Breadvan_update_046: Coachbuilding by Niels van Roij Design

Coachbuilding by Niels van Roij Design

All individual panels for the back of the Breadvan Hommage are now manufactured coachbuilding by Niels van Roij Design. The right side has already been welded together, following the example of the clay model. The team has waited as long as possible to remove the clay model, so as not to lose valuable information. The clay model contains the exact shape that the coachbuilder will have to maintain when forming the aluminum panels. The claymodel is designed to the nearest millimeter. Now, however, we have come to the point that the clay must be removed. We have taken the entire back of the clay model off the base vehicle. This piece of automobile history can be saved. Our automotive design studio can use the clay model, for example, when presenting the Breadvan Hommage to the press and at car fairs.

Coachbuilt

For the coachbuilder, the trickiest part of building the Breadvan Hommage has now come. All parts made after the design of the clay model must be brought together. This is a complex jigsaw puzzle. The correct positioning of all elements relative to the chassis of the base car is very important. This is therefore done very accurately. A deviation of only a few millimeters can already cause enormous problems during positioning at another point in the car. The elimination of such imperfections is very difficult. Therefore, the whole car is fully measured and checked before the elements are welded. When everything is finally in place, all parts can be attached to each other. Then the entire rear of the Breadvan Hommage can be slid over the chassis as one complete element. This entire unit is then fixed on the chassis of the base car.

Coachbuilder

After this an inner frame has to be made. This frame will seamlessly follow the shape of the bodywork that has just been mounted on the chassis of the base car as a single unit. The frame must be very rigid, attractive and also lightweight. Therefore it is not sufficient to simply use a number of strips or beams for this purpose. Everything is done in the exact same style as the manufacturer of the base car applies. Up to the production methodology. This means that when the Breadvan Hommage is ready, it will be impossible to see where our design and coachbuilding work starts and the OEM part of the base car ends. For the coachbuilder, the Breadvan Hommage is one of the most challenging assignments of his career. In his own words: “I have definitely become a Bread-fan!”