Keep on going its going to look awsom when your done,but they are right fit that glass before you go any farther.Fitting that windshield is probably the worst part of the chop.I did mine the same 4.5 inches but custom made the whole back window area
I seem to recall seeing some in Tex Smith's Chopping book: http://www.amazon.com/How-Chop-Tops-Hot-Rod/dp/1878772074/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1287441804&sr=8-1
Ummm... No offense, but have you heard the expression, "Don't put the cart before the horse."? Chopping a wrap around windshield car's top is easy, it's the fitting the glass that's the challenge. I've done two now, a '56 Cadillac and '59 T'Bird, may I suggest that you cut the w/s FIRST, then fit the frame to the glass. The way you've gone about cutting the posts looks fine UNTILL you try to fit glass, which, being compound curves, will NOT be able to be fitted to the frame. You can stretch, shrink, hammer, and reshape the posts to fit the glass, but not glass. The Caddy I cut almost 4" off the top and a little of the rear corners, and the upper part of the vertical to lean it back a little. The T'Bird is uncut and sunken into the cowl just over 2". A little more subtle. Also, do NOT believe that there's any way a Lexan w/s will be scratch proof. Lexan, even the scratch resistant variety, is very soft, and will scratch. Easily. Again, I'm speaking from experience here, the Lexan w/s in my '36 is scratched badly despite my being very careful to clean it with nothing but microfiber cloths. Just trying to help, I've been there, done that and have the T shirt. I hate to see you make a mess of your car. Brian
Yes I do. Here's my 'Bird with 2" sunken w/s, all the dog leg will allow. As an aside, you need an attitude check. I've read the entire thread (now) and the "rediculous" comments I read were cautioning you to think ahead, and be careful and thoughtful in the build, not negativity. Brian
Brian, although he and I live nearby, I don't know him, butI would absolutely say it's false there is no negativity here. This is the reason people don't share here. I agree it looks like there was some poor planning, but would these people really walk up to someone at a car show and mid story tell this stranger "what a mistake!" or agree with someone who was kidding that it "looks like shit", or even offer "should have left it". No, of course not, because in the real world where an ass can be beat that shit doesn't happen. But to even insinuate that all these comments are just concerned spectators is far from accurate.
The ball busting comments were from his buddies, which was obvious even before they admitted it later in the thread. Being cautioned about the glass fitment, and amount of the chop is reasonable, cautionary advice. And, I've heard PLENTY of stupid, negative, smart assed, inane and just plain dumb and offensive comments about my car(s) from idiots who seem to feel it's their duty to point out that I shouldn't have painted it green, shouldn't have cut it up, wrong wheels, what was I thinking using a Caddy/SBC/Pontiac engine, it's too rare to customize, etc., at car shows. Opinions are like assholes, it seems everybody has one. Brian
i think custom rodder magazine sometime in the late 90's did a chop that showed how to sink the w/s, had a few pages of pictures and tech. maybe someone here has the magazine. good luck flynbrian48 nice t-bird is it done or are you still working on it?
Geez Dude, take a hint will ya, lexan BAD IDEA. I have installed more lexan than most other Hambers combined and my advice is to not use lexan on a street car for any reason. Do the job right or dont do it.
Make up your mind. Do you want advice or not? If you were going to sink the glass, you already fuct that up. Cut the channel apart then decided to do it? Oh. And its captian asshole to you. As previously stated, i have been called worse by better people.
there's no excuse for doing things like that with all the information out there on the interweb. my favorite one was the guy with the 64 Impala where the guy chopped it and widened the top. 30 guys responded with how cool the guy was until someone asked him how he planned to widen the glass.
Brian, what do you do next after the glass is sunken into the cowl? Do you have to cut some extra rubber and trim for the bottom? I would imagine you have to give it the "look" of being a cut down glass (not just have the glass extend down into the cowl meeting glass to bare metal). I had a '56 Lincoln 2 door hardtop I traded a few years ago for a 51 Ford tudor. I was super hot to get a shoebox again after I sold my previous 51, chopped it, went nuts with it, and after selling that one missed my lincoln. I had wanted to chop that car, but being a clean 38k original mile car I was nervous of glass. I was thinking like 2-3" max, I believe that's what Tom Culbertson (sp?) in Indiana's Lincoln is chopped, and I liked that look. I just never understood what you do to make it look like glass, not end up with stainless and rubber on 3 out of the 4 sides of the windshield.
Oh yeah I should mention that its gonna cost you a lot more than 50 bucks for a window. You wont be able to use a flat piece of plastic. You'll have to have a premolded windshield made to fit. That cheap shit they sell at home depot wont be see thru for more than a couple days. No coating. Good luck with this deal yo..... That car managed to survive 53 years till you got it. Congrats.
Why don't you slow down and figure out how to do this RIGHT? I don't understand being in such a rush that you'd just shove a lump of lexan in there to get it going. You're getting a lot of good advice here and you should listen to it. Go ahead... count the number of guys that are telling you to put lexan in your car.... And since I'm going to get called an asshole anyway, here's an unsolicited opinion - I think you chopped that thing WAY too much. "Opinions are like assholes, we all have them and they all stink."
LOL!! why the hell do you and some of these other guys care so much?? it's almost like your offended he asked for opinions and decided to do it his way..News flash, its his car, you've got yours, enjoy them and don't take it so personally..Glass, lexan, plastic wrap, who gives a shit....JEEZ!!!
Offended that he asked for advice then called everyone that didnt agree an asshole. Good luck with it, and maybe you should head over and help him, rather than enabling his disaster. I would if I was closer, but thats just the kind of asshole I am.......
Seems as though you just proved that. Hope you aren't sayin what I think you are sayin. I NEVER implied anything that would cause a threat.
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