just another CHOP job (Levis Classic's model A)

[kustombuilder]

Brett came down from the great white north (Traverse City Michigan) to hang out this weekend and maybe get some cuttin done on his model A. you may remember the pics from this past winter when we channeled it 4", well today we started the 3 1/2" chop and did pretty well concidering we did'nt start till about 4 in the afternoon. we did'nt want to get done TOO quickly http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif. plus we had to go visit a couple of the old timers in my area and check out their collections of cars and parts. all in all a pretty productive afternoon/evening though. so check out the pics and enjoy. i hope to put together a decent tech article on this job and submit it to one of our favorite magazines, if any of them want it.

[kustombuilder]

since we are not chopping the back window as much as the rest of the top the first thing we did, after scribing all the cut lines, was cut out the back window entirely (for now). the chop is 3 1/2" but the back window will only get cut 2 1/2". if we left the back window stock height it would be a 1/2" shorter than the sides but it would LOOK much bigger and real goofy. on the other hand we did'nt want a "mail slot" either.

[kustombuilder]

then came the FUN part. i used the sawzall to cut the posts but used the air recip for the rest cause it is easier to control. after some very carefull cutting, off came the top...

[kustombuilder]

after the top is out of the way we cut the 3 1/2" off the BODY (if you try to cut it off the TOP it is much harder to control your cut and get a nice straight and clean line)...

[kustombuilder]

the moment of truth and the pic you've all been waiting for...

[kustombuilder]

here i'm making sure the posts are straight as it is tacked together...

[HotRodHon]

Lookin Good! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[kustombuilder]

on the windshield posts (because of the way they taper) i find it is best to take all the material (in this case the 3 1/2") from the top of the post. it will leave a slight "step" at the very top when you weld it back together but it is under the visor and when finished looks like it is suppose to be there anyway. we will later have to relocate the upper hinge mounting point but that will be tommarows project, after we chop the doors.

also when the top comes down the top is a little wider than what the posts wil be so a couple diaginal cuts ar made at the base of the pilar the they are spread out to line up with the top. it is'nt much but it is necessary....

[kustombuilder]

here you can see the cuts front and rear...

[shoebox72]

Looks good man, keep us updated with more pics.

Hey, is that a coin-op condom machine in front of your garage? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Billy

[kustombuilder]

here is the rear of the quarter window opening all welded and metal finished...

[kustombuilder]

last pic for tonight, check back here tommarow night for more pics.

this pic shows how much better it looks with the chop. looks longer, leaner and meaner don'tcha think?

wetaped in the stock height back window just to see how goofy it looked. the blue tape is what i used as a guide to get nice straight cuts an inch away from the edge of the opening (in case we need to do any hammer and dolly work on the weld when it goes back in).

[Muttley]

Another perfectly good car ruined by a bunch of those damn hot rodders. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[Slag Kustom]

looks good so far

[Dirty2]

SWEEEEEET !!!! Now cut about 6 more inches out!!! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[FeO2]

31/2" is a perfect chop.I also realy like the rear window treatment.Thanks for sharing & I can't wait to see more of this car! Charlie

[Paul]

chop looks real good,

and the ride height and stance are just about perfect too.

Paul

[Boones]

Thanks for the pics. I have been thinking about a similar chop on my 29 sedan with leaving the rear windown uncut.. Now I know I have to cut some as like you I do not want a mail slot.

Cool

[Preacher]

nice work... looks great

[BLAKE]

Great job... looks slick, and this is timely too since I'm getting ready to shop my '29 coupe. How are you gonna handle the seams on either side of the rear window?

[haring]

Nice!

Looking forward to more pictures.

[beatnik]

You guys thrashed, nice chop, it's looking great.

[chad]

can't wait to see the finished product.

[Artiki]

Good work.

