Yep, filler pieces will have to be added, but nota whole doner, and all the greif that ushers in! " Humpty Dumpty was pushed "
Friday evening after work, the chopping began. JT, came over and helped remove the roof, then assessed the situation on how to make this mess work. The 2 door hardtop windshield is not only lower than that of the sedan, it's also 5/8" longer at the bottom, hence the lengthening of the A pillar/dog leg.
Handsome JT, overly tan, but that's what working outdoors in Florida does to you. Friday evening by 8 pm, the windshield and A pillar were made to fit each other, we started at 5.30 pm.
Saturday morning, bright and early, I taped up the expensive windshield and my wife helped me put it in the frame so that I could start welding the pillars and roof back on.
I had no intention of making the chop as radical as it turned out, I really love Paul Cepeda's Elky a lot, the idea was to make it similar but I'm kinda glad it's different than his classic.
Around 3.00 pm my pal Josh Wheeler showed up in his badass Ford sled and started measuring things with a tape measure. He helped out tremendously with his redneck engineered pusher and fresh eyes and ideas. Eyeballing yer way around things only gets you so far.
Roof pieces going back in. You can see where the roof was stretched, it wasn't widened at all, but I know I'm going to have to tweak the rear window flange to make the glass fit. Evidence of hard day's work in the hot sun.
Josh saying goodbye, the dude helped me out so much, he shall be seen again when my Elky gets bagged.
From this, on Friday evening....... To this, on Sunday afternoon. The doors have to be hung and chopped next, they will have to be pocketed where the A pillar was moved to accommodate the windshield. The back glass has to be fitted and hundreds of other things to be done but she's coming along. I'm thinking of putting a scoop on the back of the roof, maybe making one from scratch of my own design, I don't like the stock Impala ones too much.
Is that your house? You've got a hell of a nice place there, my friend. I admire your willingness to cut that car up on that fancy driveway. Your neighbors must be nicer than mine. Is the chop slanted toward the back? I like that look, I'm curious to know how you'll make the rear window fit.
You wanna buy the house, it's for sale. My mom and dad died last year, we inherited the place but we can't keep it, Uncle Sam's gotta get his share. The neighbors are far away, they can't hear or see diddly squat. The chop is slanted backwards, I'm not too sure about it, hence the roof scoop idea to balance it out a bit, the electric seat in here is stuck on its highest position and it's damned hard to get inside the truck now. Let's see how it looks with the doors and all. Thanks for everyone's kind words, I just wanna get this thing back on the road soon, blocking and body prep can be done whilst she's being used.
Years ago I was working at a body shop and a Pinto came in to get repaired. The owner had it repaired in T J Mexico and the left 1/4 panel was repaired with plaster of paris, it was around eight inches thick.
Inspirational & 'all' those other words found in, self help books. Thanks, Nads.. I was smiling the whole time, while catching up on your thread. Effin cool
What the......... are those.... Nads Pads? Digging the Elky Nads. I still gotta say silver with red interior. Your wife is right!
Nads you did well. And Josh is a hell of a human being. Shit maybe I'll drag my ass over there this weekend.
I wonder if you could go a little further and just use 2dr ht vent window frames, and hardtop it? It would save a little work making upper door frames, but I'd have to look at a hardtop's A-post and compare to see how the fit would work, and you might have to fill in or put some trim on the B-post so it looks right after, plus add hardtop-type weatherstrip across the top and down the B-post. But it would give you a little side window back to try to see out of. And you'll have to have new side glass cut probably anyhow, so... Now that I think about it maybe the easiest way to check that out would be to put the doors on with the whole top cut off, and photoshop the hardtop vents and glass in? By the way, the last AMT model '59 I did turned out nice with the stock lights canted and the '57 Buick grille out of the '57 Chevy kit stuck in the middle... just in case you're thinking of changes when you get that far -
Man that chop looks awesome Nads!! I think it will look even lower with the doors back on great job !
The Jalopy Journal
