TECH WEEK 1949-1951 shoebox chop

The 1949-51 shoebox for can be chopped many ways. And this is one way to do it. This is a guide and may not cover every aspect of the job. So chop at your own risk.

There are many types of tools and methods to accomplish the tasks in this job but these are some of the types I will be using.










The first step is to gut the car. Take out front and side glass and trim. Seats, interior panels, and dash also need to be removed.

Next the car needs to be braced. I use 1-inch electrical conduit because it is real cheap and can be thrown away after. Make sure you wear a respirator when welding it in place, as the fumes from the coating are toxic. Weld one tube from b-pillar to b-pillar midway up just below the feature line. Weld a second tube from the bottom of one b-pillar, across diagonally to she second b-pillar where the first bar meets. Then weld one tube on each side that attaches to the 1st b- pillar tube and one of the braces on the firewall. I choose to leave the back window in place so it won’t need to be braced. I do cover it with a weld proof paper so it won’t get ruined when welding.



Now the car needs measured. I place a centerline down the roof back glass and trunk panel. Use masking tape to lay out 4 in the a-pillar



Place small hash marks with a cutoff wheel in four equal spots in the front window frame. These will be used to check for square when welding back together. Check them for square before you cut first or things may not add up later



Make a reference measurement of the height of the drip rail to the feature line. Mark the spot where you measure so if you need to reference it later you can. Measure both sides because the measurement may not be the same. This car was at 17 ½ in. You can now cut off the doorframes. Cut them at the center of the curve and at the feature line as shown.



The top of the b-pillar should be cut through the center of both curves and should meet as close as possible to the drip rail and line up to the outside of the doorjamb. The bottom can be cut strait through the jamb then diagonal through the center of the curve and outside skin.



Cut out the quarter window section as shown.



This piece will be reworked and welded back in.



Now cut out the back window 4-in from glass on top and 2-in from glass on sides. Cut the bottom along the feature line.



Cut the inside like this.



Cut the support here.



Now cut the roof off at the a-pillar. Cut the top cut first then the back about 3-in above the feature line. Pull it off then cut the rest off the a-pillar and the back down to the bodyline.



The back needs cut like this for clearance of the top



I like to sleeve the front pillars. I find it makes it easier to line up. Cut out pieces from the four in cut off pike to do this.



The front pillars need relief cut both on the top and bottom.



Lower will need pie cut.

 

Use a hammer and a block of wood to tap it in a little.




Put the top on and clamp in place.



You can lower the back as much as you want. On this chop the reference measurement that was made earlier was at 17 ½ in. Now it is going to be at 14in. So the top lands at 9 ¼ in from the front edge of the inside panel.



Cut a relief cut on both rear sides of the roof.



Remove the inner supports.



Trim the back to fit to the body.



Cut a piece of sheet metal to fit the opening in the back. The panel I started with was 10x52. Cut it to fit the curve of the body. Also cut a curve in the front to clearance the rear glass. Use cleco’s or sheet metal screws to hold in place. Make sure it fallows the pitch of the original panel.



Set the back window in place and line up with the centerlines as much as possible. Some excess will need trimmed off.



It helps to lap the corners like this to hold the window in place.



After the window is in place mark the edge where the bottom of the window and the new piece of sheet metal meet. The line is going to be used to make a bend in the bead roller.




Remove the rear window and the sheet metal so it be cut and bent. Cut the sheet metal 1 ½ in from the line previously drawn and trim on that line.



Use the bead roller to bend a flange up to match the finished angle of the rear window. It is 5-in from the edge to the bend line in the center of the panel.




Put the back window in and then use the stretcher to stretch the flange on the filler panel to match the contour of the body



Square up the front window using the hash marks check the height on both sides then tack in place.



Tack the sides so the drip rail is flush with the body



Check the back window that it is center and square then tack the filler panel in place and the back window. The window to roof seam can then be cut and tacked together.



Cut a piece of sheet metal that connects the filler panel corners and tack it in to place. It should make a smooth curve to finish off the bottom of the roofline. The sail panel will need pulled tight and tacked in place.

 

Cut out sheet metal to fill in the sail panel. It doesn’t have to be a huge piece, just make sure it transitions the two existing panels well, and blends together smoothly. This piece was made with a few passes on the English wheel but could easily be made with the shrinker and or sand bag.



Used the original curve that was cut out. Just trim it and made some adjustments with the shrinker. This one had a slight crown that needed to be shrunk with the torch



Cut the post in half. Fit the top and bottom one at a time. Grind the cuts until you have a good fit then cut to length and tack in place



Pie cut the curves to get them to blend well. The gaps will need a sliver of sheet metal welded in.



If the stainless trim is going to go back on this corner will need the radius to fit better make a piece of sheet metal and welding it in.



Cut the bottoms off the doorframes and fit them to the door and body. Then cut and fit the upper section. You don’t have to cut all the way through on the b-pillar side, it can be cut in both directions and the bent in the middle. Tack the bottom pieces on first then the top. The top corner will need the curve pie cut to blend together and a small filler welded in.



Trim off the bracing and weld in place.



Now weld up the car with your preferred method. Once it is welded you can cut out the bracing.







The last step is to weld in the brace for the back window. Do this after everything is welded otherwise you wont be able to do any straitening in that area if it needs it.



Happy chopping

 

i love this tech.. altough i dont have an shoebox its a great guide how to do a good chop.. thank you..

 

great work!

 

Nice!!!!!

 

Nice work!!

 

I dig this! The proportions are spot on!

 

you did a nice job, very professional, i dont have a shoebox either , but its great to see how its done with good planning and patience.

 

Nice work. I will eventualy chop something and these tech's help.

 

I like the idea of bead rolling the flange in the filler panel below the rear window. Nice work.

 

Well, I do have a shoebox, and made all of my marks last night to chop it.

Now I have to rethink a few marks..... thanks

Great tech.

Clean chop.

Thanks for posting.

Rich

 

Nice looking chop and well laid out thread. Thanks.

Now...to get rid of that 4x4 stance...

 

Was this to make the crease cleaner?

Why not just weld them together where they meet?

Rich

 

What kind of die did you use in the bead roller to make the bend in the back panel?

 

Nice chop.

 

Nice work I plan on doing mine someday.

 

I was wondering same thing.Nice job,by the way..

 

i made the crease with two flat dies. just follow the line and put up pressure until it is at the angle you want.

i put the crease in because i wanted to raise the window. by adding the lip i was able to move the window up 1.5inches and only have one weld seam. you could not put the flange in and weld the window panel to the filler panel, if thats the look you want. or make it out of two pieces and have two weld seams. it is just faster for me to put in the flange than to weld in another piece.

 

Thanks for this, was it just done, or do you have any pictures of this car finished?

 

Wow... obviously not a fng but a talented wizard. Thanks for sharing you methods with a well written tech post.

 

that is the progress as of yesterday. ill update final pics when it is done.

 

Thanks Twisted-metal, great info/tech post with good photos.
Just hope that anyone will not do same kind post of 4dr merc chop

 

i really like this tech article.

 

Awesome skills,you make it look easy.Thanks for the tech!!

 

There you go, a tech week entry that was actually done in tech week. I doubt if I will do a shoebox but several of your methods will get applied on my 48 when I chop the new cab.

 

You definitely make it look easy! Thanks for details! haha! Seriously, good post

 

How did I miss this the first time around. Awesome tech that will no doubt help when the lid gets lowered on my shoebox. Thanks

 

This is an amazing tech thread. Wow. I will be using this.

 

Very nice work and great techniques used for a well proportioned chop. Thanks for sharing.