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Divco custom bare metal widebody wagon build with chopped roof and deep inset grille at Saltworks display

The SaltWorks DIVCO Part 3

by Ron Covell

his is the final installment on our series of articles following the build of the custom-made DIVCO truck constructed at SaltWorks Fab in Sarasota, Florida. This is about as intense as a project can get, with virtually every component of the body, chassis, and trim completely handmade.

Starting at the rear, custom-made louvered panels for the exhaust outlets were fitted to the lower rear panel of the truck, flanking the license plate. These intricate components were CAD designed and CNC machined from solid aluminum. The taillights were completely custom fabricated, too.

The dashboard was another intricate and complex assembly, made from dozens of parts that fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. The components mesh together so well that it looks like it could have been factory designed.

The front doors were a huge project in themselves. The work was started by forming the perimeter structure of each door, which was then attached to the suicide-style hinges and latch. Then inner and outer strengthening panels were attached to the perimeters, and all panels were heavily reinforced with beads and flanges. The outer skin was begun with the highly contoured window openings, then the lower panels were carefully shaped and fitted. While the doors look flat, they have a subtle compound curve. Specially made dies were used in a Pullmax machine to form the reveal just under the window opening.

The inner trim for all windows was done in a unique way. SaltWorks has acquired two Figur Digital Sheet Forming machines, which have the capability of shaping sheetmetal very quickly and accurately. The shapes needed for the trim pieces were programmed in CAD then transferred to the Figur machine, which could form each part in about 30 minutes. CAD models are needed for only one side, since they can be digitally “flipped” to make the mirror image for the other side. This is one of the early jobs SaltWorks used these machines for, but we’ll be seeing a lot more of this style of construction.

The headlights were another complicated project, with separate pieces needed for the lens, the bezel, the reflector, and the transition piece that fits against the front panel of the truck. Again, these were all modeled in CAD, then CNC machined. While it was a big job, all the parts fit perfectly and they bring a lot of Art Deco character to the truck.

Finally, the grille was custom machined from billet aluminum. These large, delicate pieces required a sturdy mounting system, so a series of six mounting tabs was attached to each grille half.

Now that you’ve had a good look at what it took to build this incredible project, we’re sure you’ll enjoy seeing the article on the finished truck coming soon, right here.

Divco custom rear double door tail section with quad taillights and louvered panels in raw aluminum

1. The rear of the handmade DIVCO truck has a lot of style. The taillight bezels are completely machined from billet aluminum and the lenses are custom made from acrylic plastic.

2. The billet aluminum rear panel for the body features louvered exhaust outlets placed on either side of the license plate.

Divco custom exploded CAD render of billet rear license panel with integrated vent and LED lighting

3. All these components were modelled in CAD before carving them from billet aluminum in a state-of-the-art machining center.

Divco custom interior bare floor and tunnel mockup with early dash bar and firewall detail

4. With the floor and center console completed, work was started on the custom-made dashboard.

Divco custom raw aluminum dash with machined insert and symmetrical gauge cluster recess

5. Many intricate pieces were required to build the dash and the trim panels that finish it off.

Divco custom gauge pod housing hand-formed to match dash contour and polished surface

6. The cover for the instrument cluster is another complex construction.

Divco custom interior dashboard install with integrated modern digital display and machined bezels

7. With all the components fitted together, you can appreciate the superb fit and finish of each part.

Divco custom driver-side door structure hand-formed with internal bracing and integrated window track

8. The front doors were a particularly challenging fabrication job, since they require massive strength to hold their shape over the long haul. Here the inner panels have been joined to the door edges.

Divco custom passenger door framework mid-fabrication showing welds, channeling and reinforcement ribbing

9. The upper portion of the door is made from many pieces of metal, carefully fitted to match the contours of the window opening.

Divco custom upper door frame shaped on Pullmax machine with bead detail in raw aluminum

10. With the window opening finalized and the lower doorskin attached, a Pullmax machine is used to form the reveal.

Divco side door panel fully skinned and flush-fitted with smoothed edges and recessed window opening

11. At this stage the reveal is formed, and the doorskin is attached to the inner panel. Note the consistency of the door gaps.

12. SaltWorks has acquired two state-of-the-art Figur Digital Sheet Forming machines. One of the early jobs they did was making the inner window trim for the DIVCO. This is a CAD model of the passenger door trim. The process generally requires a border of metal around the perimeter of the finished part.

Divco hydroform press setup with window die and multi-point fluid controls for precise shape transfer

13. This is the Digital Sheet Forming machine in action. The edges of the panel are securely clamped and a blunt-nosed stylus traces the outline of the part, pressing the metal down incrementally while it is backed by a urethane cushion.

Divco hydroformed window panels labeled for driver and passenger side use with sharp tooling detail

14. These panels are fully formed, and you can see the extra metal left around the perimeter of the inner window trim. The forming of a shallow part like this takes only about 30 minutes, while a similar part would take days to form by hand.

Divco raw formed window trim ring fresh from die press with uniform curvature and edge flange

15. Here’s the window trim with most of the waste metal removed. Some detail trimming will be required to finish the part, but this is an elegant way to make such a complex component from a single piece of metal!

CAD render of Divco custom headlight bezel with vintage tab-style top mounting feature

16. The headlights of the truck are completely custom made and styled with an Art Deco look sympathetic to the original DIVCO.

Divco machined aluminum mold halves for custom headlight lens with concentric machining lines

17. The headlight bezels were CNC machined from aluminum billet. The first operation has been performed on these parts.

Divco headlight bezel in polished billet aluminum with stepped contours and mounting tabs

18. With the finish operations on the bezels completed, you can appreciate their distinctive ribbed shape.

19. The headlight lenses were carved from heavy blocks of clear acrylic plastic.

Divco billet aluminum headlight bucket machined with flange and recessed tab mounts for lens assembly

20. A transition piece was needed to bridge the gap between the front panel and the headlight bezel. Again, this is CNC machined from billet aluminum on a Haas Machining Center.

Divco full custom headlight assemblies with fluted lenses and tab-top mounts in polished bezels

21. Here are the lenses, bezels, and transition pieces, polished and assembled.

Divco headlight mockup test fit on front fender with lens and bucket held in place by hand

22. The headlight assemblies are carefully positioned on the front panel.

Divco headlight bucket alignment mockup tacked to fender with trim support and outer skin clamps

23. A special fixture was made to ensure the headlight housings were parallel, plumb, and level.

Divco headlight recess finished with ring edge blended into fender face for seamless look

24. The headlight housings have been welded to the front panel and the joints are being metalfinished.

Divco billet headlight lens mold machined with vertical fluting channels and surface refinement

25. Like so many other intricate components, the grille was machined from solid blocks of aluminum.

26. Here are the grille halves after machining and some hand detailing.

Divco grille bars test-fit into nose shell with surrounding edge contour and open vent layout

27. One of the grille halves is test-fitted into the center panel.

Divco vent grille panel bracket detail showing tab alignment and bolt-on mounting solution

28. Several mounting tabs were welded to the perimeter of the grille inserts.

Divco twin vent grille panels mounted in cowl with cleco fasteners and curved recess fitment

29. Here you can see how the elements are securely held together so the fasteners are invisible from the front.

Divco custom wagon bare metal full build with widebody fenders, dual grille insert, and flush glass treatment at Saltworks booth

30. This is how the truck was displayed at the Grand National Roadster show in Pomona, CA. It is a beautiful testament to the work it took to create this one-of-a-kind masterpiece.

SOURCE

Saltworks Fab
(941) 914-5536
saltworksmfg.com

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