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Projects Re: How to un-chop a `32 Ford

Discussion in 'Traditional Hot Rods' started by sailingadventure, Feb 13, 2014.

  1. sailingadventure
    Joined: Feb 11, 2007
    Posts: 283

    sailingadventure
    Member

    How to Un-chop a 1932 Ford Tudor


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    Steve bought this `32 a few years ago, and when he got it home he just couldn`t live with the 3 1/2" + chop a previous owner has started.It was just too short and it had too little head room. The rear window looked like a mail slot and the windshield frame had been cut down so much that it would have been difficult to see out of. He is a little over 6', and needed a little more headroom than the car had at that height.
    The pieces that were cut out when the car was chopped had long since been thrown away and raising the top would mean fabricating all of the complicated compound curves. Chopping the top of the typical car usually involves marking the amount of material you want to remove, cutting out those pieces, and welding the remaining pieces back together. It sounds easy when you say it fast, but you know what I mean. Anyway, to un-chop a top all of the missing pieces have to be re-made. Here`s what is involved.
    [​IMG]
    First , the car was stripped to locate the seams where the cuts were made.Then measurements were made to determine how much would be needed to bring the car to the correct height. One and one half inches would eventally be the distance it would be raised.
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    The cut was made and the top was supported all around with wooden blocks the thickness of the new pieces, 2".
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    Metal was then temporarily welded inside the body to keep the top aligned with the lower portion of the body.

    [​IMG]
    Then the pieces were placed inside and scribed to give an exact line for cutting.
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    The piece was then tacked into place and the other pieces were made.

    [​IMG]
    These pieces were the easy ones to make, all the others took a lot of time.
    [​IMG]
    Reinforcements were made for the windshield post, the door post were reinforced with the original wood.
    [​IMG]

    1932 Ford Tudor


    The pieces were then welded in,
    [​IMG]
    and the welds were ground smooth.
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    Before the windshield post could be welded in place the front section of the top had to be fixed. When the top was chopped, it had been narrowed and was not properly aligned when it was welded.The only way to fix this was to remove it and put in the right place.
    [​IMG]
    After cutting the front section off, it was split in the middle to align the pieces.
    [​IMG]
    After the pieces were properly aligned, they were welded in place.
    [​IMG]
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    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Nov 9, 2015
    kidcampbell71 likes this.
  2. sailingadventure
    Joined: Feb 11, 2007
    Posts: 283

    sailingadventure
    Member

    Here is the car after the top was raised.​
    [​IMG]
    When the car is completed it will have a `58 Corvette motor, three speed with overdrive transmission, 9" ford rear end, and Buick brakes.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]




    Here are some more pictures of the car in the spray booth before and after getting primed for the first time.
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    Here are some new pictures of the `32 ford. They show the chassis with the motor and transmission installed and some details of the brakes. These were installed in order to run the brake and fuel lines.
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  3. Pewsplace
    Joined: Feb 10, 2007
    Posts: 2,795

    Pewsplace
    Member

    Nice work and lots of it. I love chopped sedans with 2" chop.
     
  4. I was originally looking at doing this on a sedan chopped 5", but in the end I sold it and bought another one to chop at a height I could live with. Oddly enough the new one is getting 3.5" front and 3" rear. I have see these pics a while back on the website you have listed in you signature, kind of seems like a lot of effort for something that is a fairly common amount to chop. I would think there would be a pretty good market for that.
     

  5. Looks like a good job. I would think that there are a lot of cars out there with old excessive chop jobs that people would like to raise back up. Its odd seeing a 3window anymore with an original height top. I always thought 1¾ or 2" made the perfect chop.
     
  6. brady1929
    Joined: Sep 30, 2006
    Posts: 9,253

    brady1929
    Member

    Wow! Impressive work.
     
  7. Okie Pete
    Joined: Oct 29, 2008
    Posts: 4,968

    Okie Pete
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Great work and it looks a lot better.
     
  8. sailingadventure
    Joined: Feb 11, 2007
    Posts: 283

    sailingadventure
    Member

    The tops of these cars were filled with a vinyl type of material that was padded with cotton batting and supported with "chicken wire" over a wooden framework. When these cars were designed, I`m sure Henry never thought his cars would go 80 miles per hour down the highway. If you put a top insert like the factory did, it will puff up like a balloon at highway speed but here is another way to do it.
    [​IMG]
    A sheet of thin plywood is cut to fit exactly in the hole and screwed down. The edges may have to be sanded to make it fit
    [​IMG]
    Then all of the screw heads and the outer edge is sealed with urethane
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    The insert is then covered with 1/8" foam and glued down
    The top material was ironed using a steam iron
    [​IMG]
    After spraying the glue on the material, 1/2 of the top of the car was sprayed and allowed to dry until it was just a little sticky.
    After gluing the rear half, the front of the insert was sprayed and allowed to dry.

    [​IMG]
    A roller and "Bondo" spreader were used to remove any air bubbles and to insure a complete bond.

    [​IMG]
    Then the material was carefully trimmed and the metal strip was nailed in place.
    After checking for water leaks the rubber insert was installed and the top was finished.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]


     
    Last edited: Feb 17, 2014
    kidcampbell71 and mike bowling like this.
  9. hotrod_willie
    Joined: Mar 10, 2004
    Posts: 954

    hotrod_willie

    Mcain brothers does it again.
     
