So my two door conversion is well underway and I am at the point where I can put the post back in on the chop or make the car a hardtop? I am torn and can't seem to move forward! Input requested. This is where I am now....post are tacked in, door frame obviously not done. The above "animated" GIF was to show the transformation - old picture - but gets the idea across.
Thinking about it... I think I'd only hardtop a car the factory didn't already make a hardtop of. Chevy eventually got around to making a BelAir HT in that basic body so I'd keep it a post. Otherwise ya might as well start with a HT in the first place and change the other year identifying parts like 50fraud did on his '50 (actually a '51 with '50 single bullet front end and other '50 trim) HT Shoebox.
have someone photoshop it up hardtopped with slanted glass before making up your mind. I'm not liking the proportion of the quarter window, but I know it looks kinda funny because it's sort of in-between being a coupe quarter window and a tudor quarter window. As for Chevy doing a hardtop, sure they did, but it had a wraparound rear window and a lot flatter roofline than the others. A hardtop based on the Styline bubble top is something Chevy never made -
angle the post, the roofline is wrong for a hard top and a straight post just takes away from the looks of the chop...I think an angled post would really set the car off.... just my .02
Chopt49-- I went through the same decision making when converting my 49 Mercury into a hardtop. The side rear windows were just too long. I shortened mine and removed the bottom curve at beltline. This brought it more to a point like on a factory hardtop. Best of Luck. TwoChops
I know it is a little to late, but that thing had one of the nicest chops on a four door(I'm in the process of trying to mimic it on my 51 4door) that I don't think that I would have converted it to a two door. That said, I would leave the post.
that pretty much sums it up. hardtopping a sedan shouldn't be an afterthought. the rear of the roof needs to be lower than normal or you'll end up with a car that looks like the post has been cut out.
If you go hardtop, you'll have lots of fun getting the front and back side glass to seal to each other. By "fun" I mean grief.
straight post is what was done in the 50's i say its either both look good straight post or HT..the next 49-50 im gonna build is a 2 or 4 door Chopped Fleetline HT
Problem is...the side glass will never fit correctly if you hardtop it...the rear will never fit to the fronts IF you decided to use the original cranks...if they're a slide in type, then you've got to store them when you "play hardtop"...besides, what about sealing the sideglass to each other...and the opening and closing of the door against a rolled up window...you got that one figured out when it rains...or maybe it doesn't rain where you are...lots MORE problems for you to figure out... I'd stay with the post. R-
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