Customs Chopped the 49' Ford! Now what?

I really like the look of that chop. In ref to kanting the pillars, can you maybe show some close ups of what you did there? Specifically, the cuts. Also, did you use doner pillars or weld the tops and bottoms together. Thanks!

 

Managed to get a couple hours in yesterday after work before the daily rain shower. Have gotten some great advice so far and big thanks to Chris aka UnIOnViLLEHauNT for some great tips!

I moved the back window up to where I caught the flow of the roof and marked it off. Then I cut the strip out of the roof.




Then started tacking it in working from the middle outward. I did not want to relief cut the roof. I used 2x4's inside the car from the floor up to push the roof up to get the curves to match up with the window frame. I would tap the 2x4 over and tack. Tap and tack. Repeat.






Getting there.

 

looks way better...
you can actually slide your window just up under the roof so that it overlaps and tack it that way... then when you go to weld it make sure its tacked all the way along... then go along with the cut off wheel and cut the line so its butt welded. It helps to keep the shape of the rear roof line- you can push up under the rear window and keep the shape of the roof- looks to me that it could go forward a tad... and the window could drop down a tad... its just about right on-

good job-

now the c pillars.... take and cut them off level top and bottom and get them out of there. just lay the sawzall flat and ccut them off level- you cant them forward the same amount that the roof moved forward... line the angle up with point where the corner of the door used to be- to the top of the quarter panel... if that makes sense...

Tuck

 

Thanks Tuck! Did I mention I'm not a welder!?! I bought a used HF POS 110 MIG last November and have logged maaany hours on it practicing. I just upgraded to a Lincoln 100HD and it's like night and day.

On the b-pillars. If I cut them out flush like you suggest, do I tack the top and bottom together and install as a unit? Reason I ask is they are already about 2 inches too short. To fix, would I move them back until they fit or do I need to get donors that are the correct length? Hope this makes sense. Hard to put in words. Remember I'm from Alabama...we do a lot of pointing and make weird noises and such when we splain' sumthin'.

 

Did anyone mention to this guy that the roof heights are perfect and his back window placement is awesome!Its refreshin to see a good ol standard shoebow chop that is not 3 inches higher in the a pillars than the b pillars.

 

By the way,straight posts or slanted?Hey Tuck nice roof!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!but do you relly think you run the risk of your 1/4 windows gettin too small on a Tudor?????????????????

 

Here is how to do slanted b posts. For straight B posts it's different.

So it sounds like you cut sections out of those B posts so they are short. Can you find those pieces and weld them back on to say the bottom B post?

Then you you just single cut into the corner of the B post or V cut the B post and rotate them. Don't move where the B posts are attached to your roof or quarter, just swing them. The B post on the roof swings back, the B post on your quarter panel swings forward. They are going to be too long now, so now you start trimming down shorter and shorter so they meet to butt weld.

 

biggest problem... is that the front window gets tooooooooo BIG.

I dunno everyone likes them chopped differently... I just really hate the way straight posts look on a tudor. the front doors look ridiculous.

MIKES51- yeah... perfect illustration. I did mine a little different but that shows it---

Tuck

 

Wow Anthony I really appreciate that! I actually found the HAMB after admiring your pinstriping forever around the web. One of the reasons I chose a shoebox!

mikes51: BIG thanks man! That's EXACTLY what I was looking for on the posts. Yes I have the material I cut out so it looks like I'm good to go. Thanks again guys!

Will continue to update.

 

Looks like I'm gonna slant them!

 

looks cooler with a chop , good job

 

Got a good jump this weekend. Slanted the passenger side b-pillar. Lot of learn as you go going on here. Last cut I made was wrong so I had to weld it back in and start over. Overall I'm pretty stoked about it but I have a feeling that after I do the driver side I will come back and tweak the passenger side.














Spent a couple hours Sunday adjusting the fenders and such. Also got the hood down to bare metal and shot it with some primer to keep the rust away.







Thanks fer lookin'!

 

Lookin good man. Stay on it!

 

Thanks skwurl!

 

thats not an easy car to cut your teeth on.. looks fantastic! keep going..

 

My friends think I'm nuts!

 

Great job man
Very nice flow to that chop

 

Did this car ever get finished?

 

that would be a question as it started out to be a great post but seems to have been forgotin

 

I'm getting there! LOL! Only had it since July 4th, 2008 so go ez on me. haha

Since this I've fabbed and installed new rockers on both sides as well damn near all the sheet metal along the bottoms of the rear 1/4's.

Radiused the front wheel wells about 3 inches forward as the PO installed the Pacer clip too far forward and was getting tire rub standing still.

Fabbed and replaced the inner hinge piller bottoms and hooked them back into the mix.

Smoothed the hood...and warped the shit out of it! Spent the following weekend tapping it for hours to flatten it out. Good times.

Fabbed up a battery tray and mounted and wired the under-hood electronics. Also fabbed up the floors (and later cut them back out for the work below) and rolled them out with my new bead roller.



Had a buddy come and fab a new crossmember because I bought a new complete brake system. This kit is the under-floor one someone posted on here. The addition of a booster pushed it right into the original crossmember so my friend made one to wrap around it. Pretty cool as he took 2 measurements and 2 angles and fabbed the whole thing at the bench. When it was done it needed nothing more than a few taps with a rubber mallet to go right in.











So that puts it where I am now but the coolest part is I busted the little 289 motor off for the FIRST TIME this weekend!!! Open headers and all and it sounded GREAT! Holds a nice idle and is WICKED responsive. Ran it about 15 minutes yesterday after work and did find 2 pinhole leaks in 2 different freeze plugs and radiator leaks like a mofo but it never ran hot. Doesn't shake at all and no weird noises or anything.

Also have headlights and tail lights wired as well as a keyed ignition switch.

Here she is as she sits.


Thanks for the interest!

 

Please leave the F,O,R,D letters on the front of the hood.
What are you doing for a grille?

Great project.

 

What's up with the pics. Couldn't see them in the begin of thread and still can't see any.
From the sound of it, it seems like a pretty cool chop. I plan on chopping my coupe this summer.

 

I cant see them either

 

Looks good man, keep going! Love the crossmember idea. What kind of master cylinder are you using? Getting to this piont on mine.

 

If you're at work I think my account is blocked.

I'll move the pics to a new server tonight.

The brake setup is one from ebay stating it was for a 32' Ford. Was only 140.00 -/+ I'll try and find the auction link.

Thanks for the comments!

 

FORD letters are staying! That pic is actually about 3 weeks old.

Still hunting an OG grill. Got an old-timer buddy here that has one in really nice shape. He told me it was "mine". As soon as he pulls the bracket off the back. Been by there 3 or 4 times since then and he keeps telling me "Oh yeah, we'll get that taken care of". lol! I think he just enjoys the company. It's allgood, he's a cool ol feller.

 

Great work!

Please keep us posted with the updates

 

your doing a great job..keep at it

 

no bracing on the body?!?! Man thats risky!