Hi! I´m looking for pictures of a 1959-1960 GM 2dht chop. The windshield area is pretty straight forward but how you handle the rear widow and the b-pillars... I know there are several cars that have been chopped, but I have only seen a few project pictures, can anyone help me? Thanks! J
How about posting up a Photo of the actual Car your wanting to chop? If you can say the windshield is strait forward I'm guessing it's not an Impala or any of the Bubble top body's. The Wizzard
It´s -60 Caddy Coupe Deville. I live in Finland, so getting a custom windshield is no problem. Of course I can have custom rear glass made also, but still I don´t know how to modify the b-posts. But if I can use the original rear glass, thats better.. J
Looks like they re shaped the quarter window and slid the top of rear glass forward on the roof. Tilting the rear glass would require modifying the lower body panel.
This one looks good: Seems like the lower part of the rear window frame was removed, is the window lowered? Looks like there is no package tray.
J; Have you done much Custom body work? It's a large learning curve for sure. The car above looks to be headed for some issues to me. Photos can hide what's going on. By the looks to me I believe the rear glass needs to be move to the rear meaning a band added to lengthen the over all roof panel to get things where they belong. If that's the case and it were me I would probably do it right where door glass and quarter window come together on the Drip Rail. You don't want to get into building new Quarter glass window frames, Just shorten vertical leg and re arch top frame to match drip rail. The Wizzard
This one's nice. I would hazard a guess the stock window has been sunken. It would also appear by the angle that the rear corners of the windshield were trimmed, and then laid back...something you want to consider.
would love to see some pictures on how the windshield area was modified I have always wondered if you set the glass then modified the top to fit on these era cars for chops
I´ve chopped two cars, so I know what it takes. To me it looks like the gray car has a original length or shorter roof, as the roof on orange car looks longer. Now You know why I could use some project pics / info on the subject Thanks! J
On the grey car, a filler piece can be seen added between the trunk and the rear window (sometimes called the "cat walk"). The orange car may have added this amount to the roof, instead.
I make a mold (fiberglass, steel etc) using the old windshield. I fit the mold inside the opening and then send it to the glass factory. I have done this 3 times: windshield and rear glass for my ex-Dodge Kingsway and the windshield for my ex-Buick Riviera. Check my blog, there is more.. J
Beautiful job, but now we need some in construction pictures or some good description of how you did it. Proportions look great imo.
Does this link work: https://photos.app.goo.gl/7hibTYh4wbQ4QPtV7 Rear window is original, windshield is custom made. If You want to know more, please ask J
I think the rear corners of the windshield are sunken into the knee knockers. with the windshield layer back.
Custom made windshield costs from 500€-> For my Cadillac it was 800€, for my ex-Buick 600€. J Heres the company: https://kuttilanautolasi.fi/en/
Excellent job!!! Thank you so much for posting a link to your build pictures, they are fantastic. I want to know more, more, more! All the details, everything you have to say about each step. It appears to be a 2" chop, same front and rear? The windshield proces I've only heard about, never any details. The mold framework is confusing as the mold bracing appears to be in the way of where the windshield sits? Unless it's just the outline of where the windshield rests. I thought you had to form a sheet of steel into the buck? How does the fiberglass come into play? And what is the blue "BE GROUP" paper? And what is it taped to? Super interesting, thanks for all of your postings. I've chopped a 50 Mercury, but the windshield is flat, and the back is just laid down. Love the 60 caddy chopped!
1. Yes, 2" front and back 2. Yes, the mold is just from the outline of the glass. 3. The BE group cardboard is just cardboard, came protecting some steel sheets. I used it as the pattern of the glass. Its taped to the mold frame, just to make sure they are the same. In the glass factory they put hinges on the mold, so they can bend the sides of the glass. To get the bubble shape, they just let the soft hot glass hang from the mold and cool it when they think the shape is right. So the glass touches just the edge of the mold. J
Super interesting, thank you so much for the information. I'm not sure I fully understand the process. Is the vertical bracing initially installed in the window opening to support the outline frame, subsequently removed once the floor stand bracing is secured to the outline frame? I can't see in the final pictures with the blue windshield template in the frame. I'm also confused about the windshield mold itself. It was mentioned fiberglass or steel. Is that what the cardboard is taped to, and how was this piece made? Perhaps it's just cardboard laid on the original glass to get the size, then transferred to a more rigid template, that it's currently taped to? I wonder if the template is flat, and as you say the glass just hangs in the outline of the opening to sag naturally when heated, rather than sag and rest directly onto a rigid mold in the shape of the windshield as I would have expected. Thanks again for posting all of the build pictures, much appreciated.
I´m not sure if I´m using correct terms: That outside frame + bracing is the mold, used in the process (with the hinge modification for the sides). The card board is a template for cutting the glass. The mold cant be rigid because it would leave a mark on the soft glass. I guess if the mold would be perfect, it might be possible, but also it would be very expensive. So the soft glass actually hangs supported from the outsides. The finished glass has some marks from this process. J
Great build and info!, I think Dragwag is getting confused with the build braces and the mold frame as it looks like they are one in the pic above, I think these are the build braces I am very interested in this as I too will need a screen made
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