Questions
General
- What type of glass do I need, and where can I get it?
- What lights are included?
- What rims are recommended?
- What is the recommended wheelbase?
Materials
- Are the bodies made of fiberglass or steel?
- How long does it take to build?
- What kind of special tools do I need?
- Are turnkeys (ready to drive) or rolling chassis available?
Registration and insurance
Donor
- What Donors can I use and what is the wheelbase?
- What are the preferred donors?
- Can I reuse the donor wiring harness?
- Can I reuse the donor seats?
- Can I use a manual transmission?
- Can I use a Hemi, V-6, or Diesel engine?
Shipping
- How is shipping handled with these bodies?
- I'm trying to calculate shipping and need to know the weight of the bodies. How much do they weigh?
- What freight class is used?
- What is the shipping size?
Answers
General
What type of glass do I need, and where can I get it?
The bodies come with trim so you can use 1/4" flat glass from a local residential/commercial glass shop. Laminated safety glass (has a thin layer of plastic in center) is typically required on the windshield and can be used on all fixed glass. The local shop can cut and install this for you. Some guys will use this same glass for the roll-up windows. Others recommend you have your glass shop order in rectangular-cut tempered glass (precut glass that is then heat treated) for the roll-up windows. You will probably want to remind them to smooth the edges before they temper the door glass. There is some debate about which glass is better for roll-up windows but it sounds like guys have had success with both types.
What lights are included?
All required lights are included: Headlight assembly, tail lights, 4 marker lights (corners), 2 bars with 3 ICC lights (yellow for front & red for back), turn signals, dome light... Short pig tail wires come with some of the lights to attach to the donor wiring. You may need to add extensions to some of the donor wiring.
What rims are recommended?
Many guys recommend using standard 12" wide rims with 1/2 ton donors and 10" wide rims for the 3/4 ton donors. You may want to take some measurements or borrow some rims/tires to try on for size before purchasing.
What is the recommended wheelbase?
The regular bodies typically use around a 129" to 135" wheelbase donor. The Sport (72" wide) bodies you can probably go as low as 123" with the 4-door body (e.g. extended cab S-10 pickup). With the 2-door bodies you probably use a wheelbase as short as 95" on up. You can also use a regular 130" wheelbase with a 2-door body and have a much larger bed area. For bodies with the Stretch you can usually go up to about 145" wheelbase. For example, a 90's model Chevy extended-cab, short-bed would use a 1 foot stretch.
Materials
Are the bodies made of fiberglass or steel?
The bodies are made from steel (14 gauge steel with a 0.120" wall tubular substructure). Gel-coat, fiberglass composite is used for the hood, rear quarter panel inserts, and doors.
How long does it take to build?
Build time will vary according to skill and they amount of detail. Some guys will build their Gorillas in record time and use a spray out interior, no-doors, etc. Others will wrap everything in leather, build custom bumpers, make other custom parts, and take years to build a show-quality Gorilla. We recommend that you download the assembly guide to see the general steps. As there are numerous ways to do many steps, you should plan time to figure out how you want to do things. With the new Quick Swap bodies some guys could have the body mounted in less than a day and finish most everything in a couple of weekends.
What kind of special tools do I need?
Urban Gorilla Body Kits are designed for the do-it-yourselfer. The complete job requires only ordinary Auto Shop skills and equipment. Having access to a welder will make some of the steps easier especially on regular complete body swaps. The new Quick Swap body should be even easier as you don't have to do anything with the steering, pedals, firewall, dash, heater/AC, etc...
Are turnkeys (ready to drive) or rolling chassis available?
We do not offer turnkey solutions. However, if you would like to email us, we may be able to point you to an independent assembler in your area.
Registration and insurance
How are the finished vehicles registered?
Your state highway patrol and Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) can help you through the registration process. Most customers register the vehicle as the donor vehicle as it still has the same frame, engine, chassis, etc.. Many states have guidelines to register it based on the frame or engine. Many people may even decide to register it as a home-made or kit car or component vehicle.
What about insurance?
You may want to start with your existing insurance company. They may choose to insure it as the donor chassis with a note that it has a new body/increased value. Also, there are also companies that specialize in exotic, kit cars, or replicars. One main-stream insurance company has asked us to refer any interested customers to the so email us if you want the contact information.