    Last edited: Feb 13, 2014
  10. Roothawg
    Joined: Mar 14, 2001
    Posts: 24,523

    Roothawg
    Member

    Beautiful work.
     
  11. edwardlloyd
    Joined: Aug 2, 2003
    Posts: 2,072

    edwardlloyd
    Member
    from Germany

    Looks much better proportioned now. I like it.
     
  12. Jimmy2car
    Joined: Nov 26, 2003
    Posts: 1,707

    Jimmy2car
    Member
    from No. Cal

    I am in AWE of the talent on the HAMB
     
  13. pumpman
    Joined: Dec 6, 2010
    Posts: 2,674

    pumpman
    Member

    Just plain beautiful workmanship, period. Nuf said.
     
  14. racinman
    Joined: Dec 30, 2008
    Posts: 951

    racinman
    Member Emeritus

    Very Good work here!
     
  15. redo32
    Joined: Jul 16, 2008
    Posts: 2,137

    redo32
    Member

    I cringe everytime one of these "It's mine, I can cut it up if I want to!" guys does a 6" chop. Thank you for restoring a fine tudor to great proportions. I like the way you did the top insert, I'll keep this in mind for my fordor that still has the top done in 1957 that is getting a little ragged. I don't remember seeing the lower part of the Vette motor mount being used before. I like the 9 fin valve covers too, they are only a couple of months early for the '58 motor.
     
  16. 4 banger 4 life
    Joined: Jan 26, 2014
    Posts: 301

    4 banger 4 life
    Member
    from ohio

    Nice 32... man such a nice car...... Great job....
     
  17. Squablow
    Joined: Apr 26, 2005
    Posts: 17,390

    Squablow
    Member

    Beautiful work.

    I think this process is going to become more common in the future, as new owners rework some of the overly-hacked on cars of the last 15 years.

    The filled top is beautiful as well.
     
  18. So-cal Tex
    Joined: Aug 24, 2005
    Posts: 1,384

    So-cal Tex
    Member

    Would you mind sharing more pictures of the clutch linkage? It appears to be a bent rod?

    [​IMG]
     
    LOU WELLS likes this.
  19. The37Kid
    Joined: Apr 30, 2004
    Posts: 30,628

    The37Kid
    Member

    I guess the welds from the original chop were ok, I think I would have added a taller filler so that all the welds were mine. Great looking job, like the top incert too. Bob
     
    Last edited: Feb 13, 2014
  20. fab32
    Joined: May 14, 2002
    Posts: 13,985

    fab32
    Member Emeritus


    x2 on the Vette motor mount. Love to see something out of the ordinary on a build. Looks like a little trimming and some tabs to make it a bolt in and your home. Very clean execution on the whole car.
    I to am curious about the clutch connection. Looks like it is pulling from the side and not straight back..........explanation please.

    Frank
     
    kidcampbell71 likes this.
  21. marfen
    Joined: Aug 14, 2009
    Posts: 406

    marfen
    Member
    from sask

    Nice work... so it was a good thing I saved all of the 3 1/2" parts I cut out of my 5w for a "chop reversal kit"?
     
  22. Nice work. You guys make it look so easy (but it takes skill & talent)!

    Hurry and finish that thing and bring it on the All Deuce Run. Details in my sig line below.
     
  23. Great work you have a lot of skills and talent.
     
  24. motoandy
    Joined: Sep 19, 2007
    Posts: 3,334

    motoandy
    Member
    from MB, SC

    Nice work, very nice work. Thanks for the step by step.
     
  25. Buddy Palumbo
    Joined: Mar 30, 2008
    Posts: 3,871

    Buddy Palumbo
    Member

    Wow , extremely nice work ! I like it much better with it's current height . Good eye .
     
  26. sailingadventure
    Joined: Feb 11, 2007
    Posts: 283

    sailingadventure
    Member

    015.JPG The clutch linkage in the first pictures was the first attempt but caused the motor to move forward when the clutch was depressed. Here`s the way it was finally solved with a cross shaft.
     
    Last edited: May 22, 2014
  27. 39cent
    Joined: Apr 4, 2006
    Posts: 1,569

    39cent
    Member
    from socal

    good post, I'm saving it.-- 'story'---I was swapping my ol' duece 2dr body to install my [$75] tub body baknthday, was taking it for its last run. At about 80 mph all of a sudden a big "woof" and immediate sunlite! The ol top was flapping in the breeze and cotton batting flying all over, and my buddy looked like santa with cotton stuck to his face' fun daze.
     
    Last edited: Feb 14, 2014
  28. WOW!! McCain Brothers to the rescue! Now I wish that I had not passed on those severely chopped bodies. Never thought that it would be possible to reverse one this nicely. And it's black. Beautiful work!

    BTW, what is the urethane product you used on the roof? An equally neat job!
     
  29. T&A Flathead
    Joined: Apr 28, 2007
    Posts: 1,985

    T&A Flathead
    Member

    You made it look easy. Great work
     

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