Chop the top of my 58 Ford Custom 300???

[Jester]

Any advise (other than don't do it) bout chopp'n my car.

Its a 4 door and I also want to suicide the back doors and remove the center post.

Crazy but I think it would be major cool.

[chopolds]

One of the guys I had working for me had a 58 Ford. He was thinking about chopping it, so I "eye-balled" the situation, and gave him an idea of what it would take. He decided it was too much work. Yours would be more, with a 4 door.
It is a very difficult chop to do because of the windshield. Wraparounds are tough, but yours has a unique roofline which makes it even more difficult to do (to do RIGHT, anyway) basically, you would have to cut the windshield and then build a new roof line above the glass to fit it correctly. OR have a new windshield made to fit the opening (very expensive). Even just cutting the windshield is tricky on severe wraparounds. I did my 55 Olds about 25 years ago, and have done MANY more, but it is still tough to do, and you do get breakage.
You could sink the windshield into the cowl, but I don't consider that a great option. Cheating, so to speak, and you wind up with a windshield that is actually too small for the opening, and have mayor surgery, or cheesy looking 'fillers' to make it work. You also increase chances of water leakage tremendously.
I'm sure Kenny (choprods) can give you more info on it, as he's chopped more cars than anyone here!

[Jester]

Thanks for the reply. All my buddies have told me to stay away from chop'n the top and that kindof fuels my desire to do so. The degree of difficulty makes the end result that much cooler (if you can pull it off that is). I'm not skilled enough to do it on my own but before I start on it I will be sure to research it well and have adult supervision.

[Sailor]

Get a rendering done (photoshop or drawing or otherwise) to prove to yourself that the chop will make it look better than stock. If not, the answer is dont do it, like it or not.
As a general rule of thumb post-55 cars doesnt automatically look better chopped, but there are exeptions (like 57-58 Rancheros). Stylewise later cars will require less radical chopjobs to balance too. For 49-54 Chevys 3-4 inches looks best, but for a 63-65 Riviera 1 inch or so is enough. Maybe a 58 Ford is somewhere inbetween? Without a rendering its not easy to say.
Others on here will be able to tell you more on the work involved, but I know it will be a lot. One of the coolest cars on the HAMB in my humble opinion is a lowered fourdoor 57 Ford with stock roof and a very rad Watson-style paintjob (Sean's). Check it out before you decide. Its probably half the work and money compared with the chopjob you describe, but might still be cooler in the end. Not the advice you asked for, but nothing you cant bear to hear either. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[Jester]

Thanks sailor i'll keep it on advisement

[Tinbender]

The chop is challanging enough. The removal of B pilar and door modifications are a whole 'nother can of worms. I wouldn't atempt it unless you or someone helping you are highly skilled, and experianced in major modifications.
How many chops did you say you've done?

[48_HEMI]

Jester,
the 2 door hardtops windshield is 2-2 1/2 inches shorter than the 4 door sedan, that's is enough to change the looks and clean up the lines (that why the factories do it!)
another inch isn't real hard to get if you feel you need it, personally I'd stop there because replacements would be no problem later if needed. the back window can't be cut it needs to lay down, sunk or replaced with something smaller. side windows are flat and can be cut to any size needed.removing the post will be your biggest challenge. a way around it would be finding a full set of doors of a 57-58 4 door hardtop. those doors already been modified to fill the column space so the windows roll up and down. suicide the rear doors would take the strain off the B-pillar but you still need to brace it
the ball is in your court http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Jim "The Old Car Glass Guy"

Tin bender you snuck in while I was typing and I agree that the B-pillar is the problem

[Jester]

So what your saying is you wouldn't advise it.

hmmmm well now oh screw it I'm feeling froggy.

Please keep the advice comming.

thanks

[Mojo]

post a pic, so it can be photo-chopped?

[Bigcheese327]

Can somebody just end this thread by showing a picture of one of the multitude of mid- to late-fifties Ford hardtops and convertibles (yeah, the ones designed without a b-pillar) that folded in half when they got old?

"Painting your nose red is different too, but who wants to do it?" Custom Rodder, 1958.

[48_HEMI]

I'm not telling you not to do it! just have big cheese find you one of those folded in the middle 58 so you can get the doors cheap haha http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

[DrJ]

Go for it!