[kustombuilder]

WOW! what a good day it's been. we socialized ALOT more than we should have but it was all good. did'nt actually start on the car again till 3 in the afternoon. got a call first thing in the morning from my friend Dan asking if we could help unload the 50 Ford F-1 he just drug home from Minnesota. then ofcourse we had to stick around and help him get the flatty runnin, which we did, and it runs like a watch. after that it was off to breakfast then a trip to a REAL old time hot rodder, Dave Crowner. Dave is a FOUNTAIN of knowledge and has some of the best stories to tell. after about 2 1/2 hours of BS'n and checkin out his stash of cool old tin we had to drag ourselves away so we could get goin on the model A (afterall Brett had a 3 1/2 hour drive home after we got done workin and he wanted to get as much done as possible).

anyway, we get back to the house and Pinball is already here workin on his 59. then a short time later as i'm running back from Studeboy's place with his engine crane, i see Dave drivin towards my place in his 39 Buick. it was really cool to have some of the guys over workin on their stuff, listening to some great stories and doing some rather enjoyable work on some cool old cars. the weather was perfect and you could'nt have asked for a better day. the only way it woulda been better would have been if we had a bigger shop and Mongo, Hotroddrummer and a couple other buddie's had been over wrenchin on their rides too. it's such a wonderful and creative atmosphere when you get a bunch of guys together workin on their hot rods.

anywho, here is Dave's super cool Buick Super Eight. straight 8 with dual exhaust and dual carbs. metalic burgandy paint and flawless bodywork...

[kustombuilder]

[ QUOTE ]
Great job... looks slick, and this is timely too since I'm getting ready to shop my '29 coupe. How are you gonna handle the seams on either side of the rear window?

[/ QUOTE ]


not ssure what "seams" you mean but if you mean the vertical factory seams with the beading, then i simply welded em back together and metal finished them. i have been told it is repopped in aluminum (the beading that is) but hav'nt sourced it yet. i'll have to get some for my model A one of these days.

here is the rear seam...

[kustombuilder]

you probably noticed those vertical cuts in the rear corner of the top and wondered "what the fuck is this idiot doing?" well, if you look at this next picture you will see how, when you remove a section from the middle and lower the lid, that the top is bigger in the upper portion of the curve and removing the section leaves a little extra material in the upper piece of the top when it comes down. this needs to be somehow shrunk down. 3 strategicaly placed verticle cuts remove just enough material that, with a very small amount of hammer and dolly work, it all comes out lookin aces!!

[kustombuilder]

[ QUOTE ]
Looks good man, keep us updated with more pics.

Hey, is that a coin-op condom machine in front of your garage? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Billy


[/ QUOTE ]


LOL!! no Billy, thats my 40s candy machine. gonna hopefully get MikeO to paint it all up real cool with some Kandy paint, flake and whatnot. any ideas on a paint scheme???

and here is the one corner after i welded, ground and hammered it into submission. ok for a 29 year old white guy i guess http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif...

[kustombuilder]

the "B" pilar...

[kustombuilder]

in this pic you can almost see the little step, i mentioned earlier, that results from taking the 3 1/2" off the top of the "A" pilar. all ground in like this it looks like it belongs, not that it matters, it's all under the visor and nobody will ever see it...

[oldchevyseller]

i like the candy machine, boy i have worked on many of those, kind of figured soem one else would have some in there shop

[FORDY 6]

The car sits right...great tech piece!

[kustombuilder]

for those who have never actually chopped one of these cars, it does'nt all just fall into place and line up when you chop it. on the inner edge of the window openings it is tapered and when you set the top back down it looks a little something like this... it's a little hard to see in this pic but if you look you can see how th bottom sticks in a bit more than the top...

[hotrodladycrusr]

Looks like you guys got alot done this weekend.

I ran into a guy on Saturday nite that knows you, Bob Brace from Crusin Products. He said to say "hi" http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[kustombuilder]

to fix this we take a thin cutoff wheel and make a verticle slit about "yeah" long...

[kustombuilder]

push the bottom piece over till it lines up with the piece above it and weld it up...

[kustombuilder]

then grind it down and call it a day!!...

[kustombuilder]

[ QUOTE ]
Looks like you guys got alot done this weekend.

