I'm not afraid to rivet and have access to English wheels, presses and brakes at the maker space.
Would there be any significant weight advantage in going aluminum body panel on a vehicle? Any disadvantage beyond visible rivets? Would the panels likely flex and deflect too much causing paint and or power coating cracking issues?
mgb aluminum hood = 17 lbs
mgb steel hood = 24 lbs
Across a whole car that would add up (slowly). Personally I think it would just add a boatload of awesome when your car looks like a WWII fighter plane with raw aluminum panels and rivets.
Flashing rolls are annealed so they're super soft. Expect a TON of flex and shake which will lead to rapid stress breaks and cracks.
But I agree... wicked idea and I think it would look cool.
Put it over a plywood buck? That way it has some structure.....
That E36 M3 is THIN.
I note also that most classic aluminum sports-cars that had aluminum coachwork also had a superleggera steel frame under the external alloy panels.
You could do it, but you'd probably have to make some (possibly aluminum) supports for the panels to keep the unsupported areas from being too large to avoid excessive flex. Weight savings would depend on the specific panel in question.
If it's the stuff for roofs I would say it's a no go.
Ive made an air filter box with it. It doesn't like rivets, rips and deforms easily, super thin stuff.
I'm sure it could be used for something but idk what?
It does hold together well with aluminum foil tape from the hardware store tho
Bead roll crosses and lines in the panels. It will add much needed stiffness.
The alloy and temper of the aluminum makes a difference. Locosters seem to prefer 3003-H14 for forming body panels, although I believe some have had success with 5052-H32 as well
Roof flashing is way too thin to be useful for body panels.
Maybe a bellypan/diffuser setup?
STM317 wrote: Maybe a bellypan/diffuser setup?
MUCH too thin for that.
It would almost be like making them out of tin foil.
...although, let me clarify...
It may depend on where you sourced the flashing, and what it is.
If you managed to find old stock of residential aluminum flashing that is more than 20 years old, it might work. Flashing used to be much thicker than it is now.
OR, if it is commercial grade, it would be thicker (but the vast majority of commercial grade flashing is steel, not aluminum).
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