Body Teams

[JamesWolak]

Does everyone's body team consist of the biggest slackers of the team? You know the ones who can't tell you what size motor your team uses.

We are going to be running the 2007 body at VIR cause our amazing body team couldn't produce anything in the year they have had to make it.

Just wanted to vent and hoped to find some humor with other teams same frustration.

[JamesWolak]

Does everyone's body team consist of the biggest slackers of the team? You know the ones who can't tell you what size motor your team uses.

We are going to be running the 2007 body at VIR cause our amazing body team couldn't produce anything in the year they have had to make it.

Just wanted to vent and hoped to find some humor with other teams same frustration.

[Kevin Dunn]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by JamesWolak:
We are going to be running the 2007 body at VIR cause our amazing body team couldn't produce anything in the year they have had to make it. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Who know's if they'll even get that fitted up...They seriously thought it'd be fine with just tossing a nose-cone on and calling it a day without sidepods. I'm up for running body-less with the required close-outs for VIR...

[J. Vinella]

Our body guys are some of the most dedicated on our team. Their parts are purely aesthetic and not necessary for the car to test. However they still come because they don't want to fall back on a commitment. Case and point, our driving team woke up and arrived at the shop at 5:30AM to find our nose guy still sanding away.

If you are feeling frustration then maybe it says something about who you chose to work on that project. We can never always know who will be the all stars and who will not. Quickly realizing where problems lie is one of the keys to being a good project manager...a lesson all to often learned.

[Kevin Dunn]

Unfortunately, the three that were "added" to our team were squeezed in during the summer of last year at the last minute. Doesn't make it any easier for me since one of them is a professors relative.

I'm hoping there is a day when we get to "choose" who works on our project, I'm getting tired of the senior project thing here. Kind of ruins the whole thing by forcing students to choose which team they want to be on.

[JamesWolak]

Really wasn't what i was looking for John. I wanted to hear about teams that have the same problem so that i would feel better. http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

[jrickert]

O man. Your not the only one with body troubles.
The company that normally CNCs our body moulds didn't come through because they a busy with paying defense contracts. So.. we called up some local businesses and solicited the help of a sculptor who promises a body in two weeks. A month later.... nothing. So now we are left carving giant chunk of foam into a body mould. none of our previous bodies fit the whale figure.

Good luck!

[Zac]

It could be worse, at least it isn't a monocoque.

[JamesWolak]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Zac:
It could be worse, at least it isn't a monocoque. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Just the other day i was saying that we should go monocoque because then there wouldn't be a body team.

[J. Vinella]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by JamesWolak:
Really wasn't what i was looking for John. I wanted to hear about teams that have the same problem so that i would feel better. http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Sorry, just how the racecar crumbles sometimes.

[fixitmattman]

Our body guys were like Domino's, they delivered hot stuff.

[exFSAE]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by fixitmattman:
Our body guys were like Domino's, they delivered hot stuff. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Domino's delivers disgusting crap. Gotta go to a PIZZERIA, my man.

There's always a variety in team members.. some more dedicated than others. Some take more motivation than others.

Calling them out here... prob won't do much to help motivation.

[RiNaZ]

Building bodywork/nosecone is hard enough. But doing it w/out the proper material, is even harder.

Trust me, you're not the only team that will show up at the competition w/out a sidepod/bodywork.

[Mike Cook]

James, we reused our 2007 nosecone last year at VIR. To me it was more important to have a well running car than good body work.

Our body teams in the past have been non existent so I can relate. Usually the people in charge of body work are the people who aren't very good at other things. The problem is, body work takes a ton of patience so if you don't have good guys there then its going to look like crap. But it all comes back to having a limited amount of resources and time. Be sure to smile as you pass some other team who has pretty body work in the endurance because they didn't have enough time to tune their car... http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

[Wes Burk]

Anyone else thinking of running a cloth body?

[Kevin Dunn]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by exFSAE:
Calling them out here... prob won't do much to help motivation. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I can almost guarantee they have never been to this site or even know about it. That wasn't the intention of the thread, I'm sure...

The rules state that as long as the inside of the car is closed out with the exception of the cockpit opening and small suspension openings then it is legit...

I think it'll look better w/o a "retro-fitted" body and just close-outs and zip-ties IMO.

[Mike Cook]

We run a cloth body and I think it's great. It is very cheap, easy to put on and looks pretty good. A little forethought into your frame and tabs design goes a long way here because you don't really want concave surfaces or tabs sticking out to have to wrap the cloth around.

[vreihen]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by JamesWolak:
Really wasn't what i was looking for John. I wanted to hear about teams that have the same problem so that i would feel better. http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

If it makes you feel any better, the Ariel Atom is now in it's third generation without bodywork. http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

Has anyone considered a big roll of shrink wrap and a heat gun?????

[Zac]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by vreihen:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by JamesWolak:
Really wasn't what i was looking for John. I wanted to hear about teams that have the same problem so that i would feel better. http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

If it makes you feel any better, the Ariel Atom is now in it's third generation without bodywork. http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

Has anyone considered a big roll of shrink wrap and a heat gun????? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Illinois was pretty close to that last year if I recall.

[JamesWolak]

Yeah, I am not trying to call them out. Like Dunn said they don't even know that these forums exist. I just enjoy hearing the same pains from other teams.

They are just morons and wanted to have a pity party with some other teams with the same problems. So thanks for chiming in Wes, Cook, and Zac.

I would also like to state that building the body isn't hard enough to worth commenting on. It ain't easy but every year our guys have pounded it out with less then a month of work. Its more annoying then difficult. Specially when you sending your molds out.

