Real Deal Steel - Bodies
How does Real Deal Steel build a new steel body?
Each body starts with a body-specific steel platform mounted to a heavy-duty rotisserie on which the floor assembly is built. From there we assemble our custom fixtures that include numerous cam-locks & mounting points that fit into factory tooling holes. Our fixtures are hand crafted with years of refinement and adjustments for the best body every time. The fixtures we use are originally built inside of several original bodies and periodically test-fit in different original bodies for fitment checking.
We are proud to offer:
1955 Chevy Sedan Body, 1955 Chevy Convertible Body, 1955 Chevy Hardtop Body, 1956 Chevy Body Skeleton, 1956 Chevy Convertible Body, 1955 Chevy Sedan Body, 1955 Chevy Convertible Body, 1955 Chevy Hardtop Body, 1967 Camaro Body, 1968 Camaro Body, 1969 Camaro Body, 1967 Firebird Body, 1968 Firebird Body, 1969 Firebird Body, 1966 Chevy II Nova Body, 1967 Chevy II Nova Body, 1970 Camaro Body, 1970 Firebird Body, 1971 Camaro Body, 1971 Firebird Body, 1972 Camaro Body, 1972 Firebird Body, 1973 Camaro Body, 1973 Firebird Body, 1975 Camaro Body, 1975 Firebird Body, 1976 Camaro Body, 1976 Firebird Body, 1977 Camaro Body, 1977 Firebird Body, 1978 Camaro Body, 1978 Firebird Body, 1979 Camaro Body, 1980 Camaro Body, 1980 Firebird Body, 1981 Camaro Body, 1981 Firebird Body, Jeep YJ Body Tub, and Jeep CJ7 Body Tub.
The steel body skeleton and exterior panels are then carefully assembled and fit around our fixtures thus duplicating the original specifications. We use 220-Volt water-cooled spot welders for factory-appearing welds, and we add more welds than original cars for added strength and rigidity. All panels used on our bodies are also sold separately. We only use the latest tooling and molds for the best products available. There are other manufacturers that offer steel bodies, but we are proud to say that nobody else works directly with the parts manufacturers and uses the factory-assembly techniques that we do!
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More About Bodies
Our steel bodies are shipped around the world to builders or car owners for a full restoration or resto-mod build, many using original donor parts with our bodies. Many have gone on to become award winning show cars, with some being used to build world-class race cars, including road race and drag race cars. The Golden 1955 Chevy Hardtop Tribute Car built with our body sold in 2024 for over $400,000!
Our process is simply better:
Not all bodies available in the marketplace are built the same. Real Deal Steel uses a solid heavy steel foundation that mimics the factory chassis. We start each build on this solid platform for a consistent fit. We then assemble each body around our custom jig that aligns with all of the factory mounting points.
Resistance Spot Welding
Our welding process is also crucial to the building process. Our water-cooled resistance spot welders provide a solid weld with a factory-like finish. We actually use more welds than an original car. This adds strength to each body we build. Each jig has been painstakingly built to factory specs for a consistent fit. Are Real Deal Steel's bodies perfect? No. We strive for the very best bit and finish with each and every body we build. During the exterior panel fitment process, we often must trim and weld panel edges for a better fit. We do some metal finishing to the areas we have "corrected", but final finishing and filling on your end will always be necessary. We do not fit front end sheet metal, so you should be prepared to handle that. Whether using original or reproduction parts, you will need to spend some time fitting them to your new body.
All of our bodies are assembled with pride in our Sanford, Florida USA assembly plant. The end result will be a brand-new, rust-free steel 1955, 1956, 1957 Chevy body that will only make your build process easier and add value to the finished project!