the rear panel. Very easy to form and it's held up better than the rest of the body, although admittedly it doesn't see much action back there. The .040 was a good compromise between strength and ease of bending.

At a recent C&C I removed the bonnet from a Caterham and it was a lot lighter than mine. And flimsier.

5052 .063 for the whole car, so far after 4 years no rock dings at all.

Al

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Super Seven 3.4