Pedal Car Project

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I am going to build a pedal car for my daughter and wanted to get opinions on the gauge / type of sheet metal to use.  I will need to roll it on an English wheel, bend it and weld it with my Miller DVI.  Thanks!
Reply:i reccomend the lightest metal you can reasonably use. it depends upon your situation... how big is the car? how big/strong is your daughter? will she be taking it in the grass/over hills? how is it powered (bike chain/direct drive)? the lighter, the better. i think this way based on weight, cost, and safety. if she looses control going down a hill, it will be much harder for her to stop it if it is a heavy car. also, lighter is usually cheaper. it will also be harder to control/move if it is heavier. i would say nothing heavier than 18 or 20 gauge woudl be sufficient... the sheet metal is merely for looks. as far as tubes, i think something as light as exhuast tube woudl work well enough. as long as she isn't 35 years old, the car won't ahve to support too much weight. you coudl probably even use angle stock if it is easier to get a hold on. if you really wanted to, you could use some sheet metal, and just throw some bends/bead-rolls in it where needed. once again, it won't need too much support if your daughter is small enough.as far as the drive system, i would highly reccomend a bike-chain drive system of some sort. if it is direct drive (bent rod with pedals directly welded/formed to the drive axle) there is a good chance that as soon as she starts going a littel too fast (down hill), her feet will slip off, and out of instinctual reaction, she will try to stop it with her feet. by doing this, there is a good chace that either she will get the @#$^% beat out of her legs/shins/feet from the pedals, or she will crash at high speed (i speak from experience as a small child on my tricycle). the bike-chain drive system allows the driver to stop moving the pedals, yet allow the vehicle to keep moving.just a few ideas to keep in mind.later,Andy