alright, so here's the story..I started the chop on my 56 chevy years ago and as time went on I got burned-out and lost interest in cars for a couple years..and also my poor 56 who sat degected. I am back working on cars again and loving it with new found enthusiasm..and a better eye, I think...needless to say, I chopped it too much I think and I cannot find the pieces I cut out of the a-pillars!! damn damn damn..I would like to raise it up about 3/4 of an inch (I cut it 4 inches)... does anyonout there happen to have a-pillars from a 55-57 chevy?? I can work with the hardtop pillars, but would prefer sedan. local yards crushed all their cars...and not too many people out this way chop their tri-five chevies..heheh...anyone?anyone? please help if you can
before you raise it up get ahold of a used 55-59 chev truck windshield and lay it in upside down and take a look at it. it a pretty close fit with a 4 inch chop on a post car. it's just something I've always wanted to build
it's not an issue of glass fitment, it's a proportions issue... and I think we acually talked about that truck glass years ago when I started!...lol
Is that the car in your avatar? If so, it doesn't look too bad to me at that tiny size, but then again hard to see 3/4" difference. post a bigger pick for us to see if you don't mind. maybe it really is ok the way it is.
i chopped my 49 Ford last year and like you i think i wacked a little much out (5") but it looks great standing next to it and from a distance, but when i sat on a box inside of it to get an idea of what everything looks like from a chopped car.............WOW! talk about limited vision! but im going to leave it like it is and if it bothers me to much then somebody here can get it and ill start over with another one.
Well, this version does look pretty good to me, but can't say yet that yours looks bad either. Lets see some better pics of it. Regardless, you probably should still just go with what you feel is best and don't let others opinions, mine especially, steer you in a direction you have obviously thought a lot about and want to change. Custom cars, by nature, should be the personal expression of who's building it, just like art, because it is art. Art is done by artists, not committees. Roll with what you like. Some will like it one way and other would prefer it another no matter what you do. But, with that said, I was just trying to comment (between the lines) to not try to "fix" a potential problem that may not actually be much of a problem if the effort to do so is not worth it. It may not actually be a problem, but it might and it may not be that hard to fix it, but sounds like it might be. It is just some metal though, so anything can be fixed. If you think it needs fixed, definitely spend the time to fix it. Welcome back getting into it and good luck.
You might want to PM 55chieftain here on the HAMB he parted out 55 Pontiac 2dr sedan this last fall, I understand the windshields are the same as a Chevy so the A pillar should work.
What are you planning for the rear window glass ? If the original is tempered,it can't be cut. -- Ever think there must be a reason we don''t see a lot of chopped late '50s cars ?
Here's what I ran into when I chopped my 4 door,I needed to make pieces to lengthen the door frames.My brother works in the sheet metal union and was able to take a sample to work and fab me up some pieces, that once welded together will be perfect.So maybe if you can't find any posts,check out your local sheet metal fab shop and see if they can help you.
I see you are in Winston Salem. There is a salvage guy in Dillon SC just over the border who specializes in 55-57 chevys. They call him the Bird Man. I think he is on Hwy 421 a few miles east after you get off I-95. I'd bet he can fix you up.
I can make new pieces if I need to, but would rather get replacements..papa says work smart, not hard...hahahah
Hey, If 3/4" is all you need to add to the posts, are you sure you really need another roof clip? By the time you subtract the pinch welds (which are nothing but flat pieces of steel) you arn't talkin' 'bout much metalshaping to be done. The radiuses arn't that tight, and could be shaped over iron pipe or round stock. What crown you can't shape sucessfuly' will surely be covered in weld, lead or plastic filler. Again, 3/4 ain't much area. Swankey Devils C.C. "Meanwhile, back aboard The Tainted Pork"
was just wondering if anyone had junked posts out there...I can make the pieces, but sure would be easier to splice in a new inner structure and then outer skin with out having to make them first...kinda makes me a lazy-ass I guess
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