I ran into a guy on Saturday nite that knows you, Bob Brace from Crusin Products. He said to say "hi" http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

you talkin to me??? not sure if i know who that is. ofcourse i'm TERRIBLE with names so i might know him if i ran into him.

[kustombuilder]

now some pics just for fun.. here Brett is TRYING to get an idea of how to finish the bottom of his customized tractor shell and Nitro figures this is a good time to cuddle. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[kustombuilder]

here Dave and Pinball "supervise" as Brett pulls that Ford boat anchor out to install his shiny new SBC!! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif HA HA!! just kidding. i think it's great he's runnin a Ford in his Ford. he's gonna take it home and pretty it up over the next couple weeks while i do a little bit of finish welding on his chassis. after payday that is. never fails i'd run out of gas on the weekend AND when i'm broke http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif...

[kustombuilder]

look at the "present" Brett gave me http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif. no not Donzie's car, the Desoto grill. i think i'll hold onto this for a future project. i would like to do a 53 or 54 Chevy one day...

[Mongo]

looking good man. I wish I could have came over, it sucks working weekends all the time.

[kustombuilder]

i just LOVE having a bunch of old cars sitting around. it'd be cooler if most of them were "done", but it is still exciting and some times insperational....

[Levis Classic]

Well I made it home and without the Tudor! Its gonna be weird not having it in the garage for the next couple of weeks. But I know its in good hands with Mike.

Thanks to Kris for the good food and hospiality, Nitro for the lovin and Mike for all the good work!

And no way in HELL is a SBC going into that FORD! A nice 289 will be freshened up with a pair of 94's on top like cherries on a Sunday. Hoping to have her done for the HAMB drags but it will be cutting it close.

[kustombuilder]

here is a little tip i learned from Paul Beck when i chopped Donzie's car. cut a rectangular piece of stiff sheet metal. the width is unimportant but the height you want to be real accurate with and the measurement should be the amount you want to take out of the top. i put arrows at the top and bottom so i don't accidentaly use it sideways. it also helps if you make this piece as "square" as possible. having a perfect 90 degree corner comes in handing when getting your cut lines straight and parralel. keep this around, you never know when it may come in handy again for you or a friend...

[kustombuilder]

most of the reason everything fell in place so well and i did'nt have a bunch of gaps to weld up is because of this little "tool" and a little time spent when measuring and marking the cut lines. equaly as important is to take your time with the cuts and cut INSIDE the lines. it's alot easier to grind a little off the edge than to weld up a big gap.

i used a scribe (actually an old screw driver i sharpened on the belt sander http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif) to scribe the cut lines in the rust...

[kustombuilder]

TADA!!! don't forget to mark it nice and even like around through the inside of the window openings and whatnot...

[MIKE-3137]

Great Info and pictures.

[Fast Elvis]

Wow..........great work Mike!! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif.........the new lid height looks right on............Bret, your beast is going to look sweet when done!.........next year?

[kustombuilder]

this little trick i came up with on my own. i took an aluminum straight edge (actually a piece of aluminum flat stock i bought at the store) and bent it to follow the curve around the rear of the top. i've rebent and used this same piece for alot of similar proceedures, it is QUITE handy.

what you don't see in the picture is that i first squared up the "curved straight edge" with the lines i scribed at the rear of the quarter window, then i scribed the lower line only. after that i took my template and scribed a couple little marks in different spots around the corner, THEN lined up the straight edge again and scribed the upper line. this makes for real accurate cut lines all around and keeps you from making the cuts too far apart (causing gaps).

[kustombuilder]

here i am following the tape i put around the back window opening as a guide (the tape is NOT as accurate as the previous method but it is good enough for this part of the job) with my handy body saw. i started the cuts with a thin cut off wheel then carried em on through with the, thinner yet, hacksaw blade i had mounted in said saw http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif. thats a nice low buck tip for some of you poor bastards like me. a hack saw blade will mount in the air recip saw (at least this saw) and you can make it any length you want. the hacksaw blades are much cheaper than what they get for the regular blades, though they don't seem to last very long. try it and make up your own mind on that one.

