It's been a while since I've had a project that really had me hooked so to speak. In the recent past I've had a Rambler Wagon and a rusty 53 Chevy sedan along with some various projects that have come and gone. Yet, about a year ago a friend called and offered this 54 Hardtop. At the time I wasn't looking, but hardtops arn't very common around here in the 53/54 Chevrolets. I took a look and a deal was made. I've spent the last year getting it mechanically solid. I've also gotten the missing trim and lowered it. The plan for the winter is to work on some patch panels, give it a fresh coat of satin, and possibly a haircut if time permits. This weekend I've been working on a c notch install. I have to say, it's been a while since a project of my own has really excited me. This cars' lines though have my custom juices flowing again! This Bob Cota built 54 is my favorite chop of all the hardtops I've searched.
Keep us posted. I have been a fan of 54 hardtops since I was 15 years old. I am in the process of gathering parts using the Gambino notch and a pair of truck arms.
Used to be a stove bolt 6, three on the tree, hardtop sitting on my street in the 80's. Always liked that car. Brown with a white top, and white walls.....never moved.....until one day it was gone. Story of my life sometimes.
I too am using the Gambino notch. It is very well designed. Nice to use one that is specific instead of a generic that requires a lot of fitting.
Thanks fellas, I got my notches finished up today. No more clunking the axle on the frame. Hope to get some time this week to tack in the braces and remove some stainless before it gets a haircut.
I got quite a bit of time this weekend to work on the chop. I took 2.5 inches out of the A-pillar to get it to this point. To me, it doesn't take much chop to make the hardtops look proportionate to the rest of the body. I'll be using a donor rear window that I have, similar to the Cole Foster 54 hardtop. Thoughts? Suggestions?
IMHO. 2.5 is plenty on a hardtop. They get smaller real quick when the rubber glass and trim go back in. Thinking of fosters car...did he change the c- pillar to a buick olds style. Removing the dog leg?
Keep posting pics of the chop please. I have one coming to my shop soon for a chop but he wants to keep the stock style rear windshield but I still will keep an eye on what you do. Doing my research on the rear now.
So after a couple months of down time, I've got some progress made. Roof is now tacked in place and I'm working out the relief cuts in order to use the donor rear window.
Another angle showing the new flow of the roof line. The biggest challenge in using this earlier Chevy window is having to reshape the crown in the sail panel area to match the donor. I've seen this window used on a sedan that was chopped and the stainless moulding around the window matched the existing beltline moulding. I thought it really gave the chop a factory appearance. I'm hoping to pull it off on my hardtop as well.
So that is what a 2.5 inch chop is going to look like. Been planning the same for mine, but want to get the body tweaked where I want before I start on the roof. Did you plan on 2.5 inches so you could cut out above the hinge on the wing window, without having to re-do either of the pivots? That is kind of what sealed the decision on how much I will do mine
I need to clarify. The first pictures I posted previously were with 2.5 inches out of the pillars. These latest have 3.25 inches total cut out. The 2.5 inches out did look good, but I prefer chops to look a bit more aggressive BUT not flattened!
That was something that I pondered as well when looking at how much to chop. I couldn't find a definitive solution with this particular car on how to make functional wing windows with an aggressive chop. I'm not saying it isn't possible, but I haven't figured a way to make them work and retain the factory frame work. Possibly some donor parts from other models. I agree that cutting off the top of the frame is easiest to retain a functioning window, but really limits the chop height then. Very few of the pictures I've saved show the vent windows open on these hardtops. I like the idea of them functioning, but I prefer the more aggressive chop over functioning vent windows. If mine end up fixed, I'm okay with that but if there's a way to make them work it'll be a bonus. I understand why others would insist them to be functionable on their cars though.
Leebo, you really sparked my curiosity on this...... I mounted up the stock wing windows. It looks like I will need to lower the top of the vent window frame 2.25 inches. Let me be clear, I took 3.25 inches out of the A pillar. Doing that amount out of the A pillar gave about a 2.25 inch vertical drop of the roof. So your initial plan of going 2.5 inches vertically turns out to be very close to what I did too.
Ok. My mind is blown on this. When you going to cut the wing frames? I'm curious if you have to take 3.25 out of the frame to get it to correspond with the body. Are you cutting above the pivot as I mentioned?
Yes, I will cut above the top pivot point. Notice in the second picture where the top pivot lands. There is room to make a cut and then slide the top frame down and joint together. As far as the dimensions go, think of the triangle we have. The longest leg of the triangle being the 3.25 inches. The vertical leg being 2.25 inches and the horizontal 2.25 inches. (A squared plus B squared equals C squared). With that said, you could use the Pathagorean formula to figure out the maximum amount of cut you could make on the A-pillar and still not interfere with the top pivot. In my opinion, I wouldn't go any more than the 3.25 because the roof will start to look out of proportion.
Got a chance to pull it outside and have a look at the new roof profile. I'm pretty happy with the way it is coming along. Hope to get a chance to do some welding over the weekend.
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