Any body have any insight, advice, pics, mistakes to avoid, on chopping a top on an 49 Ford F-1. Have the tools and metal skills(I hope) to do it, just want some advice from others who have dones this.....
Hey, I beleve Gene Winfield chopped a '49-'51 F-1, someone posted pictures on the HAMB, maybe 1-2 weeks ago. The F-1s have alota shape goin on in a small area, to get one to flow and look good will require several step and releaf cuts. There were no F-100 until 1953. Swankey Devils C.C.
It's an easy chop other then the roof skin has to be split. Got lucky on the one I did, found another cab and doors the was gone (rotted out on the bottom, used the front half of the roof and door frames, saved fabbing fillers and a weld seem. Lean the pillers in and you don't need to quarter the top.
Hey, If at all possible, don't quarter the top panel. Cut as large a section as possible, from the middle of the roof. Cut and foreshorten the header, cant rails, and the rear rail keeping your filler pieces to as small and managable a size as possible. This will have the added bonus of keeping most of your welds to the outer areas of the roof, making them easier to hammer weld. Swankey Devils C.C.
I know a guy who cut the top sideways down the middle. just fucked it all up as far as I could see. another buddy made a few relief cuts here and there and slanted the front post back a bit. everything lined up good. it 's a nice looking chop. there is no need to cut the top into 2 or 4 parts
Thanks Guys for all the insight anybody have any pics, or how to articles with pics..,or links to how to articles. How about some actual pics of chopped F-1's
On the one I did we took about 5 inches out (if my memory is working today) We started by marking centerline on the cab roof. Then we cut a big hole in the roof...maybe 2 x 2 1/2 feet...I basically cut at the apex of the edges of the roof. Then we quartered the roof and dropped everything down to where we wanted it and used a donor roof and doors to fill the gaps. Then we cut up a old roof section from a 40 merc (yea...my old leftovers) to get the compound curved filler piece for the big hole we cut originally. This is where the centerlines matter as we drew a centerline on the donor roof also and just lined it all up when we were filling the hole! I just overlapped the metal,drew a line all around the patch piece and then cut the hole about 1 inch larger than the patch. Then when we welded it we left the overlap...this made a strong weld without much warpage and really takes very little filler.
I've seen it where it people just cut all the way across the very front of the cab from driver to passenger side, then the A and B pillars allowing for the A pillars to be laid back a bit then cutting the section of roof that overlaps the front section, but I'm not sure how the compound curves line up right doing it this way. Anybody have a good how to article with pic's? Some one mentioned a Gene Winfield Article baut have not been able to find it..
love it if you could send me some pics of your truck im working on a 52 what you using for drive train???
Chopped my 51 around 35 years ago. Split in three pieces. Added about 3/4 inch over rear window. Added about 1 1/4 inch side to side. Gas welded it all, still drivin it........ Cut K-MEMBERS last year four pieces......OLDBEET
Ron Covell has an excellent DVD on chopping and sectioning a Stude truck...should be close enough body style to help you with yours.
I did my '51 a few years back, no cutting across the roof, just a little post tweeking.Chopped under the rear window to sort of even them up. 2 1/2 inches is all they need for a better looking truck but if you want the average joe to know its chopped then take as much as you need to. I think the same year Chevy pick-up looks neater with a heavier chop. Just my 2 cents.
What Brewsir said!!! Oh and the windshield is only chopped 4" while the cab is chopped 5" that got rid of the fourhead.
Yeah, when you do that, it always looks like the windsheild post are bent and it does not flow as well. Here's a few pics...
I will post as I go along.... The truck is going the way of I quess an altered....No fenders, Bed, gonna build are own frame, rear Buggy spring, straights axle, gonna go old school style. Beg borrow, steal, swap parts...We are acceptting donations of parts(lol), anything that will fit, lets trade.... could use good doors......
REmember your gonna need 4 doors or at least the tops of a second set. Good news is that all the big trucks have the same roofs and door tops. They seem to be easier to find for cutting up.
I am in the middle of chopping my F1 also. I have chopped it 4" and decided to split the top and not lay the windshield back. I prefer more of an upright look to the front glass. I also split the middle front to back to allow for better alignment of the back glass and does not require leaning the posts in for front alignment. This does mean that it is in 4 pieces as some have suggested against. I did not need more than one door top I saved the pieces I removed and used them to fill in any gaps. I decided this route after much reading and since there is not an abundance of HAMBER's in this area I am tackling this on my own with the assistance of my 13 year old son. At least he is not on the XBOX. Have I made any mistakes? probably. I guess exactly what they are I am not sure as I have just begun tacking pieces together. I have pics if you are interested. This s my first chop so if you are interested in my progress as I am in yours feel free to contact me. I am in the Cincinnati area if you are in the northern part of KY let me know maybe we can help each other out.
when we did mine we took 6 1/2 out of the back and 7 out of the front. we 1/4'd it and chopped it with the doors on it. that made it a lot smoother getting the tops of the doors to match back up with the top. we also took out a few inches under the back window, set the entire window down, and then chopped the window. it looks cool and you can see out of the thing too. here are some pics. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=295054&d=1175721400 http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=295056&d=1175721400 http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=295053&d=1175721400