Stainless Steel Amphi Body Parts

[mike_israel]

It sounds like Gordon Imports is working on making Stainless body parts available. Hmm, perhaps one day we can look forward to a complete stainless body shell similar to what you can get for other classic makes.

While I probably would still not use even a stainless Amphi in salt water, the availability of such parts seems like a big win for all owners in that you would essentially be doing a repair that will last a lifetime under normal use.

To be successful, these will have to be REALLY well made and formed as stainless is much harder to work with. It almost seems like they will need to be stamped as the time involved in fabricating by hand, with all of the right compound curves, would be cost prohibitive.

In any event, what does everyone else think? What are the pros and cons here?

Cheers,

Mike

 

[Cap'n John]

The process to attach them may be a problem. If they are pre-formed and not just a flat piece with the lips rolled in, they may not be too bad. There would always be subtle differences from car to car and I'm not a great welder so I don't know about welding the dissimiliar metals together and what problems that may present. For me glue is NEVER an option, yes I know how good the new glues are, but I am a restorer which means that where there was a weld, there should be a weld. The SS may give owners a false sense of protection from rust. A SS 1/4 may not rust, but all the steel around it will. I wouldn't spring for the extra $ for SS as my cars are all well maintained and should last a lifetime or more. To ea thier own.



To: rma@amphicar.com
Subject: [General Amphicar Discussion-t-20693] Stainless Steel Amphi Body Parts
Date: Tue, 16 Feb 2010 12:51:02 -0500
From:




It sounds like Gordon Imports is working on making Stainless body parts available. Hmm, perhaps one day we can look forward to a complete stainless body shell similar to what you can get for other classic makes.

While I probably would still not use even a stainless Amphi in salt water, the availability of such parts seems like a big win for all owners in that you would essentially be doing a repair that will last a lifetime under normal use.

To be successful, these will have to be REALLY well made and formed as stainless is much harder to work with. It almost seems like they will need to be stamped as the time involved in fabricating by hand, with all of the right compound curves, would be cost prohibitive.

In any event, what does everyone else think? What are the pros and cons here?

Cheers,

Mike