Projects International KB 7" chop

I just got a 41-49 K or KB International cab and hoods from a friend. I decided to chop it a total of 7". 4" at the door window opening and 3" above the door. The before picture shows how fat the roof looks and by observing other chops of these trucks I wanted to get rid of the fat as it looks fatter when the windows get smaller.

This chop is a bit more difficult than some because it has an inner structure skin that needs to be dealt with. This is my first chop and I like a challenge so here go's. I removed the rear window opening and the inner skin. Next up I removed the outer skin by cutting right above the windshield and 3" above the doors to let the top drop and down to the belt line removing the skin in one piece.

 

Most chops I have seen on these trucks end up with oval side windows and a fat roof. Both of which will be addressed in this chop. Most chops start with lowering the lid and then making the doors fit, I will do the opposite. After removing the roof and x bracing the cab I cut 4" out of the door tops at the rear and cut the front in the middle of the transition at the front of the door top. I then tacked the rear potion of the door top back on being sure to line up the window channel area.

The next step was to remove the windshield and dash as a unit. I then cut the door post at the transition at the lower corner where it would be leaned back. This took careful planning to make it flow with where the windshield would be leaned back. I cut the top of the door opening at the front where there was a seam and at the back where it met the belt line and then fit it to the door top.

 

I then fit the wind shield and door post to get the slope right and figure how much to take out of the windshield height. I tacked it all back together making sure to line up the door window channel because glass does not bend or twist. When the doorpost leaned back it got wider at the top because the doors taper out at the rear. With the windshield tacked in place it became apparent that it needed to be wider at the top.

At this point I cut the wind shield top off inside the windshield post and cut 2" out of it. I then cut the lower corners and pulled them out a bit to line up with the door tops so the doors will seal. From the front it looked like the windshield was peaked up too much in the middle so I cut it and lowered it about 5/8" causing the sides to be wider and lining the posts back up.

 

After getting the windshield and door posts to fit it was on to fitting the roof skin. I cut 7" off of the bottom and about 2 1/2" off above the windshield. I had to cut out the back corners of the roof so that the sides were free to flair out and meet the 3" pieces I left above the door openings that were bent in to meet the roof skin. I used clecos to hold these together while I tacked the front edged of the roof and the back down by the belt line.

After it was held in place I removed one cleco at a time and cut the roof to match the sides and tacked it as I went. Then I had to install the cab corners and move them out 1" adding a filler strip.

 

You got my interest...I'll tag along.

 

Nice truck, looking good! I'm in too.
Will it have a bed when done, or more like a bucket from a T bucket?

 

Nice work! The contours look really good and quite an improvement over stock with the upper roof being reduced in height.

Ray

 

...you have a good eye for proportions, very nice work there.

 

Following this,nice work.

 

I am building an independent rear suspension using an 8" Ford center section, 65 Corvair rear independent suspension and a model T rear spring and cross member. It will have inboard disc brakes off of the rear of a Ford Contour and I will use a pair of my wide five adapters and covers that I sell to showcase my product. I am thinking about not running a bed just to show of the rear end but I might put something back there. It will tell me what it wants when I get to that point.

Thanks for the complements on the roof proportions, that is why it is outside so I could stand back across the parking area and look at it. Now that I have the shape that I am looking for (and we finally got some much needed rain) it is time to move it inside and start on the frame. The frame will be 2"x3"x1/4" wall box tube so that I can keep it low without channeling the cab. I will use a stock model A front axle with 37 spindles and wide five front hubs with the disc brake adapters that are close to being in production.

For power the plan is to use an AMC 258 6 cylinder engine coupled to a Ford T5 trans. I plan on using an Eaton blower and building my own intake and exhaust manifolds. The exhaust will exit straight out the side of the hood with 6 individual pipes with butterfly valves to open them up when I want straight pipes. The front 3 and back 3 will each be tied together with a pipe that is inside the butterflies and will exit via 2 mufflers under the truck for that sweet split manifold sound that a 6 makes.

