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HELP! Shoebox chop info needed..

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Luke__805, Apr 2, 2008.

  1. Luke__805
    Joined: Aug 8, 2004
    Posts: 130

    Luke__805
    Member

    Well I am not happy with the chop on my shoebox ,had a place do it, and it came out like @#%& so I have decided to get a donor roof and completely redo it. I tried doing a search on here, but am trying to find how to info/details regarding chopping a shoebox. I ordered Tex Smiths how to chop tops book so that is coming in the next day or so also, a couple guys suggested it. I have a 49 tudor sedan that I'm gonna redo to have about 5.5" out of the front and 7" out of the back. Any info/tips are greatly appreciated.
     
  2. sho1off
    Joined: Sep 7, 2007
    Posts: 392

    sho1off
    Member
    from Buffalo MN

  3. Brickster
    Joined: Nov 23, 2003
    Posts: 1,130

    Brickster
    Member

    find chops you like and talk to the owners. There are many way to chop a top. Tex Smith is just one way, the chop you already have is another. I have my own opinion and here goes. Becasue of the amount of chop you want, there will be a massive amount of misallignment everywhere. If all the problems are addressed with the angle of the pillars or the width and length of the top the proportions of the top get out of wack. A chop that large will need a lot of work in many areas. Do some research and it will pay off in the end.

    Brick
     
  4. Big Shane
    Joined: Apr 30, 2005
    Posts: 93

    Big Shane
    Member
    from Pearl, MS

    If I had it to do over again, I would not have taken 6" out of mine. LOTS of misalignment. LOTS. Very difficult to get proportions. May want to look into shortening the overall length if you go that far.
     

  5. There are a few youtube vids out there i think. at least on chevys. little bit interesting to watch. buy mags and books and reasearch online and get drunk at car shows and talk to other drunk people who have chopped their car. "OHHH MAN THAT B PILAR WAS A BITCH DUDEEEE"

    cram your brain with info, and then.. pray.
     
  6. HotrodTrash
    Joined: Sep 21, 2006
    Posts: 306

    HotrodTrash
    Member
    from Hanford,ca

    heres my chop, 5 outa the front and 7 the back. Its alot of work. ALOT! You can either lean the back window forward for a fast back look, or move the back window forward to meet the top and use a filler piece over the pacage tray( makes it look like a coupe chop kinda with the longer rear end area) then you got to think about the B pillars, slanted or straight. Its easier to keep them straight, but if your going for the fast back chop i feel the slanted look better. AND KEEP THE DRIP RAIL!!! Of course these are my opinions and im no pro by any means at all. Oh and check out this site, helped alot.............
    http://www.kingkustomstemecula.com/wst_page3.php
     

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  7. UnIOnViLLEHauNT
    Joined: Jun 22, 2004
    Posts: 4,827

    UnIOnViLLEHauNT
    Member

    Didnt you post this on ruffrodders? I guess the dude who did it isnt going to fix it? Or maybe Im thinking of the wrong guy!
     
  8. Luke__805
    Joined: Aug 8, 2004
    Posts: 130

    Luke__805
    Member

    I did post on ruffrodders, I'm the same guy. He offered to fix it however I have personal thoughts regarding that. If it didn't get done well/right the first time I don't think it would be that much better if he worked on it again in all honesty. I do give him props though for offering , the other guy who ran the shop never has contacted me back when I messaged him regarding things. Here's a pic of my car, so you get an idea of what it looks like. It has the profile i'm looking for, but the area from about 3 feet above the rear glass all the way to the package tray has to be completely redone.They tried to weld in new metal in place of the flat piece of metal between the trunk lid and the rear window.They also didn't use the nice stock seams that go from the back windows into the bottom of the rear glass.And they hammer and dollied the piss out of the section above the rear glass.There are deep valleys in the top corners of the front windshield metal where they pie cut it.I'll try and get some more pics.