When it only gets half done it will become obvious that it's just a parts car for a two door '58 Ford and you can part out whats left and go looking for a 2dr ht!

OR,
It's a nice old car, just make it reliable and drive it http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[k-member]

A friend of mine has a 58 custom 300 2 dr thats choped, sorry no pics, but he sunk the back glass and still dos'nt have a windsheild in it. If he ever does get a WS in it, it will be cool but so far he has'nt had any luck, not because of cutting down the WS, but the shape of the opening is drastically different that the shape of the cut down WS, too many different angles and variables. I would say cut the WS down first and make the opening and top fit the WS.

[choprods]

Jester-I've read the posts above and I think all are sound advice.......I would have to say that I would recommend that you NOT chop this car. also the advice on removal of Bpost and suicide of rear doors is not adviseable also.The parts about me chopping more tops than others here is VERY debateable http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif But I am pretty much in agreement with those above that this is not an easy job and should be approached as such. Having said that here is some advice to ponder if it WERE to be done.....the glass would be VERY EXPENSIVE.......so as an alternative you could use lexan in the rear glass[ala race car installation] and urethane the reworked gasket/glued in place to trim it out for appearance.the rear glass opening would be shorter in height rather than leaned or sunken.- the roof skin would have to be cut at least across in one place and LENGTHENED.[including inner surround structure and drip rails] the windshield would have to be safety plate GLASS to be LEGAL.figure a 1000dollar amount there ALONE.then if it WERE chopped I would definitely leave Bpost there and LEAVE rear door alone!shave `handles and play like you removed the post http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif!.most important -only chop it as much as can be done with out any WIDENING of roof panel itself......the WSposts are pretty forgiving and can be moved quite a bit to correct mis-alignment, but an extreme amount of chop would make this METHOD impossible. when I say they will give I mean if they are mis aligned after chopped with the corresponding lower posts on the body a DIFFERENCE of width of 1- 1/2 inches is possible to pull into alignment. this method -rather than cutting and widening roof [and winshield upper opening] will allow a possible fit of the glass as you dont end up with a hole that is wider at the top than the glass is capable of being after it is lowered.....follow me here?.By pulling the posts the lowers are pulled in and the upper half of posts are pulled out till they meet. this can be done with a common cable pull come a long or a porta power / panel jack etc etc.There are the basics of a complicated chop.....Possible-Yes smart......maybe not http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif start with several side shot pictures a pair of scissors and a roll of scotch tape and chop it there a cople hundred times......then after that "experience" consult some qualified help before ruining a sweet old Driver!! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Jester]

Thank you all for your advice. This car has quite a bit of sentimental attachment for me. Belive it or not it was my first car. I had an engine failure a few months after getting it and was forced to sell it to a relative. I was able to get it back after 8 years by trading a 1959 Ford 2 door ranch wagon. I think that maybe I've gotten caught up in something that won't be worth the risk. I think I'll just shave the door handles, fresh'n up the paint, make a few minor adjustments and keep it for my son. When the urge hits again to to chop something(and it will) I think i'll just look for an early 50's chevy or ford or maybe (dare i say it) a merc. Anyway thanks again for all the good advice

[Sailor]

Lots of other cool stuff you can do with it, though.. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[daddylama]

there was a '58 4 door that was 1/2 way chopped, and sitting in a junk yard around here for a while... i looked at it a couple times, and could see why the previous owner (or whoever was doing the chop) gave up.
If it were mine, i'd leave it as is... make it nice and drive the wheels off of it (kinda like everyone else is sayin).
'course i need to be talked out of taking the sawzall to my '55 plymouth, on a weekly basis...

[k-member]

Damn, you traded a 2 dr wagon for a 4door? It must have been a rough wagon. The wagon in my opinion would have been easier to chop.

[Tinbender]

FWIW Jester, I think your making the right decision. I'm guessing this would have been your first chop. When I found my 64 sedan delivery after a 10 year search, I wanted to cut it that day! Instead I spent 100 bucks on a 64 sedan body and chopped that first. I finished it, it came out pretty good. I even ended up making a few bucks on it. I learned a bunch that helped make the chop on the delivery much easier, and the end result much better. I ended up getting the twisted remains of the sedan back, for free, 15 years later, weird how things go sometimes http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif