My new project! Need advice on chopping?!?!

Just picked up this little beast. It has been clipped with a mid-70's buick front end, which includes the "buick 350" motor and BOP th-350. It certainly needs some work...i.e. those horrible wheels and white bumpers n grille. But i plan to do a mild chop on the top, maybe 2.5 inches. I hear that expanding the roof skins on these tri-5s is not needed. Anyone got some pointers?

 

it would be easier with a small window cab....

 

...you just got it? i say, drive that mofo! a chop puts you out of a driver.

...good score by the way!

 

Don't chop it. The roof looks good just the way it is.

 

a chop on those trucks is VERy hard to do. the proportions go to shit if not done ever so correctly.

 

I don't like this body style truck chopped either. It looks squashed or funny looking to me.

But it is your truck.

 

You will spend $2,000 on custom glass- and decrease the value of the truck by at least as much. Only chop it if it your ultimate vehicle and always wanted a chopped one. I was going to chop one of mine and ultimately changed my mind as they do look super bitchin' once you dial in the stance.
I know, spoken like a true old man, but just trying to be honest after looking at many unfinished chopped truck abortions that need to go to the scrap pile as no one wants them.

 

I've often wondered what one of these trucks would look like with a 1.5" to 2" chop, probably pretty good. Lotsa work. Also I've wondered how it would look if you keep the windshield the same size, but lose the eyebrow with a mild chop. Probably it would look funny...

 

I would change the tailgate and side mirrors, but that's just me. I think louvered tailgates are pointless and silly. Other than that it looks great.

 

I agree with not chopping it. A buddy of mine has one that isn't chopped and it is sweet. Put the time into rounding the corners on the doors and little tricks like that. You'd be surprised how much that improves the look.

 

No it's not easier on a small rear glass cab.......
No you dont cut that rear glass
No it does not cost any more to put glass back in a wide cab......
These look great wih a mild chop and YES they do need one.....
see my shop listing in the "Hamb-O-dex" for a pic of one with a 3" chop......[/quote]

 

I remembered I had a picture or two of a chopped task force. Found this one on ebay... The description said it was a 3 inch chop. I found another one a few weeks back that had a 5 inch chop. I didn't save any pics of the it...but it looked awful.

 

It can look good...





I don't know who chopped the first one, but Oz did the second...I'm pretty sure it used to be a flat purple.

Mild is the way to go.

Bryan

 

yeah, im still on the fence about the chop. I am certainly going to lower it a bit more, and do some little things like peep mirrors (actually in the mail right now). if i drop it down quite a bit more, yall think it will lose the "farmers truck" look? Ive only had the truck for about a week, and all the bitchin looking examples of these tri-fives seem to be chopped, but im not sure.

 

The guy asked for pointer's.......not whether or not to chop it.....what's with all the "don't do it" guys....isn't this a HOTROD/CUSTOM board????

The front and rear posts appear close to parallel on a big window, so cutting a few inches out should drop it down with very little 'tweaking', as opposed to a small rear window......

If you do 'do it'....don't give up and follow it through.....

The blue one looks bad because of the buttrocker stance and blotchy paint......not the chop.....

These trucks chopped do look better with a fleetside bed.......

 

Nice UN-chopped examples.

 

I know how you feel. I'm in the quest to lose that farmer's truck look. as well.

 

Another vote against the chop.

 

definately needs a haircut.next thing we know people will be telling us not to modify our old originals.they're only original once you know........

 

here's a slightly chopped version of the black one. whatcha think?

 

Truth be told ,most folks who do not think a chopped top on any vehicle looks better , more than likely, just do not want to spend the money it costs to do so.......

 

That is just about perfect ,Squirrel,.....but my taste in chops, has been called conservative........
I think -if we are not careful we can fall into that "goodguys syndrome"......You know....slam it and some American 5 spokes, to make a sale.....how boring customizing ,would then become....

 

truth be told, most chops are excessive...they look neat as a radical car, but they don't look good from a styling perspective. If we saw more subtle chops, the kind that you can't tell what's different but you know the car looks "right", attitudes towards chops might change.

 

I looks good, but like choprodz said- I'm a cheap "Pee-Pee licker" that would rather spend the 4-6 grand that it would cost to have some one do it "right" on having a second truck instead of slightly altering one vehicle.

 

Jim said "pee-pee licker" He he....
Also there are lots of skilled folks [that in knowing what they are doing]- could easily do that job for half that amount, Jim..........

 

That's tits...

 

I don't dislike chopped vehicles, but sometimes they just lose the right proportions. I think it would look good as long as it's not too radical.

 

The windshield is a bit of work, other than that its an easy chop....OLDBEET

 

As Squirrel stated above the mild chop is where its at in this day and age,so subtle that it just looks"right"
Most folks with the "more is better", mentality -wont agree ,but if you look at the winners circle in most any venue ,you can confirm this trend....
Also the mild chop is probably what will make the difference in a custom of any make and model being timeless [or not] .......

 

don't chop it!! you can't improve on that body style