Building a Clamshell from Scratch?

Why do you say this? You're not screwed if you get rear-ended in a wagon that's not a clamshell?

 

I am thinking of buying a Clamshell to restore it (And for a Diesel conversion.) However, The idea of building a Clamshell car is not just for me to have a car.

I literally have no idea what I'm getting into with this yet except I'm playing around with the idea of building a car that has a very particular tailgate design. Oh well, From acorns come oak trees so if I persist in this then I do know what I'm getting into.

Shall I plant french fries and grow some french-fry trees while I'm at it? I'm sure I can do that in a lucid dream.

And thanks for posting the link to the restoration thread.

 

Hi, Clamshells are nice and innovative vehicles. IMHO, clamshells are more susceptible to having a jammed tailgate if hit hard enough since the gate would not be able to roll underneath. Other tailgate designs are susceptible to being rear ended but are more forgiving if the hinges are not affected. If the whole rear is smashed, nothing would help in any case. Wayne

 

This is a distinction without a difference. One a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 the most serious, if you're hit in the rear of clamshell, the seriousness is 9 out of 10. If you're hit in the rear of wagon with a conventional tailgate, it's 8 out of 10.

 

If you are constantly gonna be worried about getting rear ended either stay home or take a bus.
But the house may get hit by a tornado or the bus hit by a train.
To build any car from scratch takes much money and equipment. It's been done but it is not worth the time and effort.
On the other hand french fries don't grow on trees.

 

I think we should sit down and have a beer and think this over. Then have another beer.

 

If you have the fabrication skills to do this, then please, rethink the enterprise. There are rafts of these GREAT old wagons out there that need saving before the demo derby crowd ruin them! For a car to be good enough for the derby, it is definitely solid enough to be saved. And the thing is, about the rear end crash, because the tail gate slides past the bumper, the 71-73 models are very susceptible to the tail gate being jammed. The bumper was mounted close in to the body work. Add the shorter frame these early cars used, and it does not take much to push the bumper into the tail gate. The 74 and up, with the shock absorbing bumper, have some room for the bumper to deform without interfering with the operation of the tailgate.

 

You guys are still worried about getting rear ended. It happened only once. I got hit fairly gently in the rear of my first car, 1949 Dodge as I sat at a stop sign half mile from home. This was in 1956. Because I had silly dual exhaust with the tips sticking out one tail pipe was damaged. That's all.
Of course I haven't been right ever since!

Ooooh! Okay twice! Several years ago while at Daytona car show son was driving my 1941 Ford sedan. No rear bumper. A teen tapped the rear. Not even a scratch or paint smear. Of course those were not GM wagons with a clam shell. They probably would have been totalled!
Worry makes your hair fall out and causes ulcers.