    <ahref="http://s70.photobucket.com/albums/i114/draggin49/?action=view&current=post-2-45059-Picture_002.jpg" target="_blank">[​IMG]</a>
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 1, 2014
  9. UnIOnViLLEHauNT
    Joined: Jun 22, 2004
    Posts: 4,827

    UnIOnViLLEHauNT
    Member

    Cool looking car. How good are you with sheetmetal work? Cuz I will tell you all you know vanishes in fear when the roof comes off. Just sheer nature. Figuring if you had a shop chop the car in the first place, it would be from not feeling comfortable with the job. The are you are looking to tackle (b billar rearward) is the hardest part of the job.

    First, valleys are hard to avoid above the corners of the windshield. 9 out of 10 times there will be a valley there. Not the end of the world. It is the end of the world though if you take some square tubing or the like and hold it against the glass channel (windshield) top to bottom and if its uneven. The channel wants to slide backward at the top near those corners naturally, and if that is the case and its not straight and square, you will never get glass in the car. Whats wrong with the catwalk area? There must be added metal there as the rear window is nearly always moved forward (except maybe a hardtopped shoebox chop). So unless its done poorly, its standard procedure. How bad is the crown above the window? Bad?

    Post some more pics. From what little I can see the roof doesnt look bad, gaps look ok, and of course the flow of it is pretty nice. Id definately if you have ANY hint of being unsure of chopping the car yourself, try and fix what is there first. Better to ruin a fixable chop than ruin a car.
     
  10. lostn51
    Joined: Jan 24, 2008
    Posts: 2,177

    lostn51
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Tennessee

    looks good to me but im with Unionville on this one i chopped my 49 and mine looks like what yours does you cant get away from the valleys on the front but mine are hardly noticeable, as far as the rear window (backlight to some) i had to add to the bottom of the glass area to make up for leaning the glass over. we need rear pics to really get a feel as to what you problem may be.
     
  11. Lucky_mtl
    Joined: Dec 27, 2003
    Posts: 52

    Lucky_mtl
    Member
    from Montreal

    for inspiration i recomend "mad fabricators society volume three" DVD. there's a bit called "chopping Jake's shoebox" where bob bleed shows a stylish chop.
    i got a vhs tape on choping 49-51 mercury 4 doors. its like 4 hours long and has lots of good info. i got it on ebay. i myself had to save a chop on my 31 coupe it was off by 3/4 inch on one side... it was probably easier than a shoebox... good luck
     
  12. Johnny1290
    Joined: Apr 20, 2006
    Posts: 2,834

    Johnny1290
    Member

    Definitely need more pics. I'm no expert, but I know that some of the guys that have posted in this thread are, and I'd listen very closely to their advice.

    Many a nice project has been abandoned when that roof comes off or gets botched. Maybe it's not as bad as you think? Post more pics, and then see what people ahve to say.
     
  13. metalshapes
    Joined: Nov 18, 2002
    Posts: 11,138

    metalshapes
    Member

  14. Luke__805
    Joined: Aug 8, 2004
    Posts: 130

    Luke__805
    Member

    Here's a pic of the rear area.Sorry it's not a better pic, I only have my camera on my phone. The piece of metal between the trunklid and the rearglass is goes up /down/up down/ the whole way across, it's not even remotely close. Also you can notice how there is no sharp body line that curves into the back window from the side of the body. The other side is just as bad.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 1, 2014
  15. Luke__805
    Joined: Aug 8, 2004
    Posts: 130

    Luke__805
    Member

    A friend of mine has a 51 parts car that I can use for a donor roof.I'm hoping that through using pieces off it that my roof can be fixed.I'm guessing the pillars will be easier to fix vs. the rear section.
     
  16. cheaterslick
    Joined: Nov 2, 2003
    Posts: 805

    cheaterslick
    Member

    Get some tools and learn how to do it yourself instead of jumping on the internet and whining.
     
  17. damnfingers
    Joined: Sep 22, 2006
    Posts: 1,287

    damnfingers
    Member

    Ain't nothing a bit of bondo or lead can't fix....
     
