This isn't meant to be a guide into chopping a 34 more of a insight into how I re worked a already chopped 5 window. I wish I had taken more pictures but once I start working I forget about the camera. So about 20 years ago my mate Bob ( 3 day on the Hamb) bought a 34 coupe body at Pomona already chopped some time in the 60s. When he first got it I said nice but needs to be chopped some more, he in no uncertain terms told me this wasn't going to happen. He went on and built it into a stunning car that he then raced and drove all over the place including a couple of jaunts to Europe. Then a couple of years ago talk turned back to re chopping the roof and leaning back the A posts. We talked and looked and discussed various different ways of carrying out the chop Bob did a load of research and looked at numerous chopped 34 s until he decided we needed to take 1 and 3/4" more out. So finally at Christmas he asked if I was serious about chopping his car, to which I replied "you strip the glass interior and bare metal the roof get it to me and Ill get it done". The Coupe when Bob bought it 20 Years later How it arrived at my workshop, with Bobs half arsed attempt at bare metaling the roof So I started by melting the lead out of the roof. Id always wandered how the chop had been done, before the paint was stripped we looked for where the roof was stretched as the A posts didn't look leaned back. Also Bob had measured a stock 34 roof and found his roof was the same length. Back in the day when the roof was first chopped they had cut the B post straight down and then couped the roof up slightly moving the C post up and then re creating the rear corner of the window in lead. On the A pillars they had bent the top section out kinking the roof in the process and then hammered the lower section of pillar in, effectively shrinking it to fit. The whole lot was then smothered in lead. A bit crude but it worked and the lead work was superb. At the back the roof had been slit and then pulled in at the same time laid down slightly to account for the roof going forward. First up I marked out where I was going to cut. On the C posts I staggered my cuts so that the main section removed the previous weld. The sections on the window frame step up so that I cut through the straightest part, these will re align later on. I make all my marks by cutting a strip of steel to the desired amount then using this laid in place I mark my lines with a permanent black marker pen. The door frame got a bit more complicated, I had worked out in my mind where this needed to be cut then laid out my lines. You can see I also marked the A post at the same time. Now to the cutting. First off I removed both door frames. I use a combination of Hack saw Sawzall and thin cutting discs in a grinder, I just use what tool is suitable and easiest for each part.You can also see the B post is marked out ready. Next up I removed the outer sections from both the side and rear window frames. Also cut both upper marks on the A post and lower marks on the B post. Then I cut through the lower marks on the rear corners and lifted the roof off. These are the sections from the C post you can see where the roof had been overlapped on the pillar when they moved the roof forward in the previous chop. With the roof removed I cut free the top of each B pillar. These were then clamped in a vice and the 1 3/4" section was removed. Then checking the cuts were all square and the pillar sat straight I tacked these back in place. I then put the roof back on, sliding the uncut upper into the rear lower section with the centre of the roof sitting back on the tops of the previously cut B post.
At the front the A post still needed cutting to size Not knowing exactly how much needed to come out the first step was to remove this section from each side of the roof. None of this is measured I just look at the roof and its contours and work out in my mind where its all going to fit and bend. I always cut one side then replicate this on the other. At the base of the A post on the crease of the cowl using a slitting disc I cut through the outer skin and the A post itself. Back to the A post I opened up the cut into a V section, this is done a little at a time and I keep pulling the post back to see if it looks right. Before I started I had welded in a box section frame to stop the car from moving when the roof was cut off. At this stage I added a couple of uprights and a cross bar to support the front of the roof at the desired height. Back to the rear and the C post was clamped into place. As I had slid the top skin down behind the lower part I then simply run a cutting disc along this line giving a nice straight cut. This is then tacked into place. Now the base of the rear pillar was marked for cutting. Moved forward and tacked in place Next using a top tip borrowed fro Kiwi Kev, I made a pattern of the inner frame to the A post so I knew where to cut This is where I forgot to take pictures, but the A post is in place. You need to angle this slightly which causes a dip to form at the junction to the roof. But by cutting this section away and letting in a triangular shaped piece of steel you overcome this problem. Then I slit cut the top of the door frame at various points and pulled it into shape to fit. Where this meets the top of the door I cut this at a angle so it blends in to the previous cuts. Using the piece I cut out earlier I slit this and used it as a filler and hopefully keep the radius of the window correct. With the B post tacked to the roof I then formed a filler piece and let this in where the roof had been moved back Back to the rear window the two corner pieces where cut out and move across so they aligned. I then made small filler strips and let them into the gaps. Next up a lot of hours of welding and grinding. With a new screen frame, and a coat of primer this is how the car looked when Bob came to collect it, I think you'll agree its new profile was well worth the work. Now its down to bob to finish sanding and paint the roof, he's also got a few other plans in the pipe line that will make this car even more outstanding Cheers Pete
The rechop looks great. Do most UK rodders know that this is a tribute car to the Mooneyham/Sharp car?
Excellent photographic documentation and eye for detail. Interesting how you did the front of the window in the door,,HRP
We all have our opinions.I hope you like it. I think it looked better before. To me it looks over chopped. But my opinion is worthless to you and I know it. Looks like good workmanship though.
what did the original Mooneyham/Sharp car look like, any pics personally i liked it before but you did a nice job
Thanks for taking the extra time to document and post all that was/is involved in the chop repair, it is sure to help many others...VERY nice work
Nice improvement to questionable workmanship from back in the day. You cut out lots of ugly pieces. 100% better.....chop looks great.
Thanks to all for the great comments, makes me want to go out and chop something else The Mooneyham/Sharp tribute bit was originally done as a stop gap. When Bob first built the car he'd run out of money to paint it, so a quick brush blue paint job and the 554 numbers etc were put on so he could go to one show. Everyone loved it so it stayed for the next 14 years. The previous chop was more in keeping with the Mooneyham / Sharp car the present chop is the way Bob wanted it. The next stage would be to paint it in a period 60s style but I get the feeling it may just get brush painted and driven for another 14 years
Chop looks really good now. But I'm kinda sick that way. Just went through all that fun last summer. I would love to see a different paint scheme on this car. Cheers
I met Bob on the salt the year I drove my Pop/Anglia across the states. He had just bought the car, and I had just bought '34 5W. We were arguing over whose car was worse!! When it came out as 554, I loved it. He has run that thing hard and long. Great to see it get it's next recreation. I've only just got mine finished, and he has probably got hundred thousand miles on his! 'Bout time it got a real chop though Cheers, Stewart.