my thoughts exactaly but its raining like a bugger the last 3 days . Maybe this weekend . You making any progress Finn ?? 4 Inches all the way around would be great but there is only so much $$$ to go around . I am still needing mustache trim and fender extensions and those might cost me some big bucks unless someone on here will take pity on me and slide me some off of one of their parts cars .
Yeah,i've made some.I started to fix the quarterpanels.I cut off a big slice of the passengers side quarter,but i found some pitting and pinholes from the inner fender.So i need to make patch for that too before i can weld the patch panel to the body. I'll post pics to my build thread when i am done.
That would be great as we all like pictures of other guys builds . Pictures = Progress . Andy Thanks Rob . Anything happening in your neck of the woods ? You seem to be layin pretty low .
Got some done today . I tackled the drive side of the roof back in line . I made a template of the roof on the pasenger side and compared it to the drive . I need to make longer slits in the roof for the roof to come down and flow right . I also cut off the driprails up to the doors . I was at a hotrod shop today and they did to a 49 Sedanette what I was planning and that was to cut the rails and run some 5/16 CRS to replace . They welded them on from the top . I will weld them on on the bottom of the rod and use seam sealer for a new driprail . Andy..
Couple more from the day . I know it seems like I am posting the same pictures but if you look at the previous back shots you can see the progress in the alignment and fit of the current , I hope anyway !!!! Andy
Good on ya brother! Really admire you tackling the chop by yourself, not many who do that. Looking good!
Last night, I had a dream. I thought about all the grinding you ll have to do, and woke up crying . Nice idea the hooks for the home made Cleco ! I made mine also, and didn t think about this . Stupid simple and clever trick .... Doesn t the gap quite wide give any trouble to fill with a MIG ? Or do you use a copper plate ?
Thanks Jimmy . I studied a lot of magazines and threads on here as well before the slice . Turning out good from my perspective so far . Lots of filling and grinding to go . Andy.. LOL the dream thing is something I should be disturbed about . I made the panelclamps over the winter . I only have seven made up . If I need more I just make them as required . As for the wide gaps I do use a copper plate but I also will use sheetmetal and fill them that way as well . Thanks man come again !!! Andy..
Wow thats looking great Andy, good to see it with a back bumper even! I can easily relate to the untold hours of grinding for some reason
Hey Steve , Hows it goin man . The wife have any luck on the job market ? I have a truck coming up out of our Sydney warehouse on Wednesday . He will have my seats ( front and rear ) a door and one other piece that will remain a secret til I get it mocked up and see what it looks like . It should look cool !!! Speaking of seats , anybody else ever wonder why so many project cars are bought and the original seats are missing ? Its a crucial part of the integrity of the interior of these old cars and people remove them to put highback buckets that look so out of place . I think thats where the seats go , people just throw them out . Damn !!! Theres my rant for the day !!! Now I feel better .. Andy
Looking great Andy! Keep up the good work! Slow process on mine the next few weeks, I`ve got to go on an insurance course a week from tomorrow and need to get cracking at the books! LOL Were you at Untamed yesterday? Heres a couple of those pics of Dad's 53 that you asked to see.
I like that a lot , Its a nice looking mild custom . Needs nothing except in my opinion , a cut of 2.5 inches . Andy...
Thanks Fitzee . The bumper gives us some insigt at what it will look like for sure . I cant wait to get it into primer . I am at odds as to strip all the old paint from the body as it is well adhered . I am thinking that I will , just so that when I do paint it up there will be no question as to what lurks beneath !!! It sure would suck to have a reaction between todays paints and the old lead based paints of yesteryear . Andy...
Well I started to have another look at the rear sailpanel and the beltline trim wasn't going to work . So in these pics you see that I am starting to stitch things together then I realized that as much as I kept denying it things weren't right . As Fitzee said some posts back these chev windows are not the best foe a chop because the lower corners want to dive under the plane of the outer skin . The deeper the chop the worse it gets . It looks good from the pictures but it is quite bad . More to come later this evening .
So I cut the back window free and had to rework the angle of the rear . It flows on the same plane as the top part of the window right down to the trunk opening . This was the only option available and still be able to use the Buick beltline trim . I didnt want to lose the trim like so many other customs . I think I am almost there but then again I thought that a few months ago as well . The last pictures are of my score of parts from North Sydney NS . 1950 Buick 2 Dr sedan front and rear seats . A decent door for the right side and a 1949 Mercury bumperette / overider . I may throw that one on EBay as it is not wide enough to use on the Buick bumper . The door may look bad visiually but it is actually in better shape the my original door . I will blast it up patch it and hang it on the car at some point . I think I will get back into the B pillars and give them a lean forward , we'll see . Andy...
Congrats on scoring your seats! I agree, they are a key component to the overall vibe. But you're making me break out in a rash fretting over your chop! Wwwwwhhhhhhoooooooaaaaaa, but that's a lot of work!
Thats what I was thinking Jimmy LOL ! I see your still slogging along as well . Yours will be running in the near future . As for mine ??? The PLAN is 2014 . Who knows !! Andy..
Uploaded with ImageShack.us Nice built ,awesome Buick, Now! I do miss my 51 Buick 4 doors THX... Keep the good work !!!
Thats some nice shoebox you have there DaddyO . Thanks for the positive comments on mine . This rear glass issue is a pain in the ass for sure but its coming . If I could just get 1 good long 12 hour day on it I would have it locked down , but such is life . Andy...
Wheels are turning slow now that spring is in full swing wont get much done for a while now but this is the outcome so far . In the 3rd pic I am seeing that te rear window seems to small ??? If I rework the B pillars and slant them and angle the rear side window at the back a little more forward maybe then I will have it . What do you guys think ?? Andy...
I agree. Sure looking good so far...you've already come a long way since I started following your thread. Keep up the good work.
thanks for your input . i will be taking it all apart later and starting over . Even though you cant see it the roof is off to the right and is having a negative effect on the outcome of the chop on that side . I will have to remove the whole roof again and start over . I may take another inch out of the pillars . I think I would prefer a little deeper chop if I have a do over . We will see !! Andy
Having trouble seeing what you're seeing Andy. Rear side window glass looks to be same size as front door glass, no? I'm cringing here thinking about what you're about to do . Andy's Chop Top School of Hard Knocks. You, sir, have some gumption.
Well ya know Jimmy when its not right its not right . I am sure there are lots of guys who have done something over again to set things right . I am not to thrilled with this setback but being my first ever attempted chop I should expect a few hard knocks now and then . LOL !!! Later , Andy...
first of all man that is coming along nicely.. I see what your talking about in the third pic.. what I see is the rear section of the roof is to thick..If you moved the window back it will take the thickness out of it..
As much as I hate to say it, due to the work it will involve, I agree that the window is just a bit too small. Or the C-pillar is too fat, however you want to view it. The shape isn't bad though. But the front 3/4 view of the car looks awesome!
The Jalopy Journal