  18. rodknocker
    Joined: Jan 31, 2006
    Posts: 2,265

    rodknocker

  19. tewkes
    Joined: May 22, 2005
    Posts: 200

    tewkes
    Member

  20. HotrodTrash
    Joined: Sep 21, 2006
    Posts: 306

    HotrodTrash
    Member
    from Hanford,ca

    Yeah man, dont be afraid to do it yourself. And dont be afraid to use a little filler either. That back looks horrible. everything else doesnt look that bad from the pixs you posted. cut that portion out under your window, leave at least an inch and a half of metal surround our lower window. then make a cardboard templet of that area to bring back the beltline and cut that shit out. roll it (you can use your fender)to get the right contour and tack it in. then tack here , there , over there , then here...take it slow so you dont warp it. a little grinding, a little filler then you got a decent chop. JUST DO IT!!! your going to make some mistakes, buy hell thats the fun, learning new shit.
     
  21. Luke__805
    Joined: Aug 8, 2004
    Posts: 130

    Luke__805
    Member

    Thanks for your suggestions and offering to help, it's greatly appreciated. And to Cheaterslick, you can say it's whining, I could really care less.The shop that did it, did a shit job, and anyone getting paid $$$ to do work on cars should have more pride in their work. I opted to pay someone to do it because I do not have a space or tools right now to work on my car, so that was why a shop took on the job.
     
  22. MyBootsOnFire
    Joined: Mar 15, 2004
    Posts: 181

    MyBootsOnFire
    Member

    I worked at that shop that's now closed and even though i didn't do all the work on it i offered to fix, for free, all the work that was done. If you don't think i can do it, that's fine, best of luck to you.
     
  23. lostn51
    Joined: Jan 24, 2008
    Posts: 2,177

    lostn51
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Tennessee

    doesnt look all that bad really....... take a straight edge or some masking tape and go from the top to the bottom of the window opening. see where you have gaps. i might would cut the rear panel out that is under the window and fit another one in its place. sail panel might be out too but its very fixable and i wouldnt even think about cutting the roof off and starting over (major f#%*@# up in my opinion) when i chopped my 49 that was the first one i ever did and to tell you the truth once i got into it that was easiest body mod ive done.
     
  24. rustydogs
    Joined: Nov 9, 2006
    Posts: 309

    rustydogs
    Member
    from canada

    heres my first [​IMG]
     
  25. rustydogs
    Joined: Nov 9, 2006
    Posts: 309

    rustydogs
    Member
    from canada

  26. Luke__805
    Joined: Aug 8, 2004
    Posts: 130

    Luke__805
    Member

    Mybootsonfire is a stand up guy. He did come forward and offer to fix my ride, and that says a lot. And he didn't see the shape it was in when it left the shop, so he was under the impression that someone else was going to do the remainder of the work before I got it back.He did tell me that he was rushed during the time he did work on my car. So I shouldn't have said that I don't think that you could do it because in all actuality you probably are capable of it if given the right amount of time to work specifically on it.Since then the motor took a shit, and it currently isn't running so I wouldn't be able to bring it down your way even if I wanted to unfortunately.It wasn't your shop, so I do not hold you accountable for how it left at all. Just wanted to clarify that.
     
  27. glassguy
    Joined: Feb 12, 2003
    Posts: 2,261

    glassguy
    Member

    looks very fixable to me.. you would be crazy to cut that off.. just needs some tweaking in the back. like unionville said that is the worst part of the job, so why do everything over?
     
  28. Baron
    Joined: Aug 13, 2004
    Posts: 3,636

    Baron
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I agree with these two also. One days work of cutting,fitting and welding and you'll be ready to start the body work.
    [​IMG]
     
  29. atomickustom
    Joined: Aug 30, 2005
    Posts: 3,409

    atomickustom
    Member

    Heck, dude, just fix what's there! It looks like the basic lines are good. Starting over would be, well, starting all over from scratch. Fixing what's there means you can skip all of the work that's already done, and only have to do what needs changed.
    Use donor parts if you like, or just cut out anything that looks bad and make new panels yourself. When I chopped my Chevy at one point I had some serious warpage above the windshield. It wasn't all that hard to fix once I figured out what was wrong.
     
  30. SlamCouver
    Joined: Jun 26, 2006
    Posts: 2,002

    SlamCouver
    Member
    from Brazil, IL

    agreed... just fix it the chop looks good.
     

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