[cleatus]

Nice metal work - really enjoyed your post!

[kustombuilder]

final tip for today class: ALWAYS wear your hearing protection and safety glasses, just like me http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif. i already can't hear for shit but my eyes are still good and i'd like to keep em that way, and keep my hearing as good as i can. ask Fab32 about the hearing thing, speak up when you do though http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif... if i'm gonna ruin my hearing it's gonna be with LOUD heavy metal music not grinders. likewise if i'm gonna ruin my eyesight i'm gonna do that the old fasion way aswell http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif


here is one more pic of the boys for the road....

[kustombuilder]

[ QUOTE ]
Nice metal work - really enjoyed your post!

[/ QUOTE ]


thanks for all the kind words from everyone. if i did'nt think you guys were enjoying my pics and witty banter http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif i prolly would'nt post anything at all. i just hope that i can pass on some of the knowledge that has been passed (and is continually passed) to me by some of the older and wiser guys i am so fortunate to have befriended.

[HotRodHon]

This was an excelent "How To" with great tips. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
I hope Ryan saves it in the Archives.

[kustombuilder]

ok, one more tip: always wear your welding helmet, even when just tacking things in place. i did the "close yer eyes, turn your head and weld" thing some of the time and now i have a sunburn on my forehead that just won't quite http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

[kustombuilder]

[ QUOTE ]
Wow..........great work Mike!! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif.........the new lid height looks right on............Bret, your beast is going to look sweet when done!.........next year?

[/ QUOTE ]


i think he hopes to drive it some this year, though it won't be "done". i think he has the chassis set up with just the right rake. i usually like em a bit lower but with the 4" channel and 3 1/2" chop this one realy sits "just right". it gonna look wicked when it's done.

[Tudor]

great post - thanks for the info -this makes me more and less ready to start the chop!

I dig the hacksaw blade in the reciprocating saw bit. If I get one of those I will surely make sure it holds a regular hack saw blade.

I also like the idea for the windshield frame - how hard will it be to relocate the hinges - I need to go look at them

How about throw a seat in there - lets see how much head room you still have?

[kustombuilder]

[ QUOTE ]
I also like the idea for the windshield frame - how hard will it be to relocate the hinges - I need to go look at them

How about throw a seat in there - lets see how much head room you still have?

[/ QUOTE ]

it won't be hard. just gonna cut the recessed area out of the "scrap" piece that they mounted in on the post and move it to it's new location. i'll hold off on that till the doors are chopped and hung on by the lower two hinges, that way it all lines up right.

it should have plenty of headroom. my model A is channeled 4 inches with a 5 3/4" chop and with the 65 Mustang seat (mounted ON the seat adjusters) set back a bit i fit just fine, and i'm 6'1".

[Levis Classic]

[ QUOTE ]
Bret, your beast is going to look sweet when done!.........next year?

[/ QUOTE ]

She will be alive this year. If not for the HAMB drags for sure the Hunnert car pileup!!!!!!!

I will then tear it down this winter and detail it some more.

It is just the stance I had been dreaming of in my head!

http://img55.photobucket.com/albums/v168/levisclassic/picture_019.jpg

http://img55.photobucket.com/albums/v168/levisclassic/picture_020.jpg

[slowpoke]

Like said many times before great TECH! Makes me less nervous for sure. Can't wait for the next TECH WEEK!

FNG question: This is the first chop tech I've seen on a Model A. The shoeboxes techs I've seen usually have some bracing in the windows, etc. Do you not have to use bracing in the windows during a model A chop? I noticed the bracing in the door frames...would you normally remove the doors for the chop and use bracing? Also, did you add any extra metal to the inside of the posts for strength?

Thanks.

[kustombuilder]

check out "Part 2" for more on this project:

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB1&Number=490483&page=0& view=collapsed&sb=5&o=14&fpart=all