Donor
What Donors can I use and what is the wheelbase?
The standard 4-door body is designed for around a 130" wheelbase. Ford, Chevy, GM, and Dodge standard-cab, long-bed pickups as well as Suburbans all make great donors with a wheel base around 130" (normally between 129" to 135"). The 2-doors can usually be used on trucks with a wheelbase of about 95" on up (Blazers/Jimmys, Bronco, Ram-Chargers, short-bed pickups, etc...) or on regular donors when an extra long bed, 2-door is desired. The Sport bodies (72" wide versus regular 84" width) can be use on compact pickups/suvs (e.g. S-10, Rangers, Dakota, Toyota, Nissan...) or they can also be used on full-size donors when you want less width for mileage, extreme trails, parking, etc... The Stretch bodies can be used on regular wheelbases (around 130") when you want a longer bed behind the rear tires (e.g. reuse larger gas tanks or for longer bed). The Stretch can also be added in the wheelbase for longer wheelbase donors (e.g. 1 foot stretch for Chevy extended-cab, short-bed pickups). You can also combine the options to get the perfect body for your specific donor and needs.
What are the preferred donors?
The preferred donor depends on the individual. The bodies look great on all types of donors. The regular bodies are basically the same with the new UniTunnel design (48" wide and 9" deep in the center/tunnel area). In the past before the Sport, Stretch, and Quick Swap bodies most customers use the early Chevy Pickups and Suburbans with the straight front axle. They preferred the stronger, easier to customize straight-axles. Some customers prefer the newer Chevy's with the Independent Front Suspension as the body may ride lower. With some donors you may need to get a newer, shorter steering column like a front wheel drive GM car steering-column. Also, most guys have used up through 1999 so they don't have to worry about possible air-bag issues. With the Quick Swap bodies you would reuse the donor components which include the airbags.
Can I reuse the donor wiring harness?
Most customer reuse the donor wiring harness and you can label each lead as it is unplugged/removed. With the older donors many people feel that the new harness is well worth it due to the time saved in dealing with rusted, brittle wires.
Can I reuse the donor seats?
Most seats work great in the front but some may be too wide for use in the back on the sides. On the traditional 84" wide bodies the area to attach the bottom of the seats in the back on the sides is about 16 inches wide. Many people have used seats from cars, minivans, or jeeps for the side seats in the back. You may also want to use bench seats in the center in the back. You will probably have to remove old pedestals and make new pedestals/mounts for many seats. Some people have even added a third row of seats like in the Suburban.
Can I use a manual transmission?
A manual transmission should work fine. You may have to do some custom cutting and fitting on the body to get it to work.
Can I use a Hemi, V-6, or Diesel engine?
We have had customers use most types of engines and most work without any problem. Some of the larger engines or engines with large intercoolers, etc., may be too big to use without modification or relocation. Some customers relocate the drive train backward into the cab and cut the firewall to make room (like they did with the huge engine/transmission on Xtreme 4x4). You may also be able to mount the body a little higher in order to clear the taller/bigger engines. Contact us for more information on the engine you are considering.
Shipping
How is shipping handled with these bodies?
You can pick up your order or use any shipping company you chose. Some shippers may require special packaging or crating for protection. You can also use online services like UShip.com to have truckers bid on your shipment and they may not require any special packaging. The free packaging includes packing the lose components and doors inside for protection and shrink-wrapping them into place. The bodies are now shipped without the doors installed so the doors and other components ship inside for protection. All shipping is FOB Origin.
I'm trying to calculate shipping and need to know the weight of the bodies. How much do they weigh?
Depending on what options are ordered the weight will vary. For regular, full-size bodies we use the following estimates: Combat - 850lbs, 4 door hard top - 1,250lbs, 4-door Hard Top with Deluxe package - 1,500 lbs., Wagon - 1,500lbs.
What freight class is used?
Most guys use independent shippers (e.g. via uship.com) that way they don't have to worry about freight class or special packaging. If required it is best to have the shipping company determine the shipping class. Many shippers consider this product to be class 150 but if they reclassify later as say a class 250 then the price could triple! Or you may want to do a stated class if they are willing. It is best to stay flexible and check around to get the best deal and save a bunch on shipping.
What is the shipping size?
The shipping dimensions for traditional bodies are approximately 86" wide, 54" high, and 150" long.
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