I chopped my Victoria all by my lonesome....nervous as hell also, thinking I was going to fuck it up?
I chopped my 31.... I admit to Fucking up my first attempt at chopping a 50 royally and turning it into a convertible with a carson top... To shameful to show in public. Had Tyler Selzler of Liquid Steel hot rods and customs do my latest ride. http://www.liquidsteelhotrods.com I just bought a 50 Plymouth to chop to make up for past transgressions.
A friend helped me to do the chop on my 49 COE. 4 inches F and R, but kep the rear window stock height by taking 2 inches above and below it. I wanted to keep all the stock pillar angles the same, so the roof was quartered. Used a spare donor roof for the splice pieces. I would do another chop now with the knowledge gained from this one. Have a 52 GMC project that would be a great next chop candidate. I think anyone with some welding and fabrication skills can do it, just think ahead and consider what you want the final outcome to be. Don't just cut away without a plan. Flat glass is a whole lot easier than curved.
chopping carz is what makes metal bumping so cool to learn and i still have a long way to go here in my one man shop.
I did my own. Took about 2 weeks and another 3 1/2 months to complete the filler/block sanding the rest of the car. Totally worth it!
345winder, that 35 Ford pickup is right on brother. Gives me inspiration to do my 47 Dodge that much. How much did you take out of it. The VW is kool. My first chop was one. I think I went about it the hard way by splitting the roof long wazes and cross wazes and adding a strip in each.
thanks,, the truck,,i cant rember excallty,,,but i think it was like 6" or so,,and i did cut it across the center,.,,,i understand ya on chopping the bug that way,,as most vw people make ya wanna belive you have to cut them that way,,,,you dont though,,,i cut mine the way the very first chopped VW was cut( a 56 oval cut when almost new) ,,,
frenchtown flyer. Your thoughts on the second roof is right on. After doing a VW and having filler strips in both directions, I think I could have used another roof panel and welded around the perimeter.
Wow, what a thread. I give credit to all you first timers, especially the ones with the shoebox and 49-50s Chevys. Lot's of nice flowing lines. I have taken notice of the chops on the pickup cabs. Leaving back windows full, versus cutting them down with the chop. I see the advantage of having the better view of the stock window opening, but my personal feelings is that it takes away from the look of the chop job. Just my 2 cents. I'm going to have to sit in my cab and really take it all in for a final decision. Great jobs guys. Hay 345winder, I just may have the article somewhere on that first VW chop!! Hay Dan in Canada, I think you got your moneys worth on this thread!!
I did mine. Paying someone to do it wasn't in the budget, buying a good welder was. I had help cutting it up but I put it back together. I'm still working on it. I should have put an english wheel in the budget too.
Awesome work guys. This inspires me to do my own when ever I can get my truck sold and get something older.
You have a late 60's GM pickup, right? Although it is a little new for the HAMB, they DO look good with a couple inches out of the top. If I did one, I would just lean the windshield back, and take a mild 2-3" out of the rest of the roof. The flat side and rear glass are easy to work with. I'm just sayin'.....
Doing the '59 T'Bird now. Windshield sunk into the cowl, for a 1 3/4" chop. The top is removeable, it's now chopped 2 1/2" at the rear, the sailpanels are shortened about 6", and the rear window laid forward. My '41 Chevy convert was chopped by laying the w/s back about 3", the glass was uncut. My '56 Caddy was about a 3" chop at the w/s, the rear of the top dropped into the body about 5". The '36 Fordillac was essentially chopped about 3", but I used w/s frame from a mid 60's MGB, so that was easy...
My 54 GMC was quartered and extended that would mean 6 welds across the entire roof and possible distortion on each one. I prefer cutting the center out and 6 one foot long welds and one primeter weld in a curved section on the roof with almost no distortion. the center section is the back half of a 55 chev 4 door roof. same with with my 48 ford three window coupe. used a 912 porsche roof with a electric sun roof. (popular in the late 80's early 90's)
I helped my dad on a few as a kid. This was my first one by myself. I think I was 28 or 29 when I did this.
I chopped my 28, 4 1/2" and 3 1/2" on the rear window. Of course I stayed at a Holiday inn the night before! It's just metal, start cutting.