[Thrainer]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by JamesWolak:
... I would also like to state that building the body isn't hard enough to worth commenting on. ... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Then why don't you go ahead and do it yourself?

[flavorPacket]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Thrainer:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by JamesWolak:
... I would also like to state that building the body isn't hard enough to worth commenting on. ... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Then why don't you go ahead and do it yourself? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Because he's probably building something important, something that affects the driver's safety, something that you can't trust body people to do.

[Superfast Matt McCoy]

Duct Tape.

[Mikey Antonakakis]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by vreihen:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by JamesWolak:
Really wasn't what i was looking for John. I wanted to hear about teams that have the same problem so that i would feel better. http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

If it makes you feel any better, the Ariel Atom is now in it's third generation without bodywork. http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

Has anyone considered a big roll of shrink wrap and a heat gun????? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

That's actually how we made our body last year.... shrink wrapped the frame, then put expanding foam over that. Would have worked great, but that foam didn't like to be formed, was very porous, and we ran out of time to do a good finish on it. It could have actually looked pretty good if we would have had a little more time.

The body this year is going to look pretty good I think.... Blue foam sheets stacked up and cut down with the hot wire, rasps, and sandpaper... then glass that plug, bondo and bad spots, seal, and lay the body panels. A lot of work and patience, but compared to last year is going pretty well.

[JamesWolak]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by flavorPacket:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Thrainer:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by JamesWolak:
... I would also like to state that building the body isn't hard enough to worth commenting on. ... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Then why don't you go ahead and do it yourself? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Because he's probably building something important, something that affects the driver's safety, something that you can't trust body people to do. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Lol, that's all i wanted. I have now accomplished what i wanted with this thread.

[Brian S]

We had a "body team" my freshmen year, but it was really just one guy with a few other helping out when needed. This guy spent the entire year making the body, going from plywood and bondo plug to a glass mold, to the glass and carbon body. The thing looked amazing.

The two years after that have been a clusterfuck. For 07 there were only two of us left in town after school got out (we get out the first week of May) and we had to do the body. It took us 3 days. We took some on sale fleece, pulled it over the frame, and poured expired resin into it. After that dried we used some bondo to smooth out the rough spots, primed it and pulled the body off. It didn't look great, but it was damn nice for only taking three days start to finish.

Last year we had a composite company donate the body molds. Part way though the project they had their budget cut, and our mold ended up being a pile of 1 inch foam that was waterjet into cross sections. Bondo dissolved the foam. After a few weeks of work, with trailer tiedowns holding the foam together we managed to pull off some parts, in time to paint them and then zip tie them to the ceiling of the trailer to dry on the drive to California.

[jrickert]

dimmer switch + guitar string + random transformer out of some electronics = awesome hotwire foam cutter fyi.

[Drew Price]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Brian S:We took some on sale fleece, pulled it over the frame, and poured expired resin into it. After that dried we used some bondo to smooth out the rough spots, primed it and pulled the body off.

...... managed to pull off some parts, in time to paint them and then zip tie them to the ceiling of the trailer to dry on the drive to California. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>



These two mental images totally made my night.



<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by jrickert:
dimmer switch + guitar string + random transformer out of some electronics = awesome hotwire foam cutter fyi. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>



We used our ancient Hobart stick welder with the stinger in one hand, ground clamp in the other, and a piece of 1/16th inch stainless filler clamped between. That worked pretty good too, but compared to your guitar string, put a lot more heat into the foam, and probably gave the 3 of us around it lung issues later in life. It smelled HORRID.



Best,
Drew

[RiNaZ]

james, get off the forum and give your body team a hand.

[Biggy72]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Brian S:
The two years after that have been a clusterfuck. For 07 there were only two of us left in town after school got out (we get out the first week of May) and we had to do the body. It took us 3 days. We took some on sale fleece, pulled it over the frame, and poured expired resin into it. After that dried we used some bondo to smooth out the rough spots, primed it and pulled the body off. It didn't look great, but it was damn nice for only taking three days start to finish.

Last year we had a composite company donate the body molds. Part way though the project they had their budget cut, and our mold ended up being a pile of 1 inch foam that was waterjet into cross sections. Bondo dissolved the foam. After a few weeks of work, with trailer tiedowns holding the foam together we managed to pull off some parts, in time to paint them and then zip tie them to the ceiling of the trailer to dry on the drive to California. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Do you guys have anyone working on a new body yet? I'm just glad I got all of that damned pink foam out of my garage....

[Brian S]

Derek, we don't even have the chassis drawn yet...

Don't worry though, I'm sure you can come help make the body again this year, we may even do it in your garage again, that worked out so well last year.

[J.R.]

I'm curious what the weights/ corresponding materials teams are using for body panels. Anyone have the numbers offhand?

[flavorPacket]

we make 2 sets every year, 1 glass w/ gel coat, 1 carbon. our carbon side pod weighs 1.5 lb painted, our glass pod is 3.6 lb painted. Standard dry carbon, vacuum bag layup.

[JamesWolak]

Our body was under 10lbs last year with the nose cone.

RiNaZ, there is nothing to help them with. I would have to do it all for them and i have helped with the body the last 2 years. Plus, I am sure my help is more useful elsewhere. Thanks for the insight though.

[rambodiehardV]

We made the nose cone and side pods out of super thin kevlar 2 layer(thats all we had) and got the weight just under 10lb painted and look good!

[Pennyman]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by rambodiehardV:
We made the nose cone and side pods out of super thin kevlar 2 layer(thats all we had) and got the weight just under 10lb painted and look good! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Congrats! Want to make our body?