 

Here are some pics of the back of the cab and the corners

 

Some more pics

 

Got a little inspiration at Gray Harbor Raceway a couple weeks ago. The winner of the main event of the Big Rig races was an International KB6. Sorry about the pics they were taken through the catch fence.

 

Nice job ! Keep us in pics...

 

Very Nice Keep up the great work.

 

Are you keeping the patina on it? I was always told to work on clean metal.

 

After looking at the truck in your pictures from the track.

That would look good with a chopped top and a dually rear, running full front sheat metal!
And a longer wheelbase then your mock up. And orange running lights and rear down bats in the bed!

 

For right now it is just tacked together using a flux core wire feed. I will clean the weld areas and tig weld it later. Not sure on the patina but in the end I might put a nice paint job on it.

 

Wow,...I really like your ideas on the chop and the drivetrain,..this will be such a cool piece when done, painted or not. ... what brand flux-core welder are you using?

 

It is a Miller 110v wire feed welder already for gas but just using .030 or .035 flux core wire. Basically it is like stick welding with a wire feed. It works for tacking but I wouldn't want to finish weld sheet metal with it.

 

I was doing some research this weekend and found that 87-88 Tbird turbo coupe had disc brakes on the rear with the 4x4.25bolt circle same as Mustang II 8"rear that I am using. So I am going to get a pair and see if they will slip over the axle flange. I was going to use Ford Escort rotors on it but would have had to turn down the axle flange and the center as well. So if this works out it will also fit Mustang II, Pinto, Bobcat, Fairmont, Tbird, and other Fords that use the 4x4.25, It unfortunately will not fit Falcon, Mustang, Comet, or other early Fords with the 4x4.5 lug pattern.

The plan is to narrow the Mustang II rear end as much as possible, install 87-88 Tbird turbo coupe disc brakes. bolt on an adapter to go from the 4lug pattern to the 4 bolt pattern that a truck has to bolt on the back of a 4 speed. This u-joint yoke will attach to the half shaft of the 65 Corvair independent rear suspension. I have removed the drums and backing plates from the Corvair rear and will use my 5x4.75 to wide five adapters and adapter covers like the ones in my avatar. This will give me an 8" inboard disc brake independent rear with wide five wheels. What more could I ask for?

 

Watching this one. Dare To Be Different.....just the way I like it!
Nice chop too.

 

I could not figure out how to do the chop you have done.. I had seen some similar,, just could not see the geometry and figured I would just screw it up! . Thanks for the pictures, they really speak volumes! I ended up doing a simple 3" slice out of the pillars and a 3" slice below window.

 

Nice chop. I wanted to chop my '41 but my son has hit 6'5" and is still growing. I've already lowered the seat for him so a chop isn't in the future. Love seeing another Int'l project on here. They're kind of the unloved children of the P.U. world.

 

Yep it got quite involved including removing the dash along with the windshield. Since you cut and stretched the roof anyway you could pancake it a couple to three inches and get rid of the fat top look. If you cut it up about 3" above the door you can take out 1 1/2"-2" above the windshield. Cut out the rear cab corners so you can spread the roof. Its only sheet metal what could go wrong?

 

... looks good Jim. Am having tummy issues waiting on the rear window outcome. Hope I don't scarf my shorts. Figure that part will flow eventually as well. (pun intended) Right ?

Yeah I know you aren't done. Just messin' with 'ya.

 

Going to chop the rear window opening 1 1/2" and make it line up with the side windows for height.

 

I knew it !! Can't wait.

 

Some of the inspiration for this comes from the pictures of salt flat cars, models I chopped and hacked as a kid, the Pierson coupe, and the head of a pterodactyl. I might just call it the pterodactyl although I have never been known to name a car.

 

Flattening the roof really helped, good vision and execution to do that. I like the unconventional AMC six engine choice. Making the rear window about the same height and equal level with respect tot he side windows works good on the chop. I did effectively the same on my COE chop, 4 inches chop but left the rear window stock height and lowered it 2 inches in back and then the remaining 2 inches above. Came out approx the same height as the side windows when it was done and looks proportional now.