Wescott Body Construction: Fiberglass with Steel Cage (Page 1 of 2)
Internal Steel Cage
No “Mirror Through”
Hardware "Sandwich" Attachments
Hefty “Slam ’Em” Doors
Doors Fit Properly
Seat Belt Mounts (most models)
Steel Side Rails (most models)
Stress Areas Reinforced
Hardware Innovations
No "Mirror-Through"
The steel cage is designed to be invisible on the outside. It does not “mirror through” the shell as do struts laminated on the interior of the panels (a much cheaper construction method.)
The self-supporting steel cage attaches to the fiberglass shell only in a few critical places.
This allows the fiberglass panels to expand and contract with temperature changes, without "mirror-through" warping.
Shown: 32 Stock Height 3-Window coupe, with extensive steel cage.
Attachment Points
"Sandwich" attachments are used whenever possible -- the fiberglass panel is sandwiched between the steel frame and hardware.
Most hardware (hinges, body-to-frame mounts, etc.) sandwich the fiberglass panels to the steel frame.
In some places, for structural integrity, the fiberglass shell is glued to the steel cage. A special adhesive is used, only on engineered flanges and jambs, not to the outer panels. These areas are not visible on the exterior.
Shown: "sandwich" frame attachment on a '32 Phaeton door post. The fiberglass is sandwiched between the steel frame